Book Review: Delia's Vegetarian Collection

Delia's Vegetarian Collection
Delia Smith

Published by BBC (2002)
264 pages

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It was Delia Smith who inspired me to start cooking - as I suspect she did for many other people in the UK. I have followed all her TV courses over the years, and have bought many of her books. I wouldn't go as far as to say that she taught me everything I know about cooking, but she certainly gave me a good start.

This latest volume is a very welcome addition to the Delia Smith canon. It contains over 250 superb recipes, all carefully explained with foolproof step-by-step instructions. Delia certainly has a knack for making difficult techniques easy, and it's not surprising that so many people find her recipes simple to follow. This book is not specifically aimed at beginners, but novice cooks should have no difficulty in preparing most of the dishes described.

My only disappointment is that many of the recipes are ones that I already own from Delia's earlier collections. Still, it's useful to have all the veggie recipes in one place, and there are enough new ones here to justify the purchase.

Be warned that, while all the recipes are indeed vegetarian, they are not all aimed at those wanting a low-fat diet, and only a few are vegan. Delia's first aim is to help you create delicious dishes without undue effort. If that means using lots of eggs, cheese and cream, she does not hesitate to do so. Two examples are the three-cheese soufflé and the cream-laden chocolate blancmange with cappuccino sauce. By the way, both of these are absolutely delicious - you can take my word for that.

Whether you are a committed vegetarian yourself or are looking for ideas for what to cook for veggie guests, this book would make an excellent addition to your bookshelf.

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