Does anyone actually like Sandra Lee?

[mizzdee]

I have to say..I do..lol
Really.
I realize it isnt true from scratch cooking..so therefore in many eyes usnt a true xooking show.But I have gotten a few tips from her..shrugs
And I like the cocktail section
I am not saying she is amazing..I just like her and her show.
I know I am in a vast minority..so please refrain from petin me with cans of soup

[Just Visiting]

No I do not like her one bit. Her personality is a weird cross of faux cheerful and Stepford. Like a cheerful zombie. I don't like her version of cooking at all. And I keep wanting to take her to a good undergarment expert to buy a good "brar" (trademark, Jill Zarin) to keep her girls from hanging down to her waist. She's filthy rich and surely could afford a better brar?

[biondanonima]

I used to find Sandra Lee the 2nd most annoying person on Food TV (second only to Rachael Ray), but then the Food Network and the Cooking Channel got rid of pretty much ALL of their good programming and replaced it with endless hours of even more annoying people such as:

Nadia G. (seriously, what IS this show?)
Kelsey Nixon
Guy Fieri
Female Guy Fieri [aka Anne Burrell]
Laura Calder
Melissa d'Arabian
the Neelys
Claire Robinson
Sunny Anderson
Ingrid Hoffmann
Roger Mooking
Duff Goldman
Anyone with a cupcake show

Now, I will say that not all of them are bad chefs, but I find all of them EXTREMLY annoying as TV hosts, and I think their shows are generally a lot more dumbed down than they need to be. At least Sandra Lee has entertainment value (oh the Kwanzaa cake!).

[gourmanda]

Close, I will only say that you forgot Hungry Girl. I can not turn off the TV fast enough. Giada. Paula Deen. Okay, pretty much the whole programming schedule. For some reason though Rachel Ray no longer bugs me. I guess she's pretty inoccuous after all the others.

[biondanonima]

I had never even heard of Hungry Girl (Lisa Lillien) before I saw your post but thanks for the heads up - I'll avoid! Paula Deen and Giada annoy the crap out of me too, but I can at least watch their shows. Hearing just one nanosecond of Rachael Ray's voice makes me want to rip out my own vocal cords (and that's saying something, given that I'm an opera singer).

[KSlink]

Oh thank God, I was starting to think that it was just me!!!

[laststandchili]

Can opener Barbie.

I don't mind her show as long as the sound is off.

[alliegator]

The cocktail at the end of the show makes me like her more than I would otherwise. She irritates me a lot less than Melissa D'Arabian. That lady makes me want to slap my tv screen for some reason that I can't quite put my finger on.

[ttoommyy]

She is a bit annoying, isn't she? And how many times in one show can she mention having lived in France and her French husband???

[Enigma3]

I look at her show from a different angle. There are many levels of cooking competency in the kitchen. Many people I know, men and women, have a tough time making a simple recipe. The majority of folks are lost in the kitchen. They are one step above spagetti in a can. Or they eat out most every night. That's a good mask of cooking skills. I see Sandra Lee as trying to get these people to at least feel a bit comfortable in the kitchen and not shop in the canned goods aisle all the time. It takes baby steps initially and she focuses on those. She caters to those people and trys to get them to think outside their narrow little box of flustered kitchen frustration. Just trying to get more people to eat better. That is a very different crowd than those who like to hang out on food blogs. And yes, many people were taught cooking by their parents (or cooking mentor). And many more of us, me included, were not. She has found a niche that needs to be presented. Good for her. And she's great eye candy too.

[pamf]

I think you may be getting SL mixed up with another cooking host. Her "semi-ho philosophy" is that 70% of your food should be packaged goods with 30% fresh.

If people are flustered in the kitchen then watching Sandra's disjointed preparations and trying to understand her inarticulate descriptions of what she is doing is not going to be helpful.

Sandra also presents a lot of misinformation. She likes to throw around words like "healthy" and "organic" but then still ends up adding CreamOf soup and seasoning packets to everything. On her money saving meals show, her methodology for cutting the grocery budget is to use cheap cuts of meat with a huge pile of carbs. Hey, who cares what kind of nutrition you're providing for your family, it's only $3.95 per person.

There are quite a few other cooking hosts who can provide better guidance and clear instruction for those who are getting started in the kitchen. Kelsey Nixon (there's a recent thread on her here), Sara Moulton (no longer on FN but now on PBS), and even Rachel Ray all do a better job of presenting the basics.

[HillJ]

ah but the line: And she's great eye candy too.
pretty much sums up what can be overlooked :)

[sunshine842]

Yep...I miss Sara Moulton -- but she wasn't glitzy or jittery enough to survive the SHAZAM mentality at FN.

Rachel Ray drives me bonkers-- I simply cannot watch her -- but I give her credit for showing people that you can make actual food from real ingredients....if she gets people into the kitchen one more night a week than they would have to make a meal that doesn't come out of a box or through a window....then she's doing a good service.

[FoodChic]

Ditto on Sara Moulton. It's just a matter of time before Anne Burrell is gone, too. She's the only thing I record on FN.

[cleobeach]

Sara Moulton's show was the first cooking show I ever watched. I was inexperienced, it was like she was speaking a different language but I watched her every chance I got.

I am not ashamed to admit Rachel Ray taught me to cook. I can understand why some peole don't like her but I think she does have value for people like me who were/are completely clueless about even the most basic cooking skills. I click past her as fast as I can now but somewhere in the world, a 20-something is learning to put a meal on the table.

[sunshine842]

and that's my point...she got you into the kitchen and making real food -- and for that I cannot pick on her too much (except for yummo. Sorry, but that just begs to be made fun of.)

[cleobeach]

Ha! Yeah, the kitchen baby talk is like nails on the blackboard.

[FoodChic]

What? You don't like sammies? I love wanting to hit my head against a wall when I hear these things.

[cleobeach]

ARGH! I want to hit my head against my monitor just readying "sammie!"

I knew it was time for me to move on from RR when EVOO began to work on my nerves.

[sunshine842]

(in response to everybody above)

Yes -- the reason I simply cannot watch her is because of all the cutesy little phrases -- I want to just smack her up side her bobbing, grinning head and shout "Woman, you are over 40 years old -- grow up and talk like a fucking adult!"

(On second thought, I might just watch if there was a pottymouth version...that could get amusing)

[Lizard]

Yeah, I feel that way when I see people write 'ur' or 'LOL' or can't even cobble together a full grammatical sentence.

I guess there's always someone taking humanity down.

[sunshine842]

my son picks on me because I send texts that are spelled out and punctuated properly.

[Lizard]

You're not alone. (I could also look on the 'bright' side: At least with 'ur' I can't see that someone doesn't know the difference between 'your' and 'you're'.)

But again, with you on infantile language. Ugh.

[sunshine842]

I'm okay with LOL -- just because it does convey an entire phrase, not just a sloppy, lazy shortcut....

Its and It's -- there, their, and they're -- and the infernal "ghost" apostrophe that appears where it shouldn't and disappears from where it should be

All drive me bonkers.

[LauraGrace]

Agreed on all counts, down to the word "bonkers."

[sunshine842]

(maybe "right out of my skull"? Stick around, I could get considerably more foul-mouthed than that.)

[LauraGrace]

OK, sunshine, you, me, and this RR drinking game. ;)

http://www.slobak.com/rachaelray.html

[sunshine842]

LOL -- man, nobody would last very long with that one -- and to think it hasn't been updated since 2006 -- can you imagine how many more ways to "Pass Out With Rachel" you could add now?

[kcshigekawa]

I don't think anyone could make it through an entire episode before passing out...

8-)

[LauraGrace]

I think that's the idea! ;)

[sunshine842]

and you say that like it's such a bad thing..... :D

[HillJ]

When I first met Sandra Lee it was easy to be moved by her back story. But I was never a fan of the show, her cooking and lifestyle series of books. But she's making a solid living at it so who am I to judge her.

[dolly52]

she started off with a shortcut easy cooking type show, now she is doing a money saving type show and still uses garlic from a jar. you have to give her credit for still being in the air, someone out there is watcing.

[Chimayo Joe]

She doesn't irk me the way she seems to do to a lot of people, but I had to laugh when this character showed up in The Witcher(computer game). I couldn't figure out why the Midday Bride seemed familiar then it dawned on me. LOL

http://images.wikia.com/witcher/image...

[Ikkeikea]

When I first got married I had no clue how to do anything but toast. She, along with Rachel Ray and Paula Deen, helped me to learn shortcuts, basics and sparked my interrest in cooking. I think someone should approve her recipes aired on the show but other than that, I applaud anyone who makes a wonderful living doing what they love. Who knows, maybe she inspired a budding chef today.

[ttoommyy]

"When I first got married I had no clue how to do anything but toast. She, along with Rachel Ray and Paula Deen, helped me to learn shortcuts, basics and sparked my interrest in cooking."

That is truly wonderful to hear!

[AdamD]

She is lovely to look at, and has nice assets.
But I am not a fan of her cooking techniques.

[suzigirl]

Well said like a totally PC guy. :-)

[PenskeFan]

Ditto.

[Withnail42]

She clearly doesn't like food given what she does to it.

[kpaumer]

While I'm not a big fan, of her food or "table-scapes", as a woman I do admire her story. She was not ashamed to admit that she was poor or went hungry at times. Her humbleness impressed me. And I have to admit, I too love the kwanzaa cake episode. LOL

[ttoommyy]

"While I'm not a big fan, of her food or "table-scapes", as a woman I do admire her story. She was not ashamed to admit that she was poor or went hungry at times."

I agree. She had a tough life and made the best of it. I admire her for that. So she cooks things most of us on CH would not cook...but many other people in the US would and do. if she gets the people who would use 100% processed food to use 30% or more fresh, all the better.

As for the Kwanzaa cake debacle, I am sure we have all had a "Kwanzaa cake moment" at work; the only difference is that ours was not televised and viewed tens of thousands of times on YouTube.

[suzigirl]

I think she's a real cutie. Did you know she was the inventor of Kraft kurtians? Those crazy ass drapes that you could put up in dozens of styles to change it up in your rooms. Remember those?

[FoodChic]

No taste then, no taste now.

[Withnail42]

The perks of a rich husband to bank roll things.

[sunshine842]

err, no -- a rich boyfriend, yes, but she did that one on her own.

I can't stand her personality, and I detest her "cooking" -- but I can't attack her life story.

[ttoommyy]

"The perks of a rich husband to bank roll things."

Not in the least. Those curtains were way before the cooking stuff and Cuomo (boyfriend, not husband). She is a self-made woman.

[suzigirl]

Yes, the curtains were either late 80's or early 90's.

[pamf]

The Kurtain Kraft business ultimately failed. Then she married Bruce Karatz, multi-millionaire CEO in Los Angeles and that's how she got access to the media and TV people to get started with the cookbooks and TV show.

[ttoommyy]

Ah I see. Thanks for the info. I guess a girl's gotta do what she can. I still admire her for becoming what she has from such a sad early life. Guess I'm just a sucker for a girl makes good story.

[EWSflash]

I agree. It sounds like she really pulled herself up and made something of herself after growing up in a hellish environment.
I can't watch her show for more than a couple of minutes, though.

[FoodChic]

Yeah, but before Cuomo there was the husband who was CEO of KB Homes, and then she shacked up with the executive producer of Food Network.

[Withnail42]

I wasn't referring to Cuomo.

[ttoommyy]

Got it now. it wasn't clear at first.

[mzsnowhite]

Careful! She just may be the New First Live In Girl Friend when Cuomo is elected in 2016. Now that my friends is the scariest thought. Perhaps she'll give up her show by that time.

[jeanmarieok]

My dad is a political consultant and said that he'll have to marry her, and believe it or not, more people like her than don't. So she is a good +1 for him ...

[TrishUntrapped]

I attended a live taping of one of her shows. Not impressed.

[sunshine842]

ooh -- tell us more!

[mizzdee]

I agree

[TrishUntrapped]

She was taping a Christmas special at a home with a white kitchen, made many gaffes and had to keep retaping. Was angry because the turkey she was supposed to slather butter on was too wet to be slathered. Her crew had to correct her mispronunciations, joking to her to knock it off, after all she wasn't "Paula." I didn't think any worse of her, just didn't think any better of her either.

[sunshine842]

Two words: Kwanzaa Cake.

At least she's good comic relief.

[mizzdee]

It was a sad cake

[coney with everything]

two words: spackle face

the horror...

[gourmanda]

Okay, so many people have mentioned that Kwanzaa Cake that I had to watch the video. WOW! Is the frosting really the color of cement or is my monitor off? And could those candles have been ANY bigger???!! I can only conclude she was drunk or stoned. Possibly both.

[sunshine842]

there is so much wrong with that cake that I'm not sure you could find any right there.

[justicenow]

Ridiculous made up cake for a ridiculous made up holiday.
Perfect match.

[FoodChic]

Um...every holiday is made up.

[sunshine842]

but most of the rest of them have a few hundred years' of tradition.

[FoodChic]

No, not all of them. And each one had to start somewhere.

It's ridiculous to dismiss any holiday someone celebrates as "made up" when they ALL are made up.

[sunshine842]

But there is no holiday as overwhelmingly ignored as that one. It was a running joke amongst my African-American friends in the US as to who was going to have the Kwanzaa party....I know there are people who do celebrate it, but the numbers are pretty small (and ask anyone outside the US if they even know what Kwanzaa is -- you'll be hard-put to find someone who does)

[FoodChic]

Ask how many Americans are aware of what May Day is or when Canadian Thanksgiving takes place. It doesn't matter if it's not important to you, it is important to someone else, and you're not in a position to place judgment on it.

[sunshine842]

but all of those have a long history of tradition.

and there's the rather blatant irony of Sandra Lee doing a cake that includes items that are not only NOT traditional to the holiday, but sound like maybe they might have something to do with it -- and they don't go together in the first place! (apple pie filling and Corn Nuts? Are you KIDDING?)

We can pick on the Hanukah cake, too, if that would make you feel better -- then we're talking about a centuries-old holiday steeped in culture and tradition.

Take a storebought angelfood cake (not kosher), cram the middle with storebought marshmallows (guess what, not kosher either), frost it with blue-tinted storebought frosting (again, not kosher) and decorate it with a long string of plastic pearls that she said she bought at the dollar store (um NOT edible, and who knows what would leach out of them, or where they've been stored) then top the whole thing off with a lopsided wire structure (made with more of those plastic pearls that have been who-knows-where) that's *supposed* to be a star of David but comes off looking like something you'd be proud of your two-year-old for making.

Sure to get you thrown out of any party you dare to take it to. (or at least laughed at openly)

[njmarshall55]

Sorry...she makes my teeth hurt.

[mizzdee]

Lol

[cleobeach]

For reasons I can't explain, she annoys the heck out of me. And my feelings have nothing to do with my opinion on her food prep.

I agree, some of the cocktails do look good.

[mizzdee]

Dh says this too
Her calls her the loud beige lady

[cleobeach]

My little boy was scared when he saw one of the Halloween episodes where she was dressed like a witch.

Yet I stopped for a few minutes when I am flipping through the channels.

[bluex]

I've used to enjoy watching her show only because I think the things she makes are typically gross but fascinating. For example, I could watch the kwanzaa cake episode every day of my life, it's so horrifying.

That said, every so often, she'll make something that looks like it might be good and one time she made a holiday cocktail that looked so good that I had to make it. I brought it to a party and everyone thought it was amazing. So, after that, I stopped hating her as much.

[FoodChic]

Yeah, your post is the onley one I've read admitting you like her.
Personally, I'm horrified she's actually on television....let alone having her name on "cookbooks".

No worries about the typos. I have the same issue with my iPhone/iPad. Sometimes it's truly frightening to see what I've typed.

[mizzdee]

Ugh sorry for my typos
On my droid...hissss
I tried to edit...made it worse