Is Delia past her sell by date?

I had a Marguerite Patten book when I first started cooking for myself and my sister and her then fiancé sent me a copy of Mrs Beeton in 1969 when I got engaged. I still have it. Forty-odd years on, some of her domestic advice seems positively Victorian, partly because the assumption then was that the majority of women were full-time housewives.

I've got the Marguerite Patten 500 Recipes. Still use it for chutney recipes.

My good old standby is my Mrs Beetons given to me by my mum and dad-in-law for Xmas 1970. I learnt a lot from that book. A rubber band keeps it together now.

Yes! Then I like to cook, but I don't want to eat it so I give it away!
I haven't tried baking for years, if ever!
I enjoy cooking, but don't like eating?
As I'm over 13 1/2 stone. I must be eating enough, but I don't like doing it!
I like lots of little tastes, as I tapas or mezze s . That's my idea of culinary heaven.

I still have Marguerite Patten's 500 recipes - very tatty now and Margaret Powell's cookery book which came out in 1972. I won it in a raffle and used it over and over again.

Galen - you're always cooking! (Or so you keep telling us )

Correction!
I own!
How on earth did I pad manage to mangle that?

My first recipe book, inherited from my mother was Elizabeth Craig! I still use it for basic recipes in preference to the other (probably a hundred ) books I On my way!
I have to admit to an addiction to recipe books, in spite of the fact I rarely cook!

The first time ever that I cooked a meal unaided, I used a MP recipe and followed it to the letter. My mother's kitchen quickly resembled a bomb site whilst I peeled and chopped away. It was a pork dish - and I was making it for a boyfriend I was very keen to impress. When he arrived he sniffed the air appreciatively and said, mm, whats cooking? Pork chops said I. Ugh! said he, I never eat pork.
I do so wish I'd kept those recipe books - they were paperbacks - does anyone still have one?

See what I mean?

Very good cookery book!

Marguerite Patten had an elaborate signature which was splattered across the front of her books. For years I thought Parquerite was a funny first name to have.

But are young, yummy mums anymore excited by Pippa Middleton than we are? She isnt in a partnership, does not have children and is one of lifes non-achievers so far. In recent months she has been in the papers more for the failure of her book than anything else.

Marguerite Patten is the best - all time.

Specki4eyes I doubt whether we are Waitrose's target readers. I think they are after the younger yummy-mummys.

Me too specki - I have had my marguerite patten book since 1976 ! still use it all the time - made the pineapple upside down cake this weekend !

Sadly my mum was a hopeless cook, so not much chance to have learnt anything from her ( except a hatred of butter beans )

My Mum, Marguerite Patten and Delia Smith taught me to cook and after 47 years of cooking for family and friends, I'm not going to start taking advice from a pipsqueak like Pippa Middleton!
Do check out The Barefoot Contessa cooking programmes though - inspirational when you feel jaded!

Yes, but what other attribute does she have?

We can. #whynot

Why can't we drop her?

about not ablut

Why can't we drop the thing ablut her bum? #notherfault #oldhat

I've been away so this Pippa Middleton story is news to me. To be honest celebrity endorsements have no effect on me. I always felt that Delia and Heston came between Waitrose and their customers and products. Celebrity endorsements always smack of a company trying to pull a fast one on its customers.

However at least Heston and Delia are cooks and food is their business. They are also people who have worked and developed their knowledge and careers and have earned the renown and success they have had.

But Pippa Middleton, who is she? Just a privileged woman with a good education and a university degree who has done nothing of any note since she graduated. Her only claim to fame is that her sister has married into the royal family and while her parents and brother have continued to lead the private lives they have always lived she has been splashed across the papers for the shape of her butt and a series of eurotrash boyfriends. Now she is probably a very pleasant person, but is a woman with no career or obvious other attributes other than the shape of her bum. Is that really a good match for Waitrose.

Archie Andrews??No that's Gove lookalike.

Delia's ordinary website has pictorial step by step guides for some of her simple recipes like Victoria Sandwich Cake and scones. I used to load them onto the Smartboard to help the slower children during practical lessons. With mixed ability classes of 28 or so it gave me time to supervise everyone as we only had one hour to complete everything including clearing away and washing up.

Good old Delia!

Saw Delia on the One Show last night. It reminded me - no personality what so flipping ever!!!

Mea culpa!

Actually, ariadne, DD's school seem to be fitting all that in nae bother! As did my old grammar school, except for the sex education.

That said, I probably learned more about citizenship at home, but the general atmosphere at school promoted a good citizen attitude.

Sorry, Delia fans, for invading your thread! As you were.