Amazon.co.uk Review
Much has changed in the world of television cookery since Delia Smith first rose to fame in the late 1980s and many celebrity chefs have come and gone, taking a host of novelty gimmicks with them. But in the face of all challengers Delia remains the undisputed doyenne of cooking to camera, the only person capable of reducing otherwise sane adults to pitched battles over the last jar of sun-dried tomatoes at the local supermarket. Now she has gone back to basics once more to produce her
How to Cook course, based on explaining and demystifying key elements such as eggs, flour, vegetables and meat, and providing the building blocks for more exotic fare. Such homespun simplicity has always belied a willingness to embrace new influences and ingredients, and it may come as a surprise when, having started out to boil an egg or make some toast, you find yourself launching into Melted Cheese Frittata with Four Kinds of Mushrooms or Egg and Lentil Curry with Coconut and Pickled Lime.
The ten programmes in this first part of the How to Cook course (Part Two is also available on video) are organised by straightforward subjects such as eggs, bread and dough, pastry, sauces, potato, pasta and rice. Over 80 new recipes are concisely and clearly presented over the course of five hours, including Puttanesca Pizza, Smoked Fish Tart with a Parmesan Crust, Chocolate Almond Crunchies, Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Cheese, Linguine with Gorgonzola, Pancetta and Wilted Rocket and Tiger Prawn Jambalaya. The video also allows you to find individual recipes quickly and easily using a very helpful "quick find" index of all recipes on each programme, referenced by their start time and the page number in the corresponding book. On-screen recipe details, including ingredients and equipment required, complete the perfect introduction to the joys of cooking Delia-style. --Steve Napleton
Synopsis
A return to the basics of cooking in an age when anyone can eat ready-prepared meals, fast food or take-away. Delia starts at the very beginning and takes us through all the techniques that will serve for a lifetime of cooking.