Sandra Lee (author)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sandra Lee (born July 3, 1966 in Los Angeles, California) is an American author and television presenter.
Lee is most well-known for her "semi-homemade cooking" concept. She describes the philosophy as "70% store-bought/ready-made products accompanied by 30% fresh and creative touches allow anyone to take 100% of the credit for an incredible result." Her cooking program contains an arts and crafts element; Lee generally decorates the table environment in accordance with the theme of the show Lee refers to these as "tablescapes".
Lee has two best-selling books: Semi-Homemade Cooking and Semi-Homemade Desserts, originally printed by Talk Miramax but now distributed by Meredith Corporation. She also has a show on the Food Network, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee (which premiered in 2003), and in 2005, released the book Semi-Homemade Cooking 2 along with revised editions of her first two books. Initially, Lee was announced as co-host of NBC's Celebrity Cooking Showdown, but ultimately never appeared on the program. [1]
In the fall of 2006, Lee released four new cookbooks which include: Semi-Homemade 20-Minute Meals, Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes, Semi-Homemade Great Gatherings, and Semi-Homemade Cool Kids Cooking. A fifth book, Semi-Homemade Light & Healthy Cookbook, was released in January of 2007. [2]
In the early 1990s, Lee created a product called "Kurtain Kraft", a home decorating tool using curtains. She was able to sell the product on infomercials, in which she co-hosted with Florence Henderson, and home shopping channel QVC.
Lee later attended a two-week course at Le Cordon Bleu, but did not attain any certifications or degrees during her time there, nor did she complete the course. "I was scraping beef tendons and I thought, 'I'm outta here!"' she says. "When you look at a recipe you want to know that at least four of the ingredients are available at your grocery store. It's more cost-effective and less time-consuming." [3] She reportedly left after two days.
Sandra Lee tapes Semi-Homemade Cooking With Sandra Lee in a custom-built studio in Brooklyn, New York.
Sandra Lee's Chefography first aired March 20, 2007 on Food Network at 9:00 PM EST.
Contents |
[edit] Personal life
Lee was born in 1966 when her parents were still in their teens. Her mother was twice-divorced, and the second divorce caused her mother to become depressed, ill, and bedridden for years. This was when Lee was 11 years old, at which point she had to become a surrogate mother to her four younger siblings, her full sister, Cindy, half-brothers Johnny and Richie, and half-sister Kimber. She took care of them, went grocery shopping for the whole family, and even handled the household's finances.
Lee makes mention of her Grandma Dicey, who she lived with after her mother's first divorce. She calls her a mentor in her life, and many of the Semi-Homemade ideals can be traced back to her, such as detail-oriented presentation.
Lee took care of her family until she was 16, when her remarried stepfather came back to take back his children, Lee's half-siblings, leaving Lee alone.
After completing high school, she went to the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse for three years, after which she left and moved back to Los Angeles.
Before hosting a cooking show on Food Network, Lee was reportedly hesitant over the idea because she, in her own words, was not a chef. She saw herself more as a "lifestyle-expert" rather than as a cook. The semi-homemade idea, then, was an extension of her lifestyle philosophy, rather than the main aspect of it. She agreed on the show after she was assured she'd be able to include home decorating elements into it. "You can do anything you want, you just have to cook", as was narrated on her Food Network Chefography.[citation needed]
[edit] Recently
Lee has filed for divorce from husband Bruce Karatz, who was the chairman and CEO of KB Homes. After taping the first four seasons of Semi-Homemade Cooking and authoring three cookbooks, Lee left Los Angeles. She now resides in New York, where her television program is taped. [4]
Lee's family members make occasional appearances on her show; along with her siblings, she has three nieces, Stephanie, who is often called Miss Stephanie, Danielle, and Katie and five nephews, Austen, Brandon, Bryce (Brycer or Brycee), Scotty, and Blake. Her best friend, Colleen Schmidt also appears on the show.
[edit] Critical Reaction
Reaction to Sandra Lee's technique and Food Network program, from her peers and television critics, has been mixed. Television critic Linda Holmes ("Miss Alli") of Television Without Pity says she believes Lee "cooks like a college student" [5], while celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain has publicly described her as "Betty Crocker after a weekend of huffing crack"[6]. Others, including celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck and Entertainment Tonight host Mary Hart, list Lee as friends, and have written testimonials about her technique as part of her book series.
