I've got a confession to make. I can't boil an egg. I don't mean that I can't cook, because I can. I mean that I can't boil an egg. I was born just after the end of the Second World War when food was not particularly plentiful and some of it was still rationed. My father reached an agreement with someone who kept hens that there would be an exchange of surplus eggs for my father's surplus home-grown vegetables. Unfortunately the only feed that the hen-keeper could obtain was fish-meal with the result that the eggs tasted of fish. I was made to eat one of these every day as my breakfast. They were truly revolting and to ...  Read the complete review

Our Goddess in television kitchen heaven, let your holy name be known as Delia Smith, let your kitchen come, and your food will be done (perfectly), on earth as in your heavenly kitchen. Give us today our daily bread, scrambled eggs, pastry, cakes, biscuits, potatoes, rice, pizza and pasta that we need, and forgive us our listening from Gary Rhodes, as we forgive those who have done wronged us with rubbish cooking programmes. Do not lead us into the temptation of takeaways, curry houses or the humble chippie, but save us from baked beans on toast and sad microwave meals for one! Amen (Fluffypup’s ...  Read the complete review

I remember my father bought this book for my mother one Christmas about ten years ago. Being the chef of the house, my mother was not as pleased as she could have been, and it is perhaps little surprise they are now separated. Needless to say, my mother got little use out of the book, and it soon fell into my possession. When Delia's How to Cook series was first published it was to great acclaim, as few books of the kind by renowned chefs existed. I remember I used this book as a reference on many occasions when I first began to cook for myself, and I do not know what I would have done without it. It is one thing to consult a parent or guardian for advice ...  Read the complete review

I have just been looking through this book again after submitting my version of one of the recipes in it. Quite scarily I have just realised that I have had this book for over 10 years; I got it as a present from my step-mam when I was 18, I don't know what she was trying to get at... Anyhoo, the title of this book is a little misleading I think; it suggests that the recipes contained within are very easy, when in fact some of them are quite complicated, even for the accomplished cook I am today (well, I can definitely boil an egg these days anyway!) The book contains some lovely recipes; I have just written a review on Souffled Macaroni Cheese ...  Read the complete review

I bought this set of books for my sister a couple of Xmas's ago, and as I was having a sneaky pre-read before I wrapped them, I decided what was inside was worth me purchasing a set for myself. So here goes. The books were marked as £16.99 but were on sale absolutely everywhere for £9.99. The books were the subject of a TV series, one which I did not see, but my mother informed me on good authority, that she was quite patronising, as she was teaching people how to cook eggs, and boil rice. (The ironic part, is that my mother can't cook eggs (well not poached or scrambled anyway), and her rice leaves a lot to be desired. Maybe I should have ...  Read the complete review