Sandra Lee Christiansen, known professionally as Sandra Lee, is an American television chef and author.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 products and 30 percent fresh ingredients.[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.