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.

I think Bucharest has fainted with ecstasy.

@BlueEyeshadow

Hi Delia,

Can I sneak in at the end? I wanted to say thank you for your all-in-one white sauce recipe. I make it at least once a week and it never fails!

Do you have any ingredients that scare you off a recipe? For me it's gelatine, don't know why but it puts me right off!

No, I can't think of any scary ingredients, but I do really want to reassure you about gelatine! Now that it's so widely available in leaf form, it really could not be easier. So please, don't be afraid. Just soak it, in a little bit of water, until it softens. Squeeze out the excess and it can go straight into hot liquid and disappear in a few seconds. I think you'll probably be able to get these instructions on my website .

Am sure Delia said you shouldn't warm it up in the microwave?

We've come to the end of the hour now and Delia is going to look at our cakes Thanks so much everyone for all your questions and a huge thansk to Delia for joining us. We'll be back shortly to let you know who's won the signed books and cake boxes.

I was weeing believe it or not!(in the loo, not on the garden)

Now I'm printing this page out for my Mum.

Thank you Delia! (I knew you wouldn' treally have made them piddle in the flowerbeds)

Oh dear - I've got to say goodbye! But can I say, I really enjoyed all this, and I don't think I've ever had so many compliments in one hour in my life!

Oh gelatine gives me the heebs as well. Ever since a key lime pie that just had gobs of it in, like frogspawn.

Enjoy the cakes Delia!

Thank you so so much for answering my question
I've love reading this webchat, please come back again soon

My question was not answered :(

What, Christmas pud? I think you are right, but VL was talking about cooking (making from scratch?) a pudding the day before (Christmas Eve then? crazy!). See what I mean?

ooh Thankyou so much for answering my question.. I am please you approve of my method
Have uploaded a pic of the recipe book for you to have a laugh at.... it has so many crumbs and spillages it's practically illegible

Thank you for coming to mn - see, we're not really a nest of vipers, we're very nice really!

Thank you Delia - hope you come back again :)

You know Bucharest that reminds me of my late grandfather, who was about to meet the Dali Lama , but just as he was greeting him he suddenly and urgently needed the loo and has to excuse himself.

13:12:26 is the microwave pud question

come back soon please

Can we have Nigella next time as Delia just ignored my question(s)?

Thank you - will try risotto tonight!!
XX

Thank you very much! The gravy thing was what I was interested in too, so you answered that for me via someone elses question! :)

Really enjoyed this chat and I'd ecstatic that Delia answered my question! Thanks Delia and mumsnet, do we get to see the cakes from mumsnet towers?

Thanks Delia

:o SDD, come on, give the lady a break - that's the most amount of questions I've ever seen answered, and mine wasn't chosen either. :o

I have loved all of Delia's comments - she is fab.

Yes she is great and am amazed how many questions she answered. We all lover her at Casa Curious

Love her not lover her

I remember my mum poring over Delia's recipes in the late 70's/early 80's, and she was a pretty good cook at the time herself - good enough to do the food for my dad's advertising photographic jobs! That made her the Goddess of cooking as I was growing up! :o