F Faking It Fancy
A restaurant-worthy spread of chicken sandwiches, creamy pasta, roasted carrots, and chocolate dessert

A cookbook for real life

Cook to impress.
Skip the stress.

Easy, crave-worthy meals with simple tricks that make every plate look like a special occasion.

Get the digital book · $9.99 Paperback on Amazon

Good food. Gorgeous plates. Zero culinary-school drama.

Easy-to-follow recipes✦Plating made simple✦Fancy upgrades✦Real ingredients
Cover of Faking It Fancy by Sandra Heath, featuring steak with cream sauce, mushrooms, and mashed potatoes

Your shortcut to showstopping

Looks restaurant-worthy.
Tastes like you.

Faking It Fancy is full of comforting, approachable food with the little finishing touches that make people say, “You made this?” From brunch and handhelds to date-night dinners and sweet showstoppers, every recipe is designed to bring big impact without unnecessary fuss.

  • 01 Straightforward recipes for home cooks
  • 02 “Fake-It-Fancier” upgrades and plating tips
  • 03 Favorites like the Korean BBQ Chicken Sandwich
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From the Faking It Fancy kitchen

A Little Kitchen Know-How

Small tricks. Better meals. A little more fancy.

Bowls of fine and flaky salt with a wooden spoon

Seasoning basics

Salt Happens

When, Why & How to Season

A pinch here, a taste there. Learn when to season, how to choose your salt, and when to hold back.

Read the tips →
Steak developing a browned crust in a frying pan

Kitchen rescues

Golden, Not Gone

Saving a Too-Dark Sear

Browning brings flavor. Burning brings bitterness. Here’s how to change course before dinner gets away from you.

Read the tips →
Milk, butter, and cream for choosing a cooking substitute

Smart swaps

No Cream? No Crisis.

Picking the Right Cream Substitute

Before you reach for the milk, ask what the cream is doing. A soup, a cake, and whipped topping need different solutions.

Read the tips →

From Sandy’s kitchen

Start with something delicious.

Full recipes from Sandy’s kitchen, ready to cook and enjoy.

Hot honey ricotta sausage pizza topped with arugula

Pizza night · Makes one large pizza

Hot Honey Ricotta Sausage Pizza with Arugula

Creamy Alfredo, savory sausage, seasoned ricotta, and a sweet-and-spicy finishing drizzle. Pizza dough mix keeps it secretly simple.

Read the full recipe
Pretzel-crusted chicken with creamy mustard sauce and broccoli

Date night · Weeknight upgrade

Pretzel-Crusted Chicken with White Wine Mustard Sauce

Crunchy, golden chicken meets a velvety mustard sauce. Simple ingredients, an impressive finish, and a chicken-broth swap if you prefer.

Read the full recipe
Mushroom Benedicts on crispy polenta cakes with silky hollandaise

Weekend brunch · Serves 2

Wild Mushroom & Truffle Benedicts on Polenta Cakes

Crispy polenta, earthy mushrooms, poached eggs, and truffle hollandaise. Restaurant-worthy brunch, with a few permission-to-fake-it shortcuts.

Read the full recipe
Brie, apple, and arugula croissant sandwiches with fresh fruit

Brunch or lunch · Simple assembly

Brie, Apple & Arugula Croissantwich

Buttery croissants, creamy brie, crisp apple, fig jam, and a honey drizzle. Sweet, savory, and secretly simple.

Read the full recipe
Brunch BLT on golden sourdough with bacon, eggs, arugula, and tomatoes

Brunch · Serves 2 · 25 minutes

Brunch-Style BLT on Garlic Butter Sourdough

Crispy bacon, creamy scrambled eggs, jammy tomatoes, and arugula tucked into garlic-buttered sourdough. Breakfast meets lunch with a fancy finish.

Read the full recipe
Chocolate lava cake topped with raspberry whipped cream

Dessert · Sweet showstopper

Chocolate Lava Cakes

A rich chocolate center, simple pantry ingredients, and a raspberry whipped cream finish. Sandy’s go-to for a little date-night sweetness.

Read the full recipe
Warm banana bread cobbler topped with ice cream, whipped cream, and caramel

Dessert · Cozy bakes

Banana Bread Cobbler

Ripe bananas, warm cinnamon, and simple pantry ingredients. Add ice cream and caramel for a cozy dessert with a fancy finish.

Read the full recipe
Crispy chicken Parmesan with melted mozzarella over creamy fettuccine on a black plate

Dinner · Comfort food

Chicken Parmesan with Fettuccine Alfredo

Crispy chicken Parmesan meets creamy, garlicky fettuccine Alfredo. Two comfort-food favorites on one plate.

Read the full recipe
Creamy corn and potato chowder topped with crispy bacon and chives, with buttered bread alongside

Cozy dinners · Soup season

Creamy Corn Chowder with Bacon and Potatoes

Sweet corn, tender potatoes, and crispy bacon in a creamy broth. Simmering the corn cobs adds extra homemade flavor.

Read the full recipe
Steak and queso rice bowl with tomato, cilantro, and lime

Dinner · Weeknight bowls

Steak & Queso Rice Bowls

Juicy steak, zesty rice, creamy queso, and a fresh tomato-and-lime finish. Includes rice and queso shortcuts for busy nights.

Read the full recipe
Korean BBQ sticky ribs with sesame seeds and green onions

Dinner · Low and slow

Oven-Baked Korean BBQ Sticky Ribs

Tender baby backs with a sweet, savory glaze and caramelized finish. Use Sandy’s bottled-sauce shortcut or make your own.

Read the full recipe
Bacon-wrapped jalapeño popper mini meatloaves with a glossy barbecue glaze

Dinner · Makes 6

Bacon-Wrapped Mini Jalapeño Popper Meatloaves

A creamy, cheesy center, smoky bacon, hot honey barbecue glaze, and jalapeño ranch. Comfort food with a little heat and a fancy finish.

Read the full recipe
Chicken and street corn tacos with queso fresco and lime drizzle

Taco night · Makes 8

Chicken and Street Corn Tacos

Smoky grilled chicken, fire-roasted corn and avocado salsa, creamy lime drizzle, and queso fresco. Fresh flavor in every bite.

Read the full recipe
Huevos rancheros with chorizo and crispy breakfast potatoes

Brunch · Serves 4

Huevos Rancheros with Chorizo

Crispy tortillas, refried beans, chorizo, fried eggs, and all the creamy, spicy finishing touches. Breakfast with a little attitude.

Read the full recipe

A taste of what’s inside the cookbook

01The signature

Korean BBQ Chicken Sandwich

Sticky-sweet chicken, crisp cucumbers, and a glossy finish worthy of the good plates.

Handheld · Big impression
02Date night

Steak with Gorgonzola Cream

Rich, creamy, and made to share with Gouda mashed potatoes and roasted mushrooms.

Dinner · Restaurant energy
03Sweet showstopper

Berry Croissant Bread Pudding

Buttery layers, jammy berries, and an easy finish that looks beautifully over-the-top.

Dessert · Effortlessly fancy

Find these three recipes in Faking It Fancy.

Sandy-approved

The tools that make
“fancy” feel easy.

These are the pans, gadgets, serving pieces, and everyday kitchen helpers I actually reach for—because a good shortcut is always welcome.

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01Prep helpersLess fuss, less mess
02CookwareReliable kitchen workhorses
03Plating favoritesThe finishing-touch pieces
Sandra Heath cooking in her kitchen
Simple ingredients. Big heart.

Meet the cook

Hi, I’m Sandy.

I’m Sandy—home cook, recipe creator, and believer that food is one of the best ways to bring people together. I started Faking It Fancy to share my love for easy, beautiful meals that turn everyday moments into something worth remembering.

This cookbook is filled with the recipes I make on repeat for family, friends, and the people I love most.

You don’t need fancy skills or expensive ingredients to create something memorable. You just need a little creativity, a lot of love, and the confidence to fake it fancy.
Sandra Heath