In March 2009, BBC Books published DELIA’S COMPLETE HOW TO COOK, the omnibus edition of DELIA’S HOW TO COOK, Books 1, 2 and 3. Delia Ann Smith CH CBE (born 18 June 1941) is an English cook and television presenter, known for teaching basic cookery skills in a no-nonsense style. One of the best known celebrity chefs in British popular culture, Smith has influenced viewers to become more culinarily adventurous. [1] [2] She is also famous for her role as joint majority shareholder at Norwich City F.C. [3] Early life

The bit I really wanted the book for, however, was the chapter called, "The Last Thirty Six Hours," which talks you minute by minute through cooking the Christmas Dinner, from early on Christmas Even, including breaks for watching a carol service, opening presents, having the neighbours round and having a glass of champagne! I followed this almost to the letter, making everything from scratch (cranberry sauce, gravy, stuffing, bread sauce etc) and it didn't let me down. So, so useful.Smith was baptised in the Church of England, and attended a Methodist Sunday School, a Congregationalist Brownie group and later a Church of England youth group. At the age of twenty-two, she converted to Catholicism. Her first two short religious books, A Feast for Lent (1983) and A Feast for Advent (1983), are readings and reflections for these seasons. In 1988, she wrote a longer book on prayer, A Journey into God. She left school at 16 without a single O-level. She first tried her hand at hairdressing, being a shop assistant and working in a travel agency. At 21, determined to learn how to cook - perhaps partly to impress her new boyfriend - she started work in a tiny restaurant in Paddington called The Singing Chef. Her first job was washing up, then waitressing and finally being allowed to help with the cooking. She began to wonder why, if French food was so good, English food was so awful. So she started reading English cookery books in the Reading Room at the British Museum, trying out the recipes on a Harley Street family with whom she was living at the time. In February 2005, Smith attracted attention during the half-time break of a home match against Manchester City. At the time Norwich were fighting an ultimately unsuccessful battle against relegation from the Premier League, and to rally the crowd, Smith grabbed the microphone from the club announcer on the pitch and said: "A message for the best football supporters in the world: we need a 12th man here. Where are you? Where are you? Let's be 'avin' you! Come on!" Norwich lost the match 3–2. [16] Smith denied suggestions in the media that she had been drunk while delivering the speech though she did concede that "maybe in the heat of the moment I didn't choose the best words". [17] [18] Grimmer, Dan (11 August 2011). "Delia Smith steps down from Norwich City catering role". Eastern Daily Press . Retrieved 15 December 2017. Finally take a double square of baking parchment with a 50p-sized hole in the centre (for extra protection during the cooking) and place this not on top of the mixture itself but on the rim of the brown paper. Bake the cake on the lowest shelf of the oven for 4 hours until it feels springy in the centre when lightly touched. Sometimes it can take 30–45 minutes longer than this, but in any case don’t look at it for 4 hours.

This cookbook will help you to plan your Christmas festivities to the very last culinary detail, acting as an invaluable Christmas organiser from reminding you to make your Christmas pudding and chutneys in November to giving you a crucial countdown for the Last 36 Hours. At 21, she started work in a small restaurant in Paddington, initially washing dishes before moving on to waitressing and eventually being allowed to help with the cooking. She started reading English cookery books in the Reading Room at the British Museum, trying out the recipes on a Harley Street family with whom she was living. In 1996 Delia was awarded an Honorary degree by Nottingham University, a Fellowship from St Mary’s College (a college of the University of Surrey). The same year she entered the Royal Television Society Hall of Fame. In 1999 she received an Honorary degree from the University of East Anglia and in 2000, a Fellowship from John Moores University in Liverpool. In 2013 Delia was presented with a BAFTA Special Award in honour of her outstanding contribution to television cookery and services to broadcasting. The book starts with Christmas cakes and puddings that you ought to be making in November if you're doing things properly, though I bought this in late December by which point it was a bit too late. Maybe next year... In January 2010, the BBC aired 5 x ½ hour programmes, Delia Through the Decades, exploring her 40 career and the way she has affected the nation’s eating habits.From 1993-1998 she worked as a behind-the-scenes consultant for Sainsbury's. In May 1993 she and her husband, Michael Wynn Jones, launched New Crane Publishing, which produced the Sainsbury's Magazine. Delia was Consultant Director and contributed her own recipes. Sainsbury's Magazine had an official readership of 3.4 million. In 2005 Delia and Michael sold New Crane Publishing. May I wish you, then, a slightly merrier Christmas and, as ever, thank you for your marvellous support of Deliaonline throughout the year. Now your Christmas pudding is ready for Christmas Day. Keep it in a cool place away from the light. Under the bed in an unheated bedroom is an ideal place. DELIA’S HOW TO CHEAT AT COOKING was published in Spring 2008 by Ebury Press and became the fastest selling title in Random House’s history. Six related programmes appeared on BBC2. Put all the fruits (see note at foot of method), in a bowl and mix them with the brandy, cover with a cloth and leave them to soak for a minimum of 12 hours.

Dried fruits: We have discovered a supplier who will provide everything you need with superb quality, for example pinhead currants, which are smaller and contain fewer seeds, Lexia raisins which are made from dried Muscat grapes, whole candied peels and many others. Newly married in the summer, I was tasked with cooking Christmas dinner by myself for the first time this year, and this book was invaluable.

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In 2013 Delia published a new edition of her 1977 BOOK OF CAKES entitled DELIA'S CAKES, coinciding with the launch of her online cookery school, the first term of which was dedicated to cakes. Delia's Happy Christmas will give you 150 recipes, including 100 new recipes and 50 much-loved classics, plus menu plans and shopping lists, illustrated with glorious full-colour photography. There are recipes for all your favourite traditional dishes - Delia's Classic Christmas Cake recipe has been in print for over 40 years and has never been bettered, but Delia has also created a Chestnut Cupcakes recipe to satisfy modern tastes. Of course there is Delia's foolproof recipe for a Traditional Roast Turkey and all the trimmings, and The Only Traditional Christmas Pudding as well as ideas for parties, boxing-day suppers, vegetarian feasts and what to do with leftovers. The 1990s were to prove hugely successful for Delia. DELIA SMITH'S SUMMER COLLECTION, published in May 1993 and accompanied by a 10-part BBC2 television series, broke all her previous records. The book has so far sold over 1,600,000 copies. In autumn 1995 DELIA SMITH'S WINTER COLLECTION was published, together with a 12-part BBC2 television series. It has sold 2,300,000 copies, and at that time became the fastest selling book on record. It has also appeared in America. Davies, Caroline (2 April 2016). "New faces on Sgt Pepper album cover for artist Peter Blake's 80th birthday". The Guardian.

In 2008, Hodder & Stoughton brought out DELIA’S FRUGAL FOOD, a new, updated edition of her earlier FRUGAL FOOD. All income goes to CAFOD. Lezard, Nicholas (11 December 1999). "Profile Delia Smith: Simmer gently, do not boil". The Independent . Retrieved 13 November 2016. It has been claimed that Smith's television series Delia's How to Cook led to a 10% rise in egg sales in Britain and her use of ingredients such as frozen mash and tinned minced beef and onions, or utensils such as an omelette pan, could cause sell-outs overnight. [14] This phenomenon, dubbed the "Delia effect", was most recently seen in 2008, after her book How to Cheat at Cooking was published. Her fame (and her relatively uncommon name) has meant that her first name has become sufficient to identify her to the public and the "Delia effect" has become a commonly used phrase to describe a run on a previously poor-selling product as a result of a high-profile recommendation. [15] Business interests Smith became a recognisable figure amongst young people in the 1970s and early 1980s when she was an occasional guest on the BBC's Saturday morning children's programme Multicoloured Swap Shop, giving basic cooking demonstrations.

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In March 2010, Smith and Heston Blumenthal were signed up to appear in a series of 40 commercials on British television for the supermarket chain Waitrose. [12] In August 2011, Smith announced that, anticipating her 70th birthday, she was stepping down from her catering role at Norwich City's Carrow Road football ground: "It is now time for a fresh approach and a younger team who, I am confident, will take the business even further." [19] Honours and awards DELIA’S KITCHEN GARDEN, written with Gay Search, was published in the Autumn of 2004. Inspired by her new kitchen garden at home in Suffolk, Delia wanted to create a book that told people, not only how to grow their own fruit and vegetables month by month, but also how to incorporate them into seasonal recipes. She gives lots of unusual ideas for all sorts of Christmas parties from fork buffets to drinks parties, including Roast Goose with Potato, Sage and Apple Stuffing. and Iced Christmas Pudding topped with glace fruits marinated in Madeira. Over 100 new recipes include 5 different kinds of Christmas cake and foolproof ways to ice them, a complete vegetarian Christmas including Cheese Terrine with Apricot Chutney, and recipes for Christmas gifts such as Chocolate Truffles. Smith's first television appearances came in the early 1970s, as resident cook on BBC East's regional magazine programme Look East, shown on BBC One across East Anglia. Following this, she was offered her own cookery television show, Family Fare which ran between 1973 and 1975.