I own ALL of Delia Smith's books along with 223 other cookery books by various experts all over the world. What I like most about Delia is her "no nonsence" approach to food, although she can be a little "mumsy' at times. But then, that is part of her appeal.This book and all the others in its series (Soup, Fish, Chicken) have been very difficult to review because they can be simply fabulous or down right rip-offs.
The recipes themselves are typical of Delia - straightforward and designed to work - and as such these books are indispensible for those who do not own any of her other books. On that basis alone I would have given this book (and its siblings) a 5-star rating.
BUT, for those wanting to buy this book, I would warn that there are no great culinary revelations here. These are recipes published by Delia in her previous collections - Summer, Winter, Christmas etc - just a rehash of old hits. If you buy this book and others in this series, you might just be tempted to ask for your money back- but not before giving a 1-star rating!
However, if like me, you have several bookshelves groaning under the weight of countless cookery books, Delia offers a wonderful filing system for her recipes. Personally, I find this to be a time saver when faced with organising dinner for 8 at short notice. No more flipping through pages looking for Delia's Chocolate Mouse or Delia's Mini Chocolate Muffins or Delia's Chocolate Truffles etc etc
For those thinking about buying this book, I suggest that you first ask yourself if you have so many Delia books that you now need more books of neatly organised Delia delights.
For an average person, this book and the others in the series get an average 3-star rating.
