Books » Special Features » Regular Stores » Up to 50% off selected Food and Drink Books » Delia's How to Cheat at Cooking
 |
Delia's How to Cheat at Cooking |
Average User Rating: 60% (146 Reviews) | |
| 4 / 5 | Same title, brought up to date, after 37 years......
Amazon Reviewer - 28 February 2008 ....'How to Cheat at Cooking', if you simply haven't got the time or maybe haven't got the experience and/or confidence. From the introduction:- '....What is included in these pages is not going to win you any Michelin stars, but if you are afraid to cook or you're a very busy person, it will - at least some of the time - revolutionise your life. Interested? Read on.' Durable plastic cover opens to:- 256 high quality shiny pages, with 140 recipes split over 12 main chapters:- (1) who peels the potatoes?: anyone but you (2) capers in the larder: not the naughty sort (3) laid-back lunches: lighter stuff (4) cool!: as in summer (5) uncool: what mums used to make (6) chicken on the run: real quick (7) Asian express: Oriental gravy training (8) lazy braising: duvet days (9) veggie?: so now you tell me! (10) pronto Italiano: bye bye pizza take-aways (11) such a tart!: tricks and treats (12) sweet cheats: ending on a high sandwiched between an introduction, a list of all the recipes, sections entitled:- 'a new way to shop' 'hidden servants' 'life from the freezer', the 'top cheats' lists, stockists (including phone numbers and website addresses) and a full alphabetical index. Each recipe has its title and opens with some relevant text written in typical 'Delia' fashion, followed by the list of ingredients and a clearly defined method. Any notes or variations are included, along with the number of servings. Recipes include:- luxury seafood pie Mediterranean fish stew Black Forest ham & lentil soup eggs Benedict pamboli asparagus with no-panic Hollandaise my mum's macaroni cheese steak and kidney easy amazing moussaka memories of goulash banana bread pudding with toffee sauce Caribbean chicken with salsa dhal curry Asian steak sandwiches Sicilian sausages with tomatoes & fennel boeuf Bourguignon easy cauliflower cheese and broccoli soup lightning lasagne wild mushroom risotto classic quiche Lorraine American coconut cream pie chocolate cupcakes 5-minute panna cotta with fresh raspberries cheat's Eton mess rhubarb & ginger beer jellies The 2-page spread of 'top cheats' at the back of the new publication is a compilation of Delia's 'personal favourites' and these equate to 'basics' and are split into three lists:- Storecupboard Fridge Freezer These lists cover most of the major 'supermarkets' and some named brands.....but I am sure that any equivalent size would be suitable in the recipe. It would be fair criticism, I think, to worry about how up-to-date the latter pages will remain over time, in respect of the smaller businesses. Another possible criticism is that, although there is colour photography throughout, there are relatively few of the finished dishes which might be negative to those of us less experienced cooks who like to see what we are aiming for on the plate! In my opinion, this cookery book is aimed at those of us who want to cut a few corners, but still want to achieve a good result. Delia has added a new dimension to this updated publication by sourcing what she feels is the best 'short-cut products'...... but, I think, it would be safe to say that these should be taken as guidelines only. Therefore, if a can of M&S tinned minced lamb is on the recipe list and an M&S food-hall is not just down the road, the same size of another brand will be just as good...or fresh minced lamb... or a piece of lamb, freshly minced........whatever you like best and whatever suits your budget. I guess it all comes down to what one thinks is 'cheating' at cooking, and most cooks do it from time to time, I would imagine? Personally, I am presently guilty of owning a bottle of 'Garlic Infused Olive Oil'.....just in case! Without trying to sound like Peter Kay and his 'Garlic Bread' reference, I am sure that there will be those out there who think that it is criminal not to have a bottle of extra virgin oil and a clove or two of garlic to hand, all the time? I would certainly recommend the KENWOOD Mini Chopper, which Delia uses in her recipes.... Read Full Review » |
| 5 / 5 | So much outrage!
Mr. M. G. Wilkinson "Grumpy Old Git" (London, England) - 9 March 2008 Deary me. Delia's latest really has upset a lot of people, hasn't it? The howls about tinned mince, the wails about frozen mashed potato, the gnashing of teeth at the thought that Delia might have 'sold out'. But the thing that no-one is mentioning is what the food is like. Check the ingredients on the items that Delia recommends and they're not full of hydrogenated fats or preservatives; they're good quality well-made versions of stuff you could make yourself *if you had time*. And the clue's in the title--this isn't a book about cooking, it's a book about /cheating/ at cooking. Would everyone have been happier if it has been titled "cooking by standing on the shoulders of giants"? She's quite clear that cooking conventionally is best, but let's be practical, people: we don't always have the time or the inclination to cook, and in those circumstances we all rely on pre-prepared food. How many of those who wrote negative reviews would think nothing of using dried pasta? Don't they know they should be making it from scratch?! And that's what all the noise is about really--much to a lot of people's annoyance, Delia has pointed out that these days there are pre-prepared ingredients out there that are at least as good as you could make yourself, and that if you cook with them you'll get perfectly acceptable results without having to slave in the kitchen for hours. That's her crime, not the food. Prove it to yourself: get the book, make the shepherd's pie with it's M&S tinned lamb mince and Aunt Bessie's frozen mash, then tell me that she's wrong.... Read Full Review » |
| 1 / 5 | Oh dear
Chasm - 18 February 2008 As someone who learnt much of my early cooking from Delia's first BBC series many years ago, and have given updated versions of these books and others such as her one on cakes to my daughters as well as others interested in 'British cooking', I was expecting another tour de force. So, what does one get? Well, all the usual Delia stuff: a well laid out book with a good range of recipes, failsafe instructions that are clear and recipes that work (although I haven't used them all by any means). The usual 5 stars for this then. So, what's the problem? Well, it is not that book is not as stated, it is more that these recipes don't contain any time-saving or other cheats, but are rather just dishes cobbled together from a variety of packaged, tinned or jar food. Delia is also very specific about which tins, jars or packages and even which emporium sells the stuff. Cynically one might be tempted to believe Delia expects to recoup more from the 'product placement' than the cover price. One can learn almost nothing from this book other then assembling precooked products. The results are not pleasant and cost considerably more than either a home cooked version or even a supermarket 'ready meal' so what's the point? Just as momentum is building toward wholesome, ethically produced ingredients, Delia has seemingly regressed almost to 'baked beans on toast'! Woeful, and profoundly disappointing.... Read Full Review » |
| 1 / 5 | can opener
H. Stanton (UK) - 18 February 2008 Are people that stupid they need instructions to use a tin of mince? Perhaps her next book would be called 'A Dozen Ways to Open a Tin'. Or 'How to Cheat Your Way to Diabetes' There again perhaps she has aimed the book at those who venture in at four in the morning after a night out clubbing,tastebuds slaughtered, looking for something quick cos they forgot to stop off at the Kebab takeaway. She has gone way down in my estimation - Quote from Daily Telegraph "She said she was more interested in teaching people how to cook quick, healthy and affordable meals..." Affordable? Tinned mince and frozen mash?? Healthy? - full of trans fats and hydrogenated?? How long does it take to boil some spuds and fry a bit of mince and chop an onion......? I though I was cheating using a tin of toms and a stock cube. ... Read Full Review » |
| 1 / 5 | She sold out - completely!
Mr. D. F. Masting (Brighton, England) - 17 February 2008 Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.... Delia spends 40 years creating a reputation then in 5 minute destroys it! This reeks of shameless commercialisim. How could she do this to us, how can she do it to herself! The recipes look inviting until you find product placement abound. Aunt Bessies Homestyle Frozen Roast Potatoes! Tinned Wild Salmon! Is she broke? How much did the brands & retailers pay her for their inclusion in this book? There is an ingredients list at the back of the book, which is called 'My Personal Ingredients'.... as if! As a hobbyist and aspiring cook I wouldn't go near such mass produced un-natural products. This book goes against all the current trends. It rebels against what all the other cooks/chefs tell us. It disposes with quality, locally sourced ingredients, it ignores provenance and barely nods at healthy eating. After all the years of taking us forward this book is a HUGE step back. I have advised anyone I know to stay clear, I'd be embarrassed to give it as a gift. Delia disciples will be distraught. I will stick with 'How to Cook'. RIP the Queen of British Culinary Cooking.... Read Full Review » |
Publisher
Ebury Press
Publication Date
15 February 2008
Format
Hardback (240 pages)
ISBN
9780091922290
Price Range
£9.99 - £9.99
List Price
£20.00
