Talk:Sandra Lee (author)

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Contents 1 WAY too biased 2 Related Links 3 alcohol criticism 4 possible implants? 5 DOB? 6 Sandra Christensen 7 Pajamas 8 Negative bias in Cordon Bleu paragraph 9 WP:NOR

[edit] WAY too biased

Look at the "critism" section...It says that her time spent at Le Cordon Bleu ws "minimal, at best." Who's to say how long she spent there? Personal attacks should be reserved for letters, not Wikipedia.--Magyar14 22:37, 16 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] Related Links

I'm thinking we should leave related links as they are now - her Web site and her Food Network bio. The Proboards and TWoP links are more inflammatory than neutral. (We could leave them in if there are "supportive" Sandra links out there, but I have yet to find any.) Amnewsboy 22:41, 9 March 2006 (UTC)

[edit] alcohol criticism

I hate to defend the lady (really, I do), but it may be a bit unfair to single her out for her excessive alcohol-related show content. Bobby Flay does just as much boozin' on his show, if not more Lambertman 17:39, 24 April 2006 (UTC)

I'd never heard of this woman before, and I don't defend her use of pre-packaged food as it does often contain high amounts of fat, sugar, salt, and preservatives. However, regarding the use of liquor in a recipe, unless the dish remains uncooked, alcohol will evaporate under cooking temperatures, leaving behind only the flavor. PNW Raven 16:23, 28 October 2006 (UTC)

Most, but not 100% of it, will evaporate, so if you have alcohol-sensitive guests you should find an alternative. (Or alternative guests!) I believe that the Sanda Lee criticism stems from the fact that often times she makes some pretty simple "vodka punches" on the show, recipes more at home in a college campus than a gourmet kitchen. However, Michael Chiarello almost always makes cocktails for his "parties" and, as mentioned above, Bobby Flay has testified to being quite imbibed on occasion. --JD79 19:08, 29 October 2006 (UTC)

NO, most does not evaporate. A study conducted by the US Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Data Laboratory calculated the percentage of alcohol remaining in a dish based on various cooking methods. The results are as follows:

Preparation Method Percent of Alcohol Retained alcohol added to boiling liquid & removed from heat 85% alcohol flamed 75% no heat, stored overnight 70% baked, 25 minutes, alcohol not stirred into mixture 45% baked/simmered, alcohol stirred into mixture:

   * 15 minutes                                                    40%

   * 30 minutes                                                    35%

   * 1 hour                                                        25%

    The link for this is here: http://www.ochef.com/165.htm

—The preceding unsigned comment was added by 207.237.216.99 (talk) 02:33, 15 December 2006 (UTC).

[edit] possible implants?

Is it me or did her headlights quadriple in size recently.

I don't think they're implants. The seem awfully low.

I can confirm that they are. She has also had cheek implants. unfortunately the only source I can cite is that she's a friend of my step-mom's. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 75.73.209.201 (talk) 15:38, 10 December 2006 (UTC).

[edit] DOB?

Anybody know how old she is?

I do not know her DOB of birth as per month and day but she is 36 years old

[edit] Sandra Christensen

I reverted edits from 12/19 tying Sandra to a curtain patent... in order to make that connection work, we have to establish that the person who has the patent is the same person with the show. Based on the way the links were written and worded, it's conceivable (although unlikely) that this is a different person. I have no doubt that it's correct, but it needs to be verifiable as per WP:V. Amnewsboy 00:46, 21 December 2006 (UTC)

[edit] Pajamas

She loves to wear pajamas. She even wore them on a show with her neice Stephanie —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 216.175.14.211 (talk) 23:08, 8 February 2007 (UTC).

Come on - what does this have to do with anything?

[edit] Negative bias in Cordon Bleu paragraph

In the paragraph discussing Ms. Lee course at Le Cordon Bleu the text currently states, ". . . she has said in interviews that she felt that the lessons were a waste of time, and that she could prepare better dishes on her own.[1]"

The corresponding link takes you to a surprisingly snarky Gourmet magazine article in the press section of the official Semi-Homemade website. Regarding the Cordon Bleu escapade it states, "Back in 1998, she took a two-week course at the Cordon Bleu in Ottawa, Canada. And that was when she had her Semi-Homemade brainstorm. "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."

The concepts in both paragraphs might be similar, but the Wiki one implies that Ms. Lee is a conceited know-it-all who thinks she is above the teachings of Le Cordon Bleu, while the actual quote from Ms. Lee does not.

It is within the realm of possibility that the above example is an honest case of inaccurate reporting by a well-meaning Wiki editor. However, it seems obvious from the completely irrelevant discussions regarding Ms. Lee's physical endowments, as well as the various references that the shrikes discuss on the Sandra Lee bashing sites (the size and position of her breasts, her penchant for pajamas and the nicknames of her niece and nephew, to name just a few) that there are editors purposely inserting unnecessary negative bias in this article. The various Sandra Lee shrike sites were created expressly for that purpose while Wikipedia was not. --Pywacket 11:25, 25 March 2007 (UTC)

I freely admit to adding that sentence in there, and I must say, I was surprised that it was seen as being "Sandra-bashing". At the time, I had thought that was an accurate summary of her time there, based on the Gourmet article and statements she made in her "Chefography" special. I can see your point, but don't believe it was written that way on purpose. Amnewsboy 12:35, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

[edit] WP:NOR

I noticed that there was a WP:NOR tag added into the article (regarding her criticism)... from what I can tell online, the majority of her critics that can be referenced are blogsites of Food Network devotees... and I'm not sure what WP's rules are regarding blogs as reliable sources. Are those able to be attributed? Amnewsboy 12:42, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

Blogs are not considered reliable sources, per WP:RS, so unless that criticism is coming from a newspaper, or another reliable source, it should be removed. I've moved it here, until it can be properly sourced. Ckessler 18:42, 29 March 2007 (UTC)

The major form of criticism against Lee refers to her cooking show, Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. Criticism is not necessarily against the philosophy behind the show, but rather the delivery of the philosophy and the message conveyed through the show. Since her show uses many prepackaged goods, it delivers the message that "real" cooking is too difficult, and encourages those with busy lifestyles to take the easy way out and not cook healthy meals using fresh ingredients. This is in contrast to other Food Network personalities, such as Rachel Ray or Giada De Laurentiis, who emphasize that real cooking doesn't have to difficult, but can be fun, everyday, and healthy all at the same time. Peculiarly, many of the recipes shown in Semi-Homemade are of questionable nutritional value.

Some of her critics take issue with the nutritional value of her meals (since many ingredients are pre-packaged or contain high amounts of sugar, fat, sodium, preservatives, or alcohol) (the last is most often seen in a segment of her program entitled Sandra's Cocktail Time).

Others oppose her perceived over-reliance on specific brands and products, which may be either unavailable to consumers for various reasons or more expensive than their generic equivalents. [2].

For a time, Lee referred to herself as a lifestylist, but has since stopped doing so due to a trademark issue. Texas-based home living expert Suzanne Felber trademarked the word in 2000.

Some online critics refer to themselves as "shrikes", after comments by a Lee supporter on the recipe review boards on the Food Network website. [3]. [4].

I've added attributable reaction/criticism... it's not much, but I figure it's a start. Please let me know if this works out, or if it's still in the WP:NOR area. Amnewsboy 07:10, 5 April 2007 (UTC)