Sandra Lee (chef)

Sandra Lee
Lee in 2012
Born
Sandra Lee Waldroop

(1966-07-03) July 3, 1966 (age 58)
Santa Monica, California, U.S.
Occupations
  • Television chef
  • author
  • documentary producer
Television
  • Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee
  • Sandra's Money Saving Meals
  • Sandra's Restaurant Remakes
  • Sandra Lee's Taverns, Lounges & Clubs
  • Sandra Lee Celebrates
Spouse
​
​
(m. 2001; div. 2005)​
Partners
Awards
First Lady of New York
In role
De facto
January 1, 2011 – September 25, 2019
GovernorAndrew Cuomo
Preceded byMichelle Paige Paterson
Succeeded byWilliam J. Hochul Jr. (First Gentleman)
Websitesandralee.com

Sandra Lee Christiansen (née Waldroop; born July 3, 1966),[1][2] known professionally as Sandra Lee, is an American television chef and author. She is known for her "Semi-Homemade" cooking concept, which Lee describes as using 70 percent packaged and 30 percent fresh products.[3][4] She received the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle/Culinary Show Host in 2012 for her work and her show. As the partner of former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, she served as the de facto first lady of New York from 2011 to 2019, when the couple ended their relationship.

Early life

Lee was born in Santa Monica, California,[2] in 1966, the daughter of Vicky Svitak and Wayne Waldroop,[5] who had been high-school sweethearts. When Sandra was two, her mother sent her, along with her younger sister, Cindy, to live with their paternal grandmother, Lorraine Waldroop.[6][7] In 1972, after divorcing Wayne, Lee's mother moved with her girls to Sumner, Washington, where they acquired a new stepfather, whose last name (Christiansen) Lee took. Vicky had three additional children in the 1970s: Kimber,[8][9] Richie, and John Paul.[10] Due to her mother's illness and the absence of her and her siblings' fathers, Lee effectively raised her four younger siblings.[5][10][11] In her youth, Lee learned how to feed her younger siblings frugally with a combination of food stamps and welfare payments, an experience that informed her future approach to cooking.[4][11]

Lee graduated from Onalaska High School, in Onalaska, Wisconsin,[12] and attended the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.[6][13] Lee has said her family is Catholic[14] but was raised as Jehovah's Witnesses. One source reported they were also Seventh-day Adventist for a time.[4][15]

In December of her junior year, she left college to live near family in Malibu, California.[6] She later attended a two-week recreational course at Le Cordon Bleu in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.[16]

Career

In the early 1990s, Lee created a product called "Sandra Lee Kraft Kurtains," a home-decorating kit designed to turn a wire rack and sheets, or other spare fabric, into decorative drapery. It was sold via infomercials and cable shopping networks. Home-shopping network QVC hired her as on-air talent.[16] In her first 18 months, Lee sold $20 million worth of merchandise.[17] QVC also selected Lee to launch its craft and home decorating categories on its networks in the U.K. and Germany. In 1994, she released her first DIY home improvement video series, which sold more than a million copies.[18]

Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee premiered on the Food Network in 2003. The show ran for 15 seasons[4][19] and was in the top three new weekend shows on the network for its first five years.[20] Each episode contains entertaining and arts and crafts elements, in which Lee decorates the table setting and kitchen in accordance with the theme of the meal that she just prepared.[10] She refers to these as "tablescapes", a term she coined.[21]

Lee's second Food Network series, Sandra's Money Saving Meals, began airing on May 10, 2009,[22] in response to the Great Recession.[4] At the time, she was the only host on the Food Network with two cooking series running concurrently. Kurt Soller, writing for Newsweek, described her as "among TV's most successful female chefs".[11] As of 2019, her shows have aired in 63 countries.[19] She has authored 27 books,[23] including Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade: Cool Kids Cooking (October 2006) and a memoir, Made From Scratch, which was released in November 2007.[22] Her book Semi-Homemade Cooking appeared on The New York Times Best Seller list.[24] A magazine based on her show, Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade, was released in 2009.[25] In late 2009, Lee hosted Sandra Lee Celebrates, a series of four one-hour specials that aired on HGTV.[26][27]

In 2012, Lee won the Daytime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lifestyle/Culinary Host for Semi-Homemade Cooking.[28]

Also in 2012, she started a monthly lifestyle magazine, Sandra Lee, in partnership with TV Guide.[29] People magazine has included her in its list of "Most Beautiful" people multiple times.[30][31][32][33]

In early 2020, Lee began creating her "Top Shelf" video series for Today.com, showcasing new ways to make meals from products commonly found in pantries.[4][34][35][36] An April 2020 New York Times article authored by Jessica Bennett called Lee "the queen of making something out of nothing".[4] In late 2020, Lee hosted a series of holiday segments, "It's a Wonderful Lifetime", on Lifetime.[23]

Documentaries

In 2015, shortly before being diagnosed with cancer, Lee started her own production company.[37][38] She created Rx: Early Detection – A Cancer Journey With Sandra Lee, a documentary about her experiences with cancer, which aired on HBO.[39] The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January 2018,[40] at the 2018 Tribeca Film Festival,[41][42] and on HBO in October 2018.[39][43] Lee received the Made in New York Award at the Gotham Independent Film Awards in November 2018 for her work on the documentary.[44][20]

Lee was an executive producer of the documentary about Ruth Bader Ginsburg, titled Ruth: Justice Ginsburg in Her Own Words, in collaboration with Academy Award-winning director Freida Lee Mock, Geralyn Dreyfous, and others. It premiered on Starz in March 2021[45][46] as part of the network's Women's History Month programming.[47][48]

Philanthropy

Lee co-founded the Los Angeles chapter of UNICEF in 2000.[49][50] She donated the proceeds from her second cookbook to God's Love We Deliver and Project Angel Food, two organizations that deliver food to homebound individuals.[19] In 2015, she led a UNICEF team on a mission to Haiti in her role as a special nutrition emissary for the organization.[49] The U.S. division of the UN's World Food Program, the world's largest humanitarian organization,[51] appointed Lee to its board of directors in May 2020.[50]

Lee was a spokesperson for Share Our Strength's No Kid Hungry campaign for more than ten years[49] and created No Kid Hungry's annual fundraiser, the Great American Bake Sale.[52][53] Her first Great American Bake Sale, in 2011, raised more than $50,000.[54] She has also worked with the Elton John AIDS Foundation[50][10] and serves on its board.[55]

Critical response

Hsiao-Ching Chou of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote a review of Lee's cookbook Semi-Homemade Cooking in 2002 that criticized both her recipes and her "semi-homemade" concept.[56] She then wrote a follow-up column, noting that the review received a response "that was more impassioned than I anticipated". Chou wrote that, though most readers agreed with her, a number of readers took Lee's position, including one who wrote, "Lots of people who don't want to take the time to shred a cup of carrots want to cook a good meal."[57]

Kurt Soller, writing for Newsweek, compared Lee's impact upon television cooking with that of Julia Child, noting that although Lee's show "is the furthest from Child's methods", both women "filled a niche that hasn't yet been explored".[11]

Amanda Hesser, in a 2003 review of Semi-Homemade Cooking in The New York Times, wrote that Lee's recipes, in their use of packaged ingredients, can end up costing more, having harder-to-find ingredients, taking longer to make, and tasting worse than equivalent recipes made from scratch. Hesser also wrote that, in her cookbooks, Lee "encourages a dislike for cooking, and gives people an excuse for feeding themselves and their families mediocre food filled with preservatives."[58]

At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, both Jessica Bennett in New York Times[4] and Jaya Saxena in Eater noted that the context of pandemic scarcity made the "semi-homemade" concept feel newly relevant. Of Lee, Saxena wrote, "her show, Semi-Homemade Cooking, might be the perfect way to cook through quarantine."[59]

Kwanzaa cake

Much criticism of Lee coalesced around a recipe for "Kwanzaa Cake" that she demonstrated on a 2003 episode of Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee. The recipe consisted of angel food cake topped with icing, cinnamon, apple pie filling, pumpkin seeds and corn nuts (which she referred to as acorns), all of which were store-bought, with seven Kwanzaa candles then inserted into the cake.[60]

Food writer Anthony Bourdain, who was harshly critical of Lee in general, described the video clip of this segment of the show as "eye searing" and "a war crime".[61][62][63] The cake was called "scary" by the Houston Chronicle,[64] and "the most ghastly-sounding dish in Lee's culinary repertoire" by Tulsa World.[65] Salon.com wrote that the video "takes pride of place in the pantheon of hilarious culinary disaster videos".[66]

Cookbook author Denise Vivaldo, who claims to have ghostwritten recipes for many celebrity chefs, claimed in The Huffington Post in December 2010 that she was responsible for the recipe, but that the candles were Lee's idea, for which Vivaldo apologized. She also wrote that Lee "has incredibly bad food taste".[67] A week later, the post was removed after Lee's lawyer threatened legal action.[5] Lee has said this recipe is the only one of hers whose criticism she has taken to heart, and that the recipe was due to the Food Network then dictating the show's content.[5]

Personal life

From 2001 to 2005, she was married to then-KB Home CEO and philanthropist Bruce Karatz,[68] for whom she converted to Judaism.[69][15]

In the fall of 2005, Lee entered into a relationship with Andrew Cuomo, who served as the 56th Governor of New York from 2011[11][70] until his resignation in August 2021.[71] The two lived in a home owned by Lee in Chappaqua.[72][73] On September 25, 2019, the couple announced that they had ended their relationship.[74]

Lee has been reported to be dating the Algerian-born Abdulwahab Benyoucef, an actor professionally known as Ben Youcef, since March 2021. Friends of the couple reportedly affectionately refer to them as "Bendra."[75]

Cancer and advocacy

Lee announced on May 12, 2015 that she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. By then she had undergone a lumpectomy, and was scheduled to have a double mastectomy later in the week. Governor Cuomo was to take some personal time to be with her during and after the surgery.[76] In August 2015, she contracted an infection in her right breast that resulted in her going on bed rest and receiving intravenous drugs for three months.[77] Lee announced that she was cancer free in late 2015.[78] Seven years after undergoing her double mastectomy, Lee underwent a hysterectomy procedure in March 2022. Her surgery was successful.[79]

In 2016, Lee pushed for the passage of the $91 million "No Excuses" law in the state of New York,[77] which provided for expanded breast cancer screening and removed insurance co-pays for mammograms.[20] She subsequently advocated that other states pass their own versions of the "No Excuses" law.[80] Lee was a keynote speaker at the Susan G. Komen Advocacy Summit for breast cancer awareness in Washington, D.C., in May 2019.[81] She also became an ambassador for Stand Up to Cancer[82] and produced the documentary Rx: Early Detection – A Cancer Journey With Sandra Lee.[39]

Bibliography

Cookbooks

  • Semi-Homemade - Cooking, Fast and Fabulous (2001)
  • Semi-Homemade Cooking: Quick, Marvelous Meals and Nothing is Made from Scratch (2002)
  • Semi-Homemade Desserts (2003)
  • Semi-Homemade Cooking 2 (2005)
  • Semi-Homemade 20-Minute Meals (2006)
  • Semi-Homemade Grilling (2006)
  • Semi-Homemade Gatherings (2006)
  • Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes (2006)
  • Semi-Homemade Cool Kids' Cooking (2006)
  • Semi-Homemade Cooking Made Light (2006)
  • Semi Homemade 20-Minute Meals 2 (2006)
  • Semi-Homemade Slow Cooker Recipes 2 (2007)
  • Semi-Homemade Cooking 3 (2007)
  • Semi-Homemade Fast-Fix Family Favorites (2008)
  • Semi-Homemade Desserts 2 (2008)
  • Semi-Homemade Money Saving Meals (2008)
  • Semi-Homemade Grilling 2 (2008)
  • Semi-Homemade Cocktail Time (2009)
  • Semi-Homemade Weeknight Wonders: 139 Easy Fast Fix Dishes (2009)
  • Semi-Homemade Money-Saving Slow-Cooking (2009)
  • Semi-Homemade: The Complete Cookbook (2010)
  • Semi-Homemade Comfort Food (2010)
  • Money Saving Meals and Round 2 Recipes (2011)
  • Easy Entertaining at Home: Cocktails, Finger Foods, and Creative Ideas for Year-Round Celebrations (2011)
  • Bake Sale Cookbook (2011)
  • Every Dish Delivers: 365 Days of Fast, Fresh, Affordable Meals (2013)

Other

  • Made From Scratch: A Memoir (2007)
  • The Recipe Box, a novel (2013)

Awards and nominations

Year Award Category Work Result Ref.
2012 Daytime Emmy Award Outstanding Lifestyle/Culinary Host Semi-Homemade Cooking with Sandra Lee Won [28]
2013 Gracie Award Outstanding Host – Lifestyle Program Sandra's Restaurant Remakes Won [83]

Lee has received the President's Volunteer Service Award,[84] the Eleanor Roosevelt Medal of Honor,[50][85] and, in 2009, the Ellis Island Medal of Honor.[86][19] In 2018, the New York City Mayor's Office of Media and Entertainment presented Lee with the Made in NY Award at the Gotham Independent Film Awards.[44][20]

References

  1. ^ Payne, Patti (May 11, 2007). "Food Network star Sandra Lee peeled onions as a youth at the Puyallup Fair". Puget Sound Business Journal. Seattle, WA: American City Business Journals. Archived from the original on August 6, 2014. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  2. ^ a b "Sandra Lee Biography: Chef, Writer, Television Personality profile". Biography.com. Archived from the original on July 23, 2018. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  3. ^ "Sandra Lee: The Woman in White". Vogue. February 22, 2011. Archived from the original on October 26, 2016. Retrieved January 8, 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h Bennett, Jessica (April 10, 2020). "Sandra Lee Has Her Own Message for America". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 27, 2021.
  5. ^ a b c d Wallace, Benjamin (March 27, 2011). "The Ravenous and Resourceful Sandra Lee". New York. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved February 4, 2014.
  6. ^ a b c "Excerpt: 'Made From Scratch'". Good Morning America. ABC. October 31, 2007. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
  7. ^ "Lee, Sandra". Encyclopedia.com. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved March 1, 2021.
  8. ^ Oglethorpe, Alice (February 6, 2019). "How Surviving Breast Cancer Inspired Sandra Lee to Make it Easier for Women to Get Mammograms". Prevention. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  9. ^ Sporkin, Elizabeth (May 12, 2015). "Sandra Lee Breast Cancer: Sister Kimber and Love Andrew Cuomo Provide Support". People. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  10. ^ a b c d Stein, Joshua David (April 3, 2011). "The Semi Homemade World of Sandra Lee". Out. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  11. ^ a b c d e Soller, Kurt (August 6, 2009). "Sandra Lee: The Anti-Julia". Newsweek. Archived from the original on November 22, 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  12. ^ "Onalaska High School Alumni Association – Sandra Lee". Onalaska High School Alumni Association. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved May 14, 2015.
  13. ^ Lee, Sandra (November 1, 2007). "Recipe for Success". Family Circle. Archived from the original on July 16, 2011. Retrieved July 12, 2010.
  14. ^ "Sandra Lee's Homemade Faith". Beliefnet. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  15. ^ a b Hoffman, Allison (April 5, 2011). "Semi-Homemade, Totally Jewish - Turns out Sandra Lee converted a decade ago". The Tablet.
  16. ^ a b Wells, Gully (February 22, 2011). "Sandra Lee: The Woman in White". Vogue. Archived from the original on December 23, 2012. Retrieved November 24, 2012.
  17. ^ Rochlin, Margy (September 2003). "Good-bye To All That". Gourmet.
  18. ^ Sinn, Holley (September 22, 2008). "Sandra Lee". WTSP. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  19. ^ a b c d DeSantis, Rachel (September 26, 2019). "What to Know About Sandra Lee and Her Career and Cancer Journey amid Gov. Cuomo Split". People. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  20. ^ a b c d Luscombe, Belinda (February 14, 2019). "Chef Sandra Lee Rose to Fame on Charm and Cool Whip. Now She's Taking on Cancer". Time. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  21. ^ Griffin, Mackensie (May 5, 2015). "The Strange, Creative, and Occasionally Tacky History of Table Settings—Excuse Me, Tablescapes". Slate. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  22. ^ a b "Sandra Lee". Hosts & Chefs. Food Network. 2010. Archived from the original on August 25, 2010. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  23. ^ a b Malkin, Marc (October 19, 2020). "Sandra Lee to Host During Lifetime's Holiday Programming (Exclusive)". Variety. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  24. ^ Hesser, Amanda (October 1, 2003). "Test Kitchen – Homemade Or Semi? A Bake-Off". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved April 24, 2021.
  25. ^ "Television Star and Best-Selling Author Sandra Lee and Hoffman Media, Launches New Magazine Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Today" (Press release). Hoffman Media. Reuters.com. February 17, 2009. Archived from the original on February 1, 2013. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  26. ^ Huff, Richard (November 24, 2009). "Home guru gets into the Christmas spirit with HGTV's 'Sandra Lee Celebrates'". New York Daily News. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  27. ^ Marine, Jaime E. (December 5, 2009). "Upper Pittsgrove family appears on HGTV's 'Sandra Lee Celebrates'". South Jersey Times. NJ.com. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  28. ^ a b Moore, Frazier (June 23, 2012). "Daytime Emmys 2012 Winners Revealed". The Huffington Post. Archived from the original on March 4, 2016. Retrieved September 19, 2012.
  29. ^ Merwin, Hugh (September 26, 2012). "Sandra Lee and TV Guide Join Forces". Grub Street. New York Magazine. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  30. ^ Braun Davison, Candice (July 25, 2016). "13 Things You Didn't Know About Sandra Lee". Delish. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  31. ^ Natale, Nicol (April 28, 2020). "Sandra Lee Says She Was "Borderline Underweight" After She Had a Double Mastectomy". Prevention. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  32. ^ Holohan, Meghan (April 27, 2020). "'Our bodies are a gift': Sandra Lee on her intentional weight gain". TODAY.com. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  33. ^ "Sandra Lee Is One of People's 'World's Most Beautiful'". Extra. April 28, 2020. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  34. ^ "Sandra Lee's Top Shelf Recipes Using Store-Bought Pantry Ingredients". People. April 30, 2020. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  35. ^ "Sandra Lee makes applejack pancakes, applesauce granola crisp, sangria". today.com. August 10, 2020. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  36. ^ "Sandra Lee". today.com. Archived from the original on May 8, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  37. ^ Adler, Paul (September 24, 2018). "The Unstoppable Sandra Lee". Westchester Magazine. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  38. ^ "NY Gov. Cuomo heading to Utah for Sandra Lee film screening". The Associated Press. January 22, 2018. Archived from the original on April 27, 2021. Retrieved April 26, 2021.
  39. ^ a b c Watson, Stephanie (August 7, 2018). "A Documentary Takes a Look at TV Host and Cookbook Author Sandra Lee's Breast Cancer Surgery". WebMD Magazine. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  40. ^ Siegel, Tatiana (January 16, 2018). "Sandra Lee's Cancer Battle Detailed in HBO Doc Premiering at Sundance". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  41. ^ Hochwald, Lambeth (April 27, 2018). "Sandra Lee Documentary Rx: Early Detection Follows the Food Network Chef's Breast Cancer Journey". Parade. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  42. ^ Lewis, Hilary (November 9, 2018). "Why Sandra Lee Documented Her Breast Cancer Experience: "It Will Save Lives"". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 15, 2021. Retrieved April 15, 2021.
  43. ^ Hall, Gerrad (October 8, 2018). "Sandra Lee recalls her 'F you, cancer!' moment and why she wants people to see what she went through". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  44. ^ a b Feinberg, Scott (November 8, 2018). "Gotham Awards: Sandra Lee Tapped for Made in NY Award (Exclusive)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on April 12, 2021. Retrieved April 12, 2021.
  45. ^ Hunter, Samantha (March 1, 2021). "Sandra Lee on Her New RBG Documentary Ruth: Justice Ginsburg in Her Own Words". Town & Country. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  46. ^ "Documentary Ruth Shows Unseen Footage of RBG's Life — and Sandra Lee Is an Executive Producer". People. Yahoo! Movies. March 1, 2021. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  47. ^ Abelman, Bob (February 12, 2021). "'In her own words' is what separates 'Ruth' from the rest". Cleveland Jewish News. Archived from the original on February 28, 2021. Retrieved May 8, 2021.
  48. ^ Parlevliet, Mirko (January 27, 2021). "Ruth: Justice Ginsburg in Her Own Words Coming to Starz". Vital Thrills. Retrieved May 8, 2021.[permanent dead link‍]
  49. ^ a b c Peters, Terri (May 28, 2020). "Sandra Lee joins the UN's World Food Program USA to help fight world hunger". TODAY.com. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  50. ^ a b c d Dreher, Beth (May 27, 2020). "Sandra Lee Announces Exciting Collaboration With the World Food Program USA Board". Good Housekeeping. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  51. ^ "WFP: $6.8bn needed in six months to avert famine amid COVID-19". www.aljazeera.com. Archived from the original on June 25, 2022. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  52. ^ Sterling, Justine (March 29, 2011). "Sandra Lee Cooks Up the World's Largest Bake Sale". Delish. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  53. ^ Boris, Cynthia (March 10, 2008). "Food Network stars bake for charity". SheKnows. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  54. ^ Hirsch, J. M. (April 5, 2013). "Sandra Lee switching gears after her 25th cookbook to focus on home and garden and magazine". Times Colonist. Archived from the original on May 7, 2021. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  55. ^ "Our Team". Elton John AIDS Foundation. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved May 7, 2021.
  56. ^ Chou, Hsiao-Ching (October 23, 2002). "On Food: 'Semi-Homemade' is a halfhearted view of cooking". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Hearst Seattle Media. Archived from the original on October 8, 2012. Retrieved February 19, 2024.
  57. ^ Chou, Hsiao-Ching (November 13, 2002). "On Food: Column on Sandra Lee really stirred the pot". Seattle Post-Intelligencer. Seattle, WA: Hearst Seattle Media. Retrieved October 12, 2010.
  58. ^ Hesser, Amanda (October 1, 2003). "Test Kitchen; Homemade Or Semi? A Bake-Off (Published 2003)". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved January 26, 2021.
  59. ^ Saxena, Jaya (May 19, 2020). "It Took Quarantine to Validate Sandra Lee's 'Semi-Homemade Cooking'". Eater. Retrieved May 6, 2021.
  60. ^ Gillette, Amelie (March 16, 2009). "This Cake Will Make Your Eyeballs Burst Into Flames". The Onion AV Club. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  61. ^ Balingit, Moriah (June 17, 2010). "Eat this, Anthony Bourdain!". McClatchy – Tribune Business News. Washington.
  62. ^ Bancroft, Colette (July 7, 2010). "Ripping Rant on Food and Restaurant Business; Surly celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain spouts off about his likes, and mostly passionate dislikes, in the eminently entertaining Medium Raw". St. Petersburg Times. Florida. p. E2.
  63. ^ Bourdain, Anthony (2010). Medium Raw: A Bloody Valentine to the World of Food and the People Who Cook. Ecco. ISBN 978-0-06-171894-6.
  64. ^ Vuong, Mary (May 17, 2006). "Celebrity Chefs/Foodies with groupies". Houston Chronicle. Texas. p. 1.
  65. ^ Allen, Charlotte (December 5, 2010). "Perhaps Democrats should taste Sandra Lee's cooking". Tulsa World. Oklahoma. p. G.3.
  66. ^ Lam, Francis (December 26, 2010). "Just how offensive is Sandra Lee's crazy Kwanzaa cake?". Salon.com. Archived from the original on December 28, 2010. Retrieved April 8, 2021.
  67. ^ Eurpublisher (December 16, 2010). "Woman behind 'Sandra Lee Kwanzaa Cake' Explains Debacle". Lee Bailey's EURweb. Archived from the original on October 26, 2011.
  68. ^ Barbaro, Michael (May 14, 2010). "A TV Cook's Next Serving? Cuomo Family Style". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 29, 2023. Retrieved September 28, 2014.
  69. ^ Wallace, Benjamin (March 27, 2011). "The Ravenous and Resourceful Sandra Lee". New York. By 1999, Lee had become a spokesperson for KB Home, as well as romantically involved with its CEO, Bruce Karatz, who was 21 years her senior. Karatz's marriage subsequently dissolved, and by 2001, Lee had converted to Judaism and married Karatz at Ron Burkle's estate in Beverly Hills.
  70. ^ Roche, Darrage (February 18, 2021). "How Long Has Andrew Cuomo Been New York Governor and When Is He Up For Re-election?". Newsweek. Archived from the original on June 11, 2021. Retrieved June 11, 2021.
  71. ^ Watson, Kathryn (August 10, 2021). "Who is Kathy Hochul, New York's soon-to-be first female governor?". CBS News. Archived from the original on August 10, 2021. Retrieved August 10, 2021.
  72. ^ Kaplan, Thomas (April 23, 2011). "Cuomo's Home? The Address Says One Thing, the Map Another". The New York Times. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  73. ^ Valeris, Monique (February 28, 2020). "See Inside Sandra Lee's Charming Westchester Home". Town & Country. Archived from the original on May 4, 2021. Retrieved May 4, 2021.
  74. ^ McKinley, Jesse (September 25, 2019). "Governor Cuomo and Sandra Lee Have Split Up". The New York Times. Archived from the original on August 12, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2019.
  75. ^ Quinn, Dave (November 17, 2021). "Sandra Lee and Ben Youcef Are Inseparable, Says Source: Like a First Love for Them Both". People. Archived from the original on November 17, 2021. Retrieved November 17, 2021.
  76. ^ "TV Personality Sandra Lee Battling Breast Cancer, Urges Women to Be Screened". Good Morning America. May 12, 2015. Archived from the original on May 12, 2015. Retrieved May 12, 2015.
  77. ^ a b Kopaczewski, Christine (October 8, 2018). "Sandra Lee Gives Us a Deeper Look Into Her Breast Cancer Battle in a New HBO Documentary". Good Housekeeping. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  78. ^ Kindelan, Katie (September 22, 2015). "Sandra Lee Reveals She Is Cancer Free". ABC News. Archived from the original on April 13, 2020. Retrieved June 28, 2020.
  79. ^ Emily Kirkpatrick (March 2, 2022). "Sandra Lee Undergoes Complete Hysterectomy Seven Years After Her Double Mastectomy". Vanity Fair.
  80. ^ McKinley, Jesse (November 27, 2018). "Cancer Pushes New York's 'First Girlfriend,' Sandra Lee, Onto Political Stage". The New York Times. Archived from the original on April 29, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  81. ^ Farmer, Brenda G. (December 26, 2019). "A Day on Capitol Hill: Reflections from the Susan G. Komen Advocacy Summit in Washington, DC". Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  82. ^ Kindelan, Katie (September 22, 2015). "Sandra Lee Reveals She Is Cancer Free". ABC News. Archived from the original on June 12, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  83. ^ "2013 Gracies Winners". Alliance for Women in Media. October 3, 2016. Archived from the original on July 12, 2018. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  84. ^ Feeney, Sheila Ann (February 13, 2013). "Food guru Sandra Lee to be honored for her volunteer work at The Bowery Mission". Newsday. Archived from the original on April 10, 2021. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
  85. ^ Barry, John W. (September 16, 2016). "Danny Glover, Sandra Lee among Val-Kill Medal honorees". Poughkeepsie Journal. Archived from the original on April 14, 2021. Retrieved April 14, 2021.
  86. ^ "Congressional Record, Volume 155 Issue 86 (Wednesday, June 10, 2009)". Congressional Record Online. Government Publishing Office. June 10, 2009. Archived from the original on January 14, 2019. Retrieved April 10, 2021.
Honorary titles
Preceded by First Lady of New York
De facto
2011–2019 		Succeeded by
William J. Hochul Jr.
(as First Gentleman)