What Anthony Bourdain Actually Thought About Sandra Lee

Late celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain was known for his many accomplishments and his straightforward personality. He wasn't afraid to voice his opinions, no matter how explosive they may have seemed. His comments often led to his fellow chefs reacting strongly, such as Sandra Lee, who faced criticism from Bourdain. But Lee was one peer who was able to brush off his comments. According to The Daily Beast, when she was asked about whom she'd like to eat dinner with, she had a prompt response ready. Nominating Bourdain, Lee said, "I'd like to tell him that he needs to have a cocktail. He needs to have a cocktail and lighten up."

She was also considerate when she said that she'd like to prepare some sort of comfort food for Bourdain, preferably a dish with plenty of mashed potatoes and meat. "It's good comfort food. We all need good comforting," she added. Wondering what made Sandra Lee say something like that about Anthony Bourdain? Well, this was a result from a few public comments Bourdain made about Lee. Here's exactly what went down between the two chefs.

According to one post on Reddit, Anthony Bourdain wrote about several fellow chefs on his blog, including, you guessed it, Sandra Lee. He wasn't impressed with her cooking and commented," This frightening Hell Spawn of Kathie Lee and Betty Crocker seems on a mission to kill her fans, one meal at a time. She must be stopped." He went on to specify details such as the fact that Lee often chooses to play around with ingredients like Ritz crackers and Cheez Whiz, something that was far from impressive to Bourdain.

It comes down to this: Lee's cooking style didn't do much for Bourdain. Commenting on Lee's show, Semi-Homemade Cooking, Bourdain once said, "All you have to do is waddle into the kitchen, open a can of crap and spread it on some other crap that you bought at the supermarket," (via Delish). Ouch indeed.

For the most part, though, Lee wasn't bitter. After Bourdain's sudden death, she paid tribute to him, telling People that his death saddened her and that he was an incredibly talented chef. She added that the fact that he often voiced strong opinions on those around him only added to his appeal.