Semi-Homemade Cooking

[hillvalley]

I believe the woman would get along rather well with Martha Stewart. Cut from the same cloth. Just imagine the fingernails scratching each other's faces

Martha would eat her alive faster than you can say "It's a good thing".

[jsolomon]

Sandra Lee is in it for the money, baby. All the way! Check out her web site and you'll be amazed at how successful she is at marketing mediocrity.

Ack! Now I've got pink poisoning! Thank G*d I'm wearing green today.

Wait.

Aw crap. That means I'll be eating MRE's. Someone want my jalapeno cheese spread? I'm keepin' the cracker.

[JPW]

It seems to me that by the amount of attention she has garnered here, she has pretty much succeeded in her goal. Perhaps we would be better off by ignoring her.

Out of the blue....

[Monica Bhide]

Makes me wonder about the value of reviews sometimes. Amanda Hesser wrote a true review of her work and her book -- very to the point and very CORRECT -- yet the book made it to the top sellers on the NYTimes list. Maybe there really is no such thing as bad publicity!!

[laurenmilan]

Amanda Hesser wrote a true review of her work and her book -- very to the point and very CORRECT -- yet the book made it to the top sellers on the NYTimes list.

LOL, then again considering how many people buy cookbooks and don't ever use them... I can imagine this having a lot of appeal to moms who hate to cook but feel guilty...

The wacky thing about Sandra Lee is that she starts out with some good ideas. Some. Tiramisu can be made with mascarapone & heavy cream, sugar, strong coffee or espresso, some alcohol, and ladyfingers. No big whoop there. That's pretty easy in and of itself. But when Lee does it, she starts off with ladyfingers... good, good, mascarapone, good good...Kahlua, ok... and then...

SHE PUTS IN VANILLA PUDDING CUPS with the mascarapone. Not even making instant pudding. She just tosses in the preservative and fake-flavor soup in with mascarapone. And on top, she tosses in some Cool Whip.

The woman's got a wonderful KitchenAid mixer right behind her, and she can't whip cream into the mascarapone or on its own as a topping.

My mom and I watched this show together once, she said she had to stop cuz she had the flu and watching the crap cocktails episode made her queasy...

[Moopheus]

Amanda Hesser wrote a true review of her work and her book -- very to the point and very CORRECT -- yet the book made it to the top sellers on the NYTimes list.

LOL, then again considering how many people buy cookbooks and don't ever use them... I can imagine this having a lot of appeal to moms who hate to cook but feel guilty...

Reviews like that are basically preaching to the converted--no one reading it was going to buy the book anyway. She sells because she's on TV.

The woman's got a wonderful KitchenAid mixer right behind her, and she can't whip cream into the mascarapone or on its own as a topping.

Can't help but notice that just about everything visible in the kitchen is KitchenAid. Kind of makes me wonder what their arrangement with the show is.

If you sneak over to Foodnetwork.com you might be amused that her "fan" board has been pretty much hijacked by folks who want her off the air. It seems that pretty much anyone who actually likes, well, food, finds her pretty horrifying.

[bpearis]

I smell the next eGullet Q&A....

Edited January 6, 2004 by bpearis (log)

[Moopheus]

I think we'd have to do that one live and in-person...

[fresco]

I still don't get, in a 500-channel universe, and with so many more pressing problems to think about, why this woman gets up people's noses in the way she does.

Full disclosure: Have never watched her program, and have the great luxury of preparing just about anything from scratch.

But can anyone explain to me why there's anything here that a channel changer couldn't fix?

[pjs]

fresco, it's like watching a train wreck.

I watched Sandra assemble some small cake decoration and plop it down among the pre-made by staff ones. Her's was truly pathetic and stuck-out like a sore thumb.

At least Martha has some chops.

PJ

[kellycolorado]

Fresco, it is just unbelievable that someone with such horrible "recipes" would have her own show and cookbook. It is like being in some alternate universe.

She doesn't use good bottled/jar gourmet items, she uses packaged, preservative rich, mass market, artifical color/flavor packed crap.

And that's not the worst of it- I think the worst is her tablescaping or whatever it's called and her personality. It's a good show to torture people with by making them watch too though IMHO.

[Moopheus]

It's true that you could say that it's "just a bad cooking show" and move on; there are worse things in the world. She isn't even the worst thing on TV. Maybe not even the worst thing on Food TV (Iron Chef USA is a close second). Her influence is actually pretty negligable compared to say, Bill O'Reilly. But one can still be offended by the perversion of a cooking show into something not just unhelpful but arguably harmful. The premise of her show is that cooking is hard, time-consuming, and expensive. So don't do it. It's cheaper and easier to use packaged, brand-name goods, and it's just as good. This is basically a lie. And people believe it. They think Sandra Lee is helping them deal with their busy lives when she's hornswoggled them into harming themselves for the profit of others, just the lowest form of hucksterism. And I don't know of any other cooking show that does this--even the lamest of them are still telling their audiences, you can do this, try something new, enjoy good food.

And that's before the hypocritical and condescending elements is considered. Do you think she eats this way herself? She's making good money from her books and TV show; her husband is a wealthy man. Do you think that if they were to have, say, a dinner party for his business associates she would serve them an acorn-laced kwanzaa cake? She clearly doesn't give a damn about her audience beyond what's in their wallets.

[TrishCT]

Fresco,

If she was doing her thing and no one was watching...click... But she is doing her thing ...successfully... reaching a huge audience... yes you and I can click but a lot aren't and her stuff, as I previously stated, is insulting to even a novice cook.

[Comfort Me]

It's true that you could say that it's "just a bad cooking show" and move on; there are worse things in the world. She isn't even the worst thing on TV. Maybe not even the worst thing on Food TV (Iron Chef USA is a close second). Her influence is actually pretty negligable compared to say, Bill O'Reilly. But one can still be offended by the perversion of a cooking show into something not just unhelpful but arguably harmful. The premise of her show is that cooking is hard, time-consuming, and expensive. So don't do it. It's cheaper and easier to use packaged, brand-name goods, and it's just as good. This is basically a lie. And people believe it. They think Sandra Lee is helping them deal with their busy lives when she's hornswoggled them into harming themselves for the profit of others, just the lowest form of hucksterism. And I don't know of any other cooking show that does this--even the lamest of them are still telling their audiences, you can do this, try something new, enjoy good food.

And that's before the hypocritical and condescending elements is considered. Do you think she eats this way herself? She's making good money from her books and TV show; her husband is a wealthy man. Do you think that if they were to have, say, a dinner party for his business associates she would serve them an acorn-laced kwanzaa cake? She clearly doesn't give a damn about her audience beyond what's in their wallets.

Moo:

I could kiss you on the lips. You said it -- and you said it so well. Kudos, baby!

I haven't taken the time to look at who is advertizing on her show. I'm fairly certain the show recieves some financial consideration for the use of name brand products. I think the network is making a serious mistake selling off the programming time for commercial purposes without a) thinking the viewing public will notice, and b) thinking they will care.

What is next? "Fast Chicken with Ron Popiel"?

Anyway -- you get a gold star today, Mooph.

[fresco]

Fresco,

If she was doing her thing and no one was watching...click...  But she is doing her thing ...successfully... reaching a huge audience...  yes you and I can click but a lot aren't and her stuff, as I previously stated, is insulting to even a novice cook.

If Sandra Lee's show and books are successful and have a huge audience or readership, someone is getting something from them, I'd have to guess.

These books are purchased with real money by people who make independent decisions to do so. No one is forcing anyone to watch her show, and there are no shortage of alternatives, including not watching tv at all.

I'm not sure that any of this is necessarily an indication that the world as we know it is going to hell or is otherwise a cause for despair.

[Comfort Me]

Fresco,

If she was doing her thing and no one was watching...click...  But she is doing her thing ...successfully... reaching a huge audience...  yes you and I can click but a lot aren't and her stuff, as I previously stated, is insulting to even a novice cook.

If Sandra Lee's show and books are successful and have a huge audience or readership, someone is getting something from them, I'd have to guess.

These books are purchased with real money by people who make independent decisions to do so. No one is forcing anyone to watch her show, and there are no shortage of alternatives, including not watching tv at all.

I'm not sure that any of this is necessarily an indication that the world as we know it is going to hell or is otherwise a cause for despair.

Fresco:

No one held a gun to the heads of people buying Rush Limbaugh's books, but I still thought they were making a mistake. And I proved to be correct. (I originally wrote "right" but thought that was ironic AND incorrect!)

I would also wager that it might not be a huge following which maked SL's ventures profitable, but possible financial relationships, heretofore undisclosed, which provide for her margin of profit.

I certainly think the networks should make full disclosure of all financial relationships with equipment and product manufacturers. PBS has been doing it for years. "Financial consideration has been provided by...[insert Name Here]."

And while I completely support you in expressing a differing view, I feel justified in speaking out against this woman. No, she isn't Hitler. But she is conning us all -- on many levels -- and nobody likes to be conned. Even if she isn't getting payola, she's feeding the public lies -- cheaper than, as tasty as, and as nutritions as.

And if there was an "All-Alton-Ina-Sara-Martha Network", I would certainly be watching it.

[laurenmilan]

And if there was an "All-Alton-Ina-Sara-Martha Network", I would certainly be watching it.

I fully expect to hear "Why is there constant Alton Brown on TV Food Network?" in 2004, considering he's got a nice 11PM M-F slot nowadays...

Mmmmmm... Ina....

[fresco]

We are definitely coming at this from entirely different perspectives. I live in a country adjacent to the United States, which shares a common language, more or less.

Throughout much of my adult life there has been an enormous amount of official and unofficial fretting about the "influence" of U.S. media on hapless Canadians--TV, movies, books, magazines, newspapers, etc.

The assumption of the chattering classes in Canada is that US popular culture is ruinous and in a better world would be banned outright. But failing that, they have erected and support all manner of bizarre, and entirely ineffective barriers, including Canadian content laws for tv and radio, etc. etc. etc.

Perhaps I'm wrong, but I keep hearing echoes of this in the debate about Sandra Lee.

At the end of the day, people will watch or read or listen to whatever they desire, and as that slightly more evolved version of Ms. Lee says, that's a good thing.

[bpearis]

Here's a semi-homemade idea I can get behind (more): Big chefs cook with Velveeta.

[bilrus]

And in a similar vein from today's Washington Post -

Chefs Repackage Takeout Chicken

See "The Results" on the right of that page for their presentations.

[FoodMan]

she is really annoying. What can I tell you. I dont normally offer such strong opinions but to me she sounds insincere. Perhaps I am not "in" enough to understand her recipes

No Monica, it’s not you, it’s her. Her show is absolute crappola, garbage, and dangerous. Emeril might be annoying on TV but he actually can cook and is an accomplished chef who really turned a lot of people into preparing interesting new foods. Ms. Lee on the other hand is a faker who I truly believe is dangerous not just because her foods are VERY unhealthy but because she aims to destroy everything that is good about food. We need more people to encourage us to cook at home and have a nice healthy meal with the family at least on weekends. Instead we get this lady telling us screw that, your family is so dumb they cannot tell the difference “FEED THEM FAST CRAP”!!! She is also dangerous because she does not know what she is talking about. For example in that abominable Holiday episode (one of the only two I’ve seen) she tells us to dip fruits in raw egg whites and dip them in sugar and leave them at room temperature as a decoration/food without giving any raw egg warning. Can you say Salmonella??? Alton Brown would cringe if he sees that. And I used to think Rachel Ray was bad….

Elie

[Bux]

Apparently she is quick to use an inferior product if it is more expensive than than the more natural and better product. She's a product manufacturer's public relations dream. She will spend time shopping for the ellusive product in a box even if the search requires more time and energy that preparing the real thing from scratch. She's far more perverse than lazy.

Sandra Lee is the anti-Martha Stewart as much as she is the anti-Julia Child. Martha represents the epitome of make-it-from-scratch philosophy and is one hell of a cook and perfectionist. It's also unlikely than anyone would ever refer to Martha as a trophy wife. I don't think Sandra and Martha would get along very well for long if the issue of food arose.

[Moopheus]

At the end of the day, people will watch or read or listen to whatever they desire, and as that slightly more evolved version of Ms. Lee says, that's a good thing.

That's absolutely true--I work in publishing, so I know just how true it is. But the flip side of that is that when a public figure is basically telling lies in public, one can stand up and say, that's a damned lie (at least for now), even if it's not something that appears to be very important. And that is also a good thing.

Though I don't think that eGulletteers would consider food, nutrition, and health to be unimportant.

[bloviatrix]

[bloviatrix]

Oops. Double-posted.

Edited January 7, 2004 by bloviatrix (log)