Delia Smith

http://legoquescribo.blogspot.com/2008/09/vegetarian-joy.html

This I have had for some time, and shows the first sign of a good cookbook, that is that I have adopted some of the recipes and techniques into my general repertoire: for instance her Italian Stuffed Aubergines, and techniques from some of her soups.

Of course this was written before Delias current slutish phase,(slutish in the Katherine Whitehorn sense, of course) and shares the problem common to many of her books, that of show more excessive complexity, priggish obsessiveness and a peculiar aversion to microwaves and tinned tomatoes.(Amongst other things...) These are obstacles I have learned to live with, it helps to know that if one can be bothered to follow Delia step by step one will cook excellent food, in many cases a definitive version of a dish: to the degree that a vegetarian can cook an excellent Christmas turkey. Delia also makes her explanations clear precises and easy to follow, making her dishes and techniques very easy to adapt, perhaps Delia is best used by the more confident cook who is comfortable with riffing with her.

Worthy of note here is the tenor of the dishes, which are without exception dishes I would be proud to serve to my parents. None are really comfort dishes, to be eaten in grubby jumpers in front of the TV. All are dishes for proper meals, which might be eaten at table. show less

A friendly, encouraging tone marks this comprehensive revision of Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course , first seen 20 years ago. Her streamlined lists of ingredients and her chatty instructions lend an appealing air to basic, unexceptional recipes. Say no more, the author is British and writing before the advent of more exotic ingredients such as balsamic vinegar. This book offers instructions that are clear, comprehensive, and pretty near infallible.

A comprehensive cook book that was my culinary bible in the 1980s. Its strength and its weakness is an apparent lack of imagination. It is basic and thorough. It is a testament to its strength that I bought this 2007 reprint when I could not find my earlier edition.

This is a perfect coffee-table book. Lovely photos and good advice about growing, plus some decent recipes to help with using up the harvest. My only gripe it that it really only focuses on the particular varieties that were grown in Delia's garden that year. More generic advice might be more useful for most of us. But if the definition of a good book is one that you go back to on a regular basis, then this definitely falls into that category.