Product Description

Delia has long been the person we turn to for stress-free Christmas celebrations. This year, she celebrates 40 years of writing recipes and brings you "Delia's Happy Christmas" - the definitive guide to all aspects of cooking for Christmas. This cookbook will help you to plan your Christmas festivities to the very last culinary detail, acting as an invaluable Christmas organiser from reminding you to make your Christmas pudding and chutneys in November to giving you a crucial countdown for the Last 36 Hours. "Delia's Happy Christmas" will give you 150 recipes, including 100 new recipes and 50 much-loved classics, plus menu plans and shopping lists, illustrated with glorious full-colour photography. There are recipes for all your favourite traditional dishes - Delia's Classic Christmas Cake recipe has been in print for over 40 years and has never been bettered, but Delia has also created Chestnut Cupcakes recipe to satisfy modern tastes. Of course there is Delia's foolproof recipe for a Traditional Roast Turkey and all the trimmings, and The Only Traditional Christmas Pudding as well as ideas for parties, boxing-day suppers, vegetarian feasts and what to do with leftovers. Organisation is the key to success. If you follow Delia's Christmas calendar, you will be sure to create a very special Christmas. And even if you don't, there is always Delia's The Last-Minute Christmas - a chapter for those who leave things to the eleventh hour. Everyone needs Delia at Christmas.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #17 in Books
• Published on: 2009-10-15
• Released on: 2009-10-15
• Original language: English
• Binding: Hardcover
• 312 pages

Review
The year's hottest cookbook...the most brilliant Christmas book ever --You Magazine, Mail on Sunday

Whether it's turkey roulade, roast stuffed goose, Christmas pud or chocolate truffle torte, Delia has the quick and easy know-how --Heat

About the Author
Delia Smith is Britain's bestselling cookery writer, whose books have sold over 21 million to date. She began her writing career 40 years ago on the Daily Mirror and since then has presented very many cookery series on television and published numerous bestselling cookery books including Delia Smith's Cookery Course, Summer and Winter Collections, The Vegetarian Collection and Delia's How to Cook among others. After a five-year break in 2003 to concentrate on Norwich City Football Club (where she is a director) and Canary Catering, Delia returned in 2008 with a new BBC TV series and the fastest-selling cookery book of all time, How to Cheat at Cooking. Her Complete How to Cook was released in 2009 to celebrate 40 years of writing recipes and was voted the Most Useful Cookery Book of All Time. She was also awarded a CBE for her services to the food industry. Delia is married to the writer and editor, Michael Wynn Jones.They live in Suffolk.

Customer Reviews

Totally lush! And NOT a rip-off
Delia Smith's first Christmas book (published 1990) is the King of Christmas Cookbooks. Now she has brought out a new cookbook, containing some recipes from the old, and a hundred new ones too. Does this short-change her readers?

I think this book is a great acquisition. Unlike some of the other humbug-ish reviewers here, I relish the chance to try some new Delia Christmas recipes, and I think they are totally characteristic of her excellent style. (One reviewer complains many of the recipes here appeared in a WHSmith Xmas special Delia did in 2003 and 2004 but for those of us who don't have copies handy, most of what's in this book will be new.)

Plenty of things have changed in the two decades since the first book was published and the hundred new recipes in this book reflect that. For example, people eat a lot less meat. Out of eleven recipes in the vegetarian section, only three come from the 1990 book. A new watercress soup, a vegetable pie, a different cheese terrine, a macadamia and pistachio nutroast. These are just one example.

The sections with the most duplication are the classic sections like Christmas cakes and puddings and the preserves, which is sort of understandable as it is difficult to think up innovation there. But even in cakes modern life has arrived - the Dundee cake recipe has disappeared, and there are two delicious sounding recipes using Panettone, the Italian Christmas cake now widely available in supermarkets.

Lists of suppliers have been updated, as have menu suggestions now stretching to every meal from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day. There's also a lot more party food, and more choices of main course for those whose palates are too posh for turkey - including a slow braised belly pork recipe which should also please credit crunchers. And for those Scots who had been feeling a bit neglected, a new Hogmanay section gives a Scots trifle, a crab soup and a Haggis pie recipe for Hogmanay.

If I have any criticisms of this book its that in such a lush book, with high production values, there isn't a picture of every dish! Which is especially mental when it comes to puddings, which you NEED to see pictures of! No photo of the Chocolate Chestnut log so you can work out how to create the bark effect?? Come on!

But apart from that, the more time I've spent flicking through the book the more I'm surprised at the negative reactions of some Amazon readers. I will not be able to get rid of the old Christmas book as how would I manage without its recipes, the ones not reprinted here, such as Roast Ham with mustard and demerara crust, and Port Wine Jelly?? But this new book is great, really inspiring, and makes me look forward to Christmas even more than I already was.

Fantastic Delia book - Happy Christmas indeed!
Joy to the World. I was really looking forward to my new Delia Happy Christmas book and it doesnt disappoint. I have the original Christmas book too so was probably wondering at first, like others, would this be much different? Well Delia has really managed to ring the changes with this one, and it has brought us right up to date. It looks very elegant, very cool, calm and collected. This is one book to have with you before, during and probably after Christmas too, so many excellent entertaining recipes and ideas. New and old recipes, classic favourites and new twists all in one place. Lots of hints and preparation tips which will be particularly handy for the generation that Delia refers to, who havent cooked Christmas dinner before (and still a good reminder to those of us who have, many times!). I love the armchair shopping section too - if like me, you like to shop online, lots of great sites for your Christmas essentials.
Christmas just isnt Christmas without some of Delia's mums sausage rolls, hot from the oven, so do yourself a favour and make up a batch soon, grab a pad and pen and relax and plan your festivities. Cheers!

As good as ever!!!
Delia's original Christmas book is one of my most used cookery books. I use it every Christmas. Have made all the Christmas cake recipes and use the Christmas pudding recipe every year. Love the Parmesan-baked parsnips, traditional ham, ice-creams etc.Every recipe works well and deserves it's place in the book.This book is a worthy successor. It's full of exciting recipes which I can't wait to try. Have bought it in good time so I can plan ahead.
Delia's recipes WORK and are tasty and delicious.Just what we need as part of a busy life!