Happy Birthday Delia!

Last Friday, Delia Smith [OBE, CBE,CH] celebrated her 80th birthday. Nobody can deny the impact she has had on home baking in the UK over the last 50 years. Born in Surrey, she made East Anglia her home over half a century ago, and began her TV career on "Look East". She was the first TV cook to be known just by her first name [way before Jamie, Nigella and others] 

In 1973, in her first series [Family Fare] she mentioned lemon zesters, and they sold out very quickly - the same was true for cranberries, omelette pans and more. During the run of "How To Cook" there was a 10% increase in egg sales. The term "Delia Effect" entered the dictionaries at the turn of the millennium. She refused payment for featuring products, and only took on advertising campaigns after retiring from TV, as she felt viewers may cease to trust her integrity.

Delia married Michael Wynn Jones in 1971, they celebrate their Golden Wedding this year - sadly her Mum Etty passed away last year, from Covid19, just after her 100th birthday. 

Etty passed on a strong sense of social justice to her daughter, whose Christian faith is very important to her, and she has been a practising Roman Catholic for almost 60 years. Her beloved Norwich City FC is back in the Premier League again for this season.

I had loads of Delia's books on my shelves - but I had to get rid of most of them in the great library downsize

I decided that as her website is so comprehensive, I could always access her recipes online if I needed to. Ziffit bought many of the books [always a good sign] I decided I would keep just one Delia Cookbook - the one that was my Mum's. Delia Smith's Bok Of Cakes [1983] When we unpacked, I discovered another had somehow escaped the cull -Part 2 of her Complete Cookery Course. Mum and Dad bought the 3 part set for my birthday just after we married.

But I also kept two other books -

These came out in the 80s when Bob was in training, and I have used them a lot down the years. Long before my annual blog 'pauses' for Advent and Lent

When Liz was a toddler, Delia came to the local Christian bookshop to promote the Advent book. I decided to get a signed copy as a gift for my Aunt. My friend Libby left her toddler with me, and she went down to the shop to join the queue, and buy books for herself & her Christmas gifts, and one for me. I did not have enough money to buy my own copy of the book, so decided I would read Auntie Peggy's copy before I wrapped it.

Libby returned, over an hour later - and gave me the book. I opened it excitedly, and was quite confused. "Oh, I could not remember your Aunt's name, so I asked her to write 'Angela' inside" Which is why I kept the book for myself [my Mum bought a copy - unsigned -for Peggy]

Dear Delia - God has blessed me these many years, I hope he has blessed you too. Thank you for giving me the confidence to try different recipes, and for writing instructions which really work [providing they are followed to the letter!]