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Original poster

Delia Smith Christmas.

135 replies

LucilleBluth · 02/12/2018 19:08

I'm watching her old Christmas series from the 90s. So far she has cooked some very random stuff, handled a raw goose then touched the salt and pepper grinders and given an explanation about what pesto is.

I was 10 in 1990...was good really this grim, I don't remember.

Prunes in almanac anyone? Gravlax tartlets with a rolled out bread base?

OP posts:
BookMeOnTheSudExpress · 05/12/2018 13:25

Wasn't the Cheat book and series all product placement for M &S? All her tins were definitely from M&S.

magimedi · 05/12/2018 13:40

And Waitrose. There were little hanging stickers used over various products saying: "As used in Deli's How to Cheat at Cooking'.

My DH may have moved one from its rightful place to over dog food.

derxa · 05/12/2018 14:00

Ah I love Delia - remember when she went onto the pitch at Norwich FC at half time ("let's be having you!!")? I was going to come on and say this. She's a passionate Remainer and was on the Andrew Marr show this week. She looked great
Christmas in our house is all about the Delia. I'm on the second copy of her book.

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General food
Bloodybridget · 06/12/2018 07:23

Mmm, black bean chilli, I'm going to hunt down some black beans and make this as soon as possible!

VeryFoolishFay · 06/12/2018 07:27

Chicken Basque is amazing!!

LoniceraJaponica · 06/12/2018 23:33

Yes it is isn't it Very

Athena51 · 06/12/2018 23:51

I love Delia. The pot roasted beef in red wine with red onion marmalade from the Winter book is a thing of wonder.

LoniceraJaponica · 06/12/2018 23:57

I have her (well thumbed) How To Cook series of books. The coffee cake is a favourite, and there is a lentil curry that I have made loads of times.

hopefullyhelpfully · 07/12/2018 09:33

I'd forgotten about chicken basque! That's Sunday lunch decided 😀
For Christmas Parmesan parsnips are always a winner.

She also did some nice healthier recipients. Some green chicken skewers were lovely....

Bittermints · 07/12/2018 10:47

I always make her ragu Bolognese in a huge quantity and keep the excess in the freezer. Makes it so much quicker to make a lasagne and it's absolutely divine.

Her recipes for Parkin and Dundee cake are excellent (from How to Cook, original 1970s edition, my most used cookbook).

Oven-roasted Mediterranean vegetables are a great staple here and I first came across that idea in her Summer cookbook 20 years ago. She chopped them small to go in a vegetarian lasagne but I tend to keep the chunks bigger and use as a main dish with the addition of chickpeas, served with rice or couscous or mixed with pasta, or (without chickpeas) alongside something like oven-baked salmon or chicken thighs/legs. Was that Summer book before Jamie Oliver got going? I associate big traybakes of veg with his early series but I suspect Delia was in there first.

PrivateEggnog · 07/12/2018 21:11

I just looked up chicken Basque... looks gorgeous.

pfwow · 07/12/2018 21:15

I cooked a Delia pasta dish from the Complete cookery course tonight. A creamy mushroom pasta, and very nice it was too. That book is genius, she tells you all the basics, pastry, meat whatever, it's all in there. She can do no wrong!

SurfnTerfFantasticmissfoxy · 07/12/2018 21:22

I LOVE Delia Smith's Christmas. When I was a teenager I had them all recorded on video and watched them whenever I was off school ill. It's still my favorite Christmas cook book, I don't feel like Christmas is truly here until I've watched a bit of Delia! Her Christmas cake recipe and baked ham are absolute staples and her beef in Guinness and chocolate truffle torte are amazing as well.

MarmiteTermite · 07/12/2018 21:37

Delia’s Smoked fish pie is the absolute best - think it was in one of her How to Cook books. I also left home to go to uni with a copy of her Cimokete Cookery Course - still much used eg for crumble topping. Going to dig out her Christmas book now 🎄

IsThereRoomAtTheInn · 07/12/2018 22:33

I have the Christmas book and use it for timings and basics every year. I had it out tonight to make some mince pies.

Which recipes do people find they return to?

I will try the beef in Guinness.

magimedi · 08/12/2018 08:02

I love her spiced chicken from the Complete Cookery book. Have been making that for about 30+ years!

BookMeOnTheSudExpress · 08/12/2018 08:13

The recipes I always use are the basics, Christmas cake, scones, hot cross buns etc.

Bittermints · 09/12/2018 16:12

I've made beef in Guinness or other beer so often over the years I'd forgotten it was a Delia recipe as I no longer need to check ingredients/quantities. I can confirm it's a very good recipe. Lovely with potatoes and/or used as a pie filling.

pallisers · 09/12/2018 16:53

i make her anchoiade from the complete cookery course - really delicious for lunch or supper in the summer.

Also love the spiced chicken, chicken with whole spices, the mornay sauce (her all in one white sauce is the one I use over and over, the various smoked fish pates. From her other books I do chicken and tarragon and chicken basque as standard dinner party dishes. Also her oven baked mushroom risotto. The peppers and tomatoes are great from the summer book as a starter - also the roasted tomato soup. For years my go-to dinner to impress was roasted tomato soup and salmon with avocado and creme fraiche from her summer book. It tasted lovely and was really easy to produce at the last minute.

Really looking forward to the Christmas book arriving now. Thanks for this thread.

LosingNemo · 09/12/2018 17:14

I love
The Christmas series and try to watch it every year. The wine expert (not Jilly
goulden) was a massive Sloane with even more enormous shoulder pads. Entertaining and informative Grin. I love the way the Delia says sub DRIED tomatoes - me and my dh can’t say it any other way!

thismeansnothing · 09/12/2018 17:17

Aaaah Delia's Christmas brown.

I've watched this pretty much every year since it was first shown when I was about 8/9. This year DD has watched it with me.

I love how she has to explain about where you can get your amaretti biscuits and ordering truffles from mail order catalogues and that you can get glucose from the chemist 🤣 how times have changed.

Now.

Where's my armagnac

IHaveBrilloHair · 09/12/2018 17:21

The carbonara from Winter collection was the first thing I ever learned to cook and its still our family's favourite meal.
Her recipes always, always work.
Whenever I watch her its like watching an old friend.
I'm on my own a lot now and never cook for myself so ordered her One is fun this week. The recipes will probably sound dated but I don't doubt they'll be delicious.

IsThereRoomAtTheInn · 09/12/2018 18:03

I now really want to buy some Armagnac. Terrible thread! Wink

bluebellation · 09/12/2018 18:11

Her Tiramisu from the Winter book is my go-to dessert , we always have it in place of Christmas pud.

PierreBezukov · 09/12/2018 18:37

I agree Delia is miles better than Nigella. I once made a lamb tagine of Nigella's and it was vile - I thought it was hard to mess up tagine but Nigella did it.

I prefer Mary Berry though - she's my go-to for basics and more complicated things too.