So who watched Delia Through The Decades last night?
Not that I'm a particular fan, but my mum bought me Delia's One Is Fun (thanks mum!) cookbook when I first moved to London, and it really taught me not to be afraid of cooking. Once can follow a recipe and you get the timings right you can do anything. Mrs F-C still hasn't forgiven me for being the class star at our Cordon Bleu cookery course we did in 1992. So even if I do say it myself, I'm actually not a bad cook. I have no fear, and it's all down to Delia.
I thought the programme was quite fascinating, taking in her time in small Soho eateries of the Sixties, a time when people still thought spaghetti grew on trees. She was quite a trailblazer in her time, and a bit of a fox too.
I've never met her or even seen her, and despite numerous reports that she's a bit of a cow, she comes across as quite gentle and a bit shy, except when she takes the mike after a few gin and its at Norwich City games. The born again Christian thing was a slight turn-off, but you don't hear her preaching so it's clearly a private matter. Mrs F-C finds the hands a problem - the fact that she never takes her rings off when she makes pastry and all those liver spots. But let's be honest, she looks marvellous for 69. I thought she was in her fifties, but she's been around so long I suppose I'd not really given it much thought.
We still use her complete cookery course, from whence I got my shepherds pie, meatloaf, cheese sauce and meatball masinstays, among others. It's a well-used tome but an invaluable one.
Next week it's how she got into TV. Should be fascinating. I love programmes about food history. I wonder if she ever made a Five Centres flan?
