Delia Smith
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Delia Smith OBE (born 18 June 1941) is an English television chef, known for her interest in food and teaching basic cookery.
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[edit] Chef, author and TV personality
Born in Woking, Surrey, Delia is Britain's best-selling cookery author, with more than 18,000,000 copies sold. She is a prominent Roman Catholic.
In 1969, Delia became cookery writer for The Daily Mirror, with her first piece featuring kipper pâté, beef in beer, and cheesecake. In 1972 she started writing for London's Evening Standard. She rose to fame teaching cookery on a television show, Family Fare (1973–75) (a promo for the first episode during a 1973 BBC2 closedown).
Her television series Delia's How to Cook (1998) reportedly led to a 10% rise in egg sales in Britain, and her use of new ingredients (such as cranberries) or utensils (such as an omelette pan) can cause sell-outs overnight. Because of this fame, her first name has become sufficient to identify her to the public, and doing a Delia is the phrase used when preparing a dish according to one of her recipes.
She was awarded an OBE in 1995.
[edit] Trivia
Delia Smith baked the cake seen on the front cover of the Rolling Stones album Let It Bleed.[1]
[edit] Business and football
In 2003, Delia announced her retirement from the TV cooking scene (although she will continue to produce cookery books). Delia has developed other business interests, notably the majority shareholding in Norwich City, with her Welsh-born husband, Michael Wynn-Jones.
The pair were instrumental in helping restore the club to a firm financial footing, following the (ultimately near-catastrophic) chairmanship of Robert Chase. Additionally, Delia has made a massive difference to the club's catering. The members-only "Gunn Club" (named after Bryan Gunn) is one example of the catering improvements.
Delia, frequently seen with a yellow and green scarf, has developed something of a cult status amongst football fans in the UK after a drunken half-time outburst in a Premiership game against Manchester City live in front of the Sky Sports cameras at Carrow Road. Delia was shouting "Where are you? Where are you? Let's be 'aving you!" over the public address system after the Canaries had thrown away a two-goal lead before half-time.[2] Her outburst won the support of Chelsea F.C. manager José Mourinho:
- "Sometimes, I would like to do what she did because I always feel that crowds can help the team. The lady did it because she was trying to help her team. I cannot criticise... I only take a bottle of wine for managers but why not take one for her this time?"
[edit] Publications
[edit] Cookery books
- How to Cheat at Cooking (1971)
- Recipes from Country Inns and Restaurants (1973)
- The Evening Standard Cookbook (1974)
- Frugal Food (1976)
- Delia Smith's Book of Cakes (1977)
- Delia Smith's Cookery Course (3 volumes: 1978, 1979 & 1980)
- One is Fun (1985)
- Complete Illustrated Cookery Course (1989) (ISBN 0-563-21454-6)
- Delia Smith's Christmas (1990)
- Delia Smith's Summer Collection (1993)
- Delia Smith's Winter Collection (1995)
- Delia's How to Cook—Book 1 (1998) (based on the television series)
- Delia's How to Cook—Book 2 (1999)
- Delia's How to Cook—Book 3 (2001)
- The Delia Collection (2003) (several themed volumes)
- Delia's Kitchen Garden: A Beginners' Guide to Growing and Cooking Fruit and Vegetables (2004)
- The Delia Collection - Puddings (2006)
[edit] Religious works
- A Journey into Prayer (1986)
- A Journey into God (1988)
