Delia Smith - live webchat, Friday, 25 November 2011, 1-2pm

[RachelMumsnet]

We're delighted and honoured at MNHQ that Delia, the grande dame of British cookery, is joining us on 25 November, from 1-2pm for a live webchat. Delia's first Christmas book, Delia Smith's Christmas has been the cookery bible since it's publication in 1994 when the shops ran out of cranberries and Delia became known as the Cranberry Queen. In 2009, Delia's Happy Christmas hit the shelves with over 100 new recipes and an invaluable hour-by-hour countdown to the last 36 hours before Christmas dinner is served.

The party season is about to kick off and Delia's kindly allowed us to reproduce her own mulled wine recipe and her non-alcoholic version for designated drivers.

Delia's Classic Christmas Cake box is currently flying off Waitrose shelves. So ahead of Delia's webchat, we're having our very own bake-off: five MNHQ-ers are making the cake and Delia is going to sample a morsel of each. Find out what she thinks and send in your own questions on Christmas cookery to Delia on Friday 25 November at 1pm. If you're unable to join us on the day, send a question in advance to this thread.

[SeeLyon]

Hi DElia
I am sure you wont admit it, but is there any part of the delias cheats thing you regret?
For me it just didnt ring true.

[RattusRattus]

OOh - hi Delia,

My DH wants new saucepans for Xmas and I was wondering what you consider to be the very best. If you're not able recommend a brand could you tell me what features I should be looking for?

Thank you!!

[dawntigga]

Hello Delia,

Firstly, can I say that you have never let me down although, I fear that I have let you down on several occasions by not doing exactly what you'd told me to do. I'm very sorry!

Now onto my question, many celebrity chefs have taken up causes regarding food, have you ever looked at something food wise and thought 'that has to change' if so what? I understand you're v busy and not everyone wants or can mount a crusade but I'm sure that all you'd have to do is raise and eyebrow in the direction of whatever it was and it would be sorted!

BTW we regard you as a Saint Chef not a celebrity chef, MIL does your bread sauce EVERY year and I fear there would be mutiny if I introduced another one to the proceedings! Not that I would cos it's lovely.

SwoonsEverSoSlightlyIt'sSaintDeliaTiggaxx

PS we should have a chef hat smiley in honour of Saint Delia!

[MrsHollywood]

Hi Delia!

There are some fab questions already - I hope you have time to answer them all!

I made your Christmas cake for the first time this year and thought I'd followed it to the letter. When adding the eggs, I did it spoon by spoon, with the mixer continuing to whisk as I did it and I thought the eggs were room temperature, but the mixture still curdled rather badly. In fact, a lot of my cakes curdle!

The Christmas cake looks good after cooking (am currently feeding it) and none of my other cakes seem to have suffered greatly from the curdling - but how can I avoid it and would my cakes be vastly improved if the mixture didn't curdle?

Thanks!

[40notTrendy]

Hello Delia! Wow!!

Your books have been used by 3 generations in our family! I love the Summer and Winter collection. I applaud you for being so ahead of the game in terms of seasonal, home cooked, good quality food. The phrase 'It's a Delia' is a common one in our house - means that we're always in for a good meal.

I'd like to ask if you are ever tempted, whilst out shopping
(assuming you supermarket shop ) to suggest recipes and meals to people with microwaveable meals or packet foods in their trolley?

Thanks!!!!

[Strawberrytallcake]

Hi Delia

I love your christmas book and the gammon is a family favourite. I have one problem which is that you use the word quite a lot as in 'let it get quite cold' do you mean actually cold or cool or lukewarm?

Thanks

[MoreBeta]

Hi Delia

I use your Foaming Hollandaise recipe quiet often and it never fails. However, when I do it for guests I always worry about the salmonella and raw eggs issue.

I know the recipe has hot butter and acid (lemon juice and vinegar) in and I always use fresh eggs but is that really enough to kill any bacteria? Do you think that we should really all now be using pasteurised eggs for this and other similar recipes that contain uncooked eggs?

By the way. My Mum gave me your 'One is fun!' book when I went to University nearly 30 years ago which is what got me interested in cooking. I still have it and use some of the recipes to this day.

[Scritchy]

Hello Delia ,

For some unknown reason, I make the world's worst gravy. It either ends up lumpy, seperated or so thick you could slice it up and eat it on a cream cracker. It's my turn to make Christmas Dinner this year and I really don't want to cop out and buy a fresh gravy the day before so are you able to shed any light or pearls of wisdom on how to make the perfect home-made gravy?

[curtsey]

:)

[jepa]

Hi Delia
Yet another huge fan here. I bought the Complete Cookery Course back in the early 90's and haven't look back. I'm on my second copy :)
I've made your Christmas Cake for years, hope you don't mind but I add Cointreau instead of Brandy, happened one year when we had run out of Brandy but did have Cointreau.
In fact my Christmas Cake has quite a reputation I made it for a party once and for months afterwards had women coming upto me in the street and asking what my secret was. I did, I promise, send them your way!
Anyway to my question, my friend soaks her fruit for a week when making her Christmas cake as opposed to me who soaks overnight. Do you think it makes a difference the longer the fruit is soaked ?
Thank you so much for coming to Mumsnet.

[reastie]

I'd like to know if you always cook christmas lunch yourself for your family and if you enjoy it or find it all quite stressful like us plebs ? Any tips on how to make it less stressful gratefully received

[phyllisdiller]

Hello Delia!

Can I ask how much the 'complete cookery course' book has changed over the years?

My mum still has her book from the late 70's (ish).

I've got the revised one from the 90's (it's falling apart now).

My Mum reckons her un-revised book is better because it uses cream and suet and things (she bought the hard back one and still has the original all this time later!). Is she correct?

Thank you

[phyllisdiller]

...sorry, I meant to say 'much more cream and full fat things and far less healthy substitutes'.

[noddyholder]

Do you ever just buy a bung in the oven type meal?

[MumblingAndBloodyRagDoll]

Beef! I thought of a question that I really think you can help with! How on earth do I cook roast beef so that it's not like a leathery old shoe? Is there a way or some trick of roasting a joint of beef really nicely please? Mine are always sad affairs.

[Bucharest]

I get my Christmas book down in September (more or less when Fellatio's poncetastic thread starts) and you and Nigella sit side by side with me on the sofa till Christmas itself.......

Fawning over.....we read (and discussed at length on here) that when you have the film crew around yours, you won't let them use your toilet but insist they wee in your garden (I presume in a portaloo unless film crew wee is good for the veggies?) Is this true, and if so was it because you didn't trust them not to go rootling round in your drawers?

My Mum wants to know how you manage to make pastry and stuff without rolling your long sleeves up and taking your rings off. It drives her a bit mad when we watch you.

We are making your cake this year. We made Nigella's last year and it was a bit blowsy and nouveau.

[suzikettles]

Yet another one with an amazingly well-used and well-loved Complete Cookery Course (My gran gave me it as a present when I left home to go to university. Student cookbooks? Pah! We ate well )

Also, thanks for your "cheats" series which helped the same gran, aged 90 and still living alone and cooking everything from scratch, to allow herself to use things like frozen mashed potato - and eat better for it - because you said they were good so it must be ok.

I'm another one with the gravy question. I'm just so rubbish at it and never seem to have enough cooking juices from the meat after the fat's been poured off. Any tips?

[CMOTdibbler]

Hi Delia, I don't have any questions as we are having a canape Christmas (cos no one is that bothered about another roast dinner in this household), but can I just say that your books are the ones that I go to again and again and I've never had a recipe fail. This is in spite of making all my cakes with gluten free flour Thank you !

[Blatherskite]

Hello Delia,

Your Christmas cake recipe (c.1978) is a big hit in our family and I've made it, not only for every Christmas but also as the tiers for our wedding cake.

I do make a few changes though and substitute some of the fruit for extra cherries because I love them and I leave out the nuts because I don't :)

I'm guessing in 33 years, you've probably made some changes to the recipe too...What went in your Christmas cake this year?

[southlundon]

Hi Delia!!

I shan't ask a footy-related question as much as I want to (having watched them play really well at Old Trafford earlier this season - I was in the Stretford End!), so this is my question:

Is it too late to start on a Christmas cake?

[Champagnesupernova]

Someone here has burned tinned sweetcorn
Delia, what have your worst disasters been??

[bosch]

Hi Delia

Another fan of complete cookery here, and I also make your christmas cake every year. The one I made at the beginning of November is due it's third feed of brandy this weekend! I will go on to use ready made marzipan and icing - do you disapprove terribly?

The only time it wasn't a complete success was the first time I made your cake and I didn't bother wrapping it in brown paper and it looked burnt. I made another one for us and took the burnt one to work - they all declared it the most delicious christmas cake they'd ever had and not burnt tasting or dry at all!

This year, I'm not going to have so much time on Christmas Day so I'm planning to do a lot of prep ahead - like boiling potatoes for 10 mins, then freezing with a view to roasting them from frozen on the day. Have you got any tips to help me get ahead please?

Thanks.

[ILikeToMoveItMoveIt]

Hello Delia.

Whenever I make a sponge cake/fairy cakes/muffins etc, they always rise but go flat on top or they rise into a peak and crack. Why is this? They don't taste, feel or look over-cooked.......

And a cheeky second question, do you shop in THE cook shop in Bury St Ed's? I'm convinced you must go there and often wonder if I will bump into you in the utensil aisle

[5Foot5]

Delia!!!

I have nearly all of your books and the Christmas one has been my good friend for many years.

My question is about cake. I have a teenager who does not care for currants but I want to make a Christmas cake anyway. I thought that rather than the Classic Christmas Cake I would do the somewhat lighter Dundee Cake. However, your recipe has 6oz of currants as well as 6oz of sultanas. Do you think it would work as well if I just doubled up the sultanas? Or should I substitute raisins? Or can you recommend another dried fruit to use instead?

[Hulababy]

Can I add a second question, just to be cheeky?

Been trying to make Hokey Pokey (honeycomb) tonight but it would set and go hard and brittle. Any tips?

[downbutnotout]

Delia! Here!! TOMORROW!!!

Were not worthy! We're not worthy!

I am more excited about this than Christmas!