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Sandra Lee Cookbooks

L

lcsamano

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I watch Sandra Lee on Food Network alot. i love her recipes and all the decorations that she does. Has anyone purchased her cookbooks? I am looking into purchasing one but I am wondering if it is even worth it since you can get some of her recipes on the Food Network website.
 
Hi I have purchased just recently 2 of her cookbooks and I love them. I have found a lot of great recipes in them. I know you could probably get those recipes online at foodnetwork, but I have found some recipes in the books that I might not of thought to search for.
 
>but I have found some recipes in the books that I might not of thought to search for.<

You could say the same about any cookbook, don'tchathink?

That aside, there's always a warm feeling being able to thumb through a hard copy of a book, and look at the pix for inspiration. A cookbook puts you directly in touch with the author, something you just don't get from websites.

Some blogs come close to achieving that feel. But, for me, the weight of the book in my hands is important.
 
I have purchased a couple of Ms. Lee's books as gifts.

My sister is a busy woman who has a thousand things in her life that are much higher priority than cooking. For her, Lee's product is perfect.

I got sis those books to persuade her that she didn't need to feed her kids from fast-food drive-thrus every night... that quick, easy nutritious meals were very doable even for her, with the help of a few decent store-bought ingredients. The books did help a lot... sis now makes more time than ever before for preparing meals at home.

Lee is one of those folks that others either love- or love-to-hate! Fussy purists who have time to shop daily, to bone chickens, to make stocks, to simmer homemade tomato sauces, to bake pies and cakes... look down on her concept... but those who do indeed lead busy lives full of kids, career and constant chaos NEED someone like Sandra Lee to show them the way.

I respect her product and her approach and more than anything, I respect her audience. Thumbing thru her books, I found them to be chock-full of beautiful photos and thought they held quite an appeal for busy-busy people!
 
I agree with KYH... afterall, the web can bring everything to our door these days but that doesn't mean I will stop enjoying trips to the cinema, a handheld newspaper or magazine, or a vacation to the tropics!

Computers are wonderful gadgets and although they can easily become replacements for many, many things... for each of us, those things we're willing to give up will slightly differ.

Besides, I'd much rather deal with wiping a marinara-thumb-smudge from the white page of a cookbook on the counter-top, than figure out a way to detail the same marinara-splatters from between the keys on a keyboard w/ a Q-tip! Hee-Hee!

Not to mention- a trip to the local bookstore for me is as much or even more heavenly than a fine meal at home or at a favorite cafe... the internet's cool and all but there are some thangs it just can't deliver on!
 
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Dang nab it, Chubby. I keep trying to larn you but it doesn't seem to take.

First you go to the bookstore and buy a new cookbook. Then you go to the cafe and enjoy a light meal and beverage while you peruse the book.

That way you get the best of both worlds.

Of course, the ideal is those bookstores which have put cafe's in as part of their package.
 
Yeah, yeah, yeah- KYH. I get your drift... But, I also got a friend who buys his undies from the women's hosiery dept. at Penney's- says his Mom has to stroll thru there anyway when he takes her shopping- so why not just do his shopping there too?- you know- just for convenience-sake! But that don't wash with me. Saving trouble by combining tasks and trimming trips to multiple stops don't always work right... I personally think he just really prefers that foo-foo frilly stuff, hisself! Hee-Hee!
 
Personally, if I'm gonna overpay for frilly stuff I got a Victoria's Secret at the big mall.

I don't have any problems with him preferring lacy frilly fooforoo. Fashion, after all, is a very personal thing.

But, my God! Penny's?
 
You Guys At It Again, And I'm Sitting Here At Work Laughing Out Loud Reading This And My Co-employees All Asking "what?" And I Just Say Nothing, Ok They Already Thinks Me Carzy, But I Really Got 'em Wondering Now!!!

Kyh Your Last Line Just Took Me There, Thanks For The Laughs!!!
 
Well, KYH... Penney's has a great "big girls department" and Raul can find all the super-sized lace & garters a rotund guy needs!

...and shut'cher mouth! NO it ain't ME!

(let's see now... where's that pic of me in a pink teddy for my next avatar???????
Oh well, closest I could find was one of me and this drag queen... said "She" was from Kentucky... <Now, WAIT just a damned minute!> !Hee-Hee!)
 
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Personally I don't find Sandra Lee endearing. I respect her concept of cooking and anyone that follows it. I don't consider myself a purist and have even tried some of her recipes and have been unsurprisingly disappointed. I have a lot of friends that grew up on chicken nuggets and canned foods and they seem to love her. But when you grow up with a Mommy who makes everything from scratch using herbs and vegetables she grew herself, well then Sandra's shake 'n bake style doesn't really satisfy your pallette. Of course who am I to talk - I don't have any kids to run around after yet.

But I would like to think that when I do have children I'd rather not get them used to eating stuff out of a box that contains hfcs and other gnarly things I can't pronounce. You have no idea how difficult it is to teach yourself to like real peanut butter if you grew up on Skippy.
 
I have some cookbooks from other FN stars but none of Sandra Lee's. Nothing she makes seems to push my buttons.
 
I've never really been a fan of Sandra Lee mostly because I'm against all the chemicals in most pre-packaged foods. There is a big difference between finding a good quality pre-made chicken stock to use in your pilaf made with brown basmati, fresh herbs and pine nuts the Sandra Lee version which would be to buy pilaf in a box and then "juszh it up" with canned pineapple and pare it along curry made with canned chicken. I would never say that you should shoulld buy a single pre-packaged item ever but I am against the school of cooking which goes "open 6 boxes, 3 cans add water and bake. That's just too much goop in your food.

Oh the other hand my sister gave me a Jamie Oliver cook book a couple months ago and I LOVE it! I have already made half the recipes.
 
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Which Jamie book is it? I have Cook with Jamie and Jamie at Home and I love them both. I need all of Jamie's books! You know what a big fan I am jfain. Haven't come across a recipe that didn't work perfectly.
 
I have Jamie's Kitchen. I do think the recipes are a little heavy on the butter and oil for our taste. After the first few recipes I started cutting back on that a little but they are still fabulous.
 
I have Jamie's Italy. It is a good book except for the two graphic images of animals being slaughtered. I folded those pages down. I have a very weak stomach.
 
I've got the Jamie book with the baby blue front cover and the pink back one. I liked it but honestly, I've only made two things out of it- the banoffee tartlets and the individual tomato bread loaves baked in small 5 oz. tomato paste cans. Both were great...
 
I think you have the same one as me. I have both of those recipes in my book. I haven't made either since I would have to convert them to gluten free. I have made the grape and tarragon salad the Moorish apple salad, pan seared sole with polenta and capers, venison with blueberries and broccoli and I know I've done more of them than that but it's all I can seem to remember for the moment. Now that winter is coming I'll be diving into the chapter on braising. I can't wait!
 
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