Which is why I don't rail against even the worst of the dump-and-stir cooking shows; why, yes, I would not try to dissuade you from watching Sandra Lee and making her Semi-Homemade goods. If that's your thing, so be it. True, my evil cohort, Tony Bourdain has called Ms. Lee the "frightening hell-spawn of Kathy Lee Gifford and Betty Crocker [who] seems on a mission to kill her fans, one meal at a time"--and not without justification.

To anyone who cares about food, yes, she is truly spooky. Yes, given a can of Cheez Whiz, she may rank among America's most dangerous. But can I fault her? Not I, who used to make the world's easiest pasta sauce by cutting open a packet of powder. Nay, brethren, I say watch Sandra Lee if you like her, make her recipes, and make them again, because eventually, you are going to want more, and you are going to want better. I don't care where you start, only that you start.

Even Thomas Keller wasn't always Thomas Keller. He was once the cook who made "spinach" fettuccine using green food coloring.