Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #10604 in Books
• Published on: 2003-10-02
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 144 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Soup, part of Delia Smith's four-volume The Delia Collection is, in some ways, the most interesting volume in the series. The image of soup has undergone something of a transformation in recent years. This most unglamorous of foods has become a chic accoutrement of many a dinner party, and the possibilities of soup are now seen as many and varied.

As in other volumes in the series, Delia divides her recipes seasonally and the variety of soups available here is surprisingly wide. In spring, Delia presents such basics as Carrot and Coriander Soup (although her recipe may hold some surprises, even if you count this soup in your repertoire), alongside more ambitious recipes such as Shiitake Broth with Sesame Toast (this is a light soup that is not too calorie-heavy, made with Japanese miso stock and dried shiitake mushrooms). Summer sports some unusual and tempting recipes such as Chilled Almond Soup (called Ajo Blanco here) for which Delia dispenses with what might be seen as almost cursory instructions. But this is the secret of the four books in The Delia Collection: not a word is wasted, and adjectives are kept to an absolute minimum: after all, we know we can rely on Delia to pick only the most interesting recipes. For autumn, there's a piquant Wild Mushroom and Walnut Soup, perfect for the colder weather, while winter has such delights as Slow-cooked Root Vegetable Soup and The London Particular (which is, in fact, yellow split pea soup). Whether you buy individual volumes of The Delia Collection or all four books (much the best course of action!), your kitchen library will be enriched. --Barry Forshaw

Synopsis
Part of a collection of recipes from Delia Smith, this volume presents 50 of Delia's best soup recipes. Seasoned fans of Delia will be delighted with the originality of the recipes whilst newcomers will appreciate her friendly and approachable style of writing.

About the Author
Delia Smith is Britain's bestselling cookery writer, whose books have sold over 21 million copies worldwide. Delia's first job as a cookery writer was for the Daily Mirror in 1969 - numerous phenomenal best sellers and television series followed including Delia Smith's Complete Cookery Course in 1978 and Delia's Christmas, Summer & Winter Collections in the 1990s. Towards the end of the decade Delia commenced work on a new major project - Delia's How to Cook, publishing three separate volumes and the accompanying tv series. The Vegetarian Collection and The Delia Collection followed. After a five year break concentrating on Norwich City Football Club (where she is a director) and Canary Catering, Delia returned triumphant in 2008 with a new BBC TV series and the fastest selling cookery book of all time 'Delia's How to Cheat at Cooking' - which has sold over 800,000 copies to date. Delia is married to the writer and editor, Michael Wynn Jones. They live in Suffolk.

Customer Reviews

Good ... yet not so good
I own ALL of Delia Smith's books along with 223 other cookery books by various experts all over the world. What I like most about Delia is her "no nonsence" approach to food, although she can be a little "mumsy' at times. But then, that is part of her appeal.

This book and all the others in its series (Soup, Fish, Chicken) have been very difficult to review because they can be simply fabulous or down right rip-offs.

The recipes themselves are typical of Delia - straightforward and designed to work - and as such these books are indispensible for those who do not own any of her other books. On that basis alone I would have given this book (and its siblings) a 5-star rating.

BUT, for those wanting to buy this book, I would warn that there are no great culinary revelations here. These are recipes published by Delia in her previous collections - Summer, Winter, Christmas etc - just a rehash of old hits. If you buy this book and others in this series, you might just be tempted to ask for your money back- but not before giving a 1-star rating!

However, if like me, you have several bookshelves groaning under the weight of countless cookery books, Delia offers a wonderful filing system for her recipes. Personally, I find this to be a time saver when faced with organising dinner for 8 at short notice. No more flipping through pages looking for Delia's Chocolate Mouse or Delia's Mini Chocolate Muffins or Delia's Chocolate Truffles etc etc

For those thinking about buying this book, I suggest that you first ask yourself if you have so many Delia books that you now need more books of neatly organised Delia delights.

For an average person, this book and the others in the series get an average 3-star rating.

A gentle introduction to cooking!
At 30 years old I thought I ought to start cooking some proper food instead of heating up ready meals!
So finding Delia's beautiful collection of books has been a godsend.
I started with the 'Soup' and 'Fish' ones and so far have been making a fresh soup every week.
The instructions are easy to follow and the ingredients are easy to find in your local supermarket. The lovely pictures help to show you what your creation is supposed to look like too!
Delia has given me the confidence to move onto more complex recipes and I am planning to do some baking this spring....!
Good luck. Hope you find the book as inspiring as I have.

Excellent
If like me you only know how to roast a chicken and to chuck a chicken breast in with a jar of sauce then this is for you.

Some excellent and easy to make recipes that really surprised me in their simplicity and their taste.

I love Delia and this is one of a suite of new books that enforce her reputation as the queen of the kitchen.

Highly recommended!!!