Los Angeles Times Magazine
November 18, 2007
By Alexandria Abramian-Mott
Portfolio images by Art Streiber

The Entertainers

In this town, home is where the party is. Come in and check out our gallery of hosts you should know.

In Southern California, throwing a Great House Party is more than just a seasonal ritual - it's an art form.Consider this your invitation to meet some of the party masters in our midst, from pros such as the Food Network’s Cool Whip-lovin’ Sandra Lee to a cast of amateurs known for their hot-ticket home hospitality from Sherman Oaks to Upper Newport Bay. Then come along as we crash three only-in-L.A. bashes: cocktails in Koreatown, an alfresco Thanksgiving created by star chef Joachim Splichal and a Space Age dinner party in Silver Lake.

THE PRO: June Cleaver 2.0 : Sandra Lee

Forget about turning lemons into lemonade. Semi-Homemade© diva Sandra Lee – who splits time between L.A. and New York – says her memoir, “Made From Scratch,” due out this month, is all about “turning manure into rosebushes.” Yep, this is the food-stamps-to-fortunes saga behind those homecoming-queen good looks and that brand-name-meets-fresh-food formula for culinary shortcutting. This month, Lee also comes out with three cooking/entertaining books, so let the foodies wince with every slice of Farmer John Quick Serve bacon. Sandra Lee is cookin’.

You’re single and don’t have any children. But your ideas target the harried mom.
I’m like a modern June Cleaver. But what’s different is that we can make better foods in shorter periods of time than she ever could.

What store brands should foodies give in to?
Simply Potatoes©. You can buy them cubed, mashed or as hash browns. They cut the cooking time way down.

What foods can’t you shortcut?
Turkey and gravy. The secret to great turkey is lots of butter, under the skin and on top.

What’s your favorite fast dessert?
An ice cream “baked potato,” where you mold ice cream into a potato and top with whipped cream and pistachio nuts to look like the sour cream and chives.

Cool Whip© or Reddi-wip©?
Always Cool Whip©. It’s all about consistency.