Delicious UK – (10)October 2019

50 YE ARS

OF CHANGING

THE WAY THE

NATION COOKS

1969

Delia

became

cookery

writer of

The Daily

Mirror’s

new glossy

magazine

1969

Baked

the cake

for the

cover of

the Rolling

Stones

album Let

It Bleed

1971

Released her

first cookbook,

How to Cheat

at Cooking,

which is full

of timesaving

ideas and

shortcuts

1973

Made her

TV debut,

presenting

Family

Fayre for

the BBC.

It aired

until 1975

T

his50-yearstoryhastobeginwithbeing

broughtupongoodfoodandtheverybest

ofhomecooking.Mymotherandbothmy

grandmothersweregoodcooks,andtherewere

alwayscakesandtartsintinswhenwecame

homefromschool.I wasabletowatchpastry

beingmade,andwasallowedtoturnthehandle

oftheminceratchutney-makingtime.I even

watchedmygreat-grandmothermakebread,

whensheusedtoimprint‘D’onbapsjustforme.

Whatwouldhappeninthefuturewasa gradual

sequenceofevents.Firststopwasattheageof

about 22 whenI startedgoingouttorestaurants.

OneFrenchrestaurant,servinga differentregional

menueachweek,fascinatedme– particularly

becauseatthetimeFrenchcookingdominated

thefoodscene.

It wassmall,quiteintimate,andthechef,Leo

Evans,alwaysservedthemaincoursehimself.What

I rememberwasjustwantingtolearnhowtocook

someofthedishes.I wasalwaysaskinghimhowto

docertainthings,andoneeveninghesuggestedthat

if I reallywantedtolearnaboutFrenchcooking

I couldcomeandspendaneveningwashingupand

actuallyseeit allhappening.Wellthatwasit,really.

Inthemidstofmountainsofdirtydishes,I was

captivatedandfascinated.

Beingprettymucha failureatschoolwithno

signofa career,suddenlyI seemedtohavefound

WHATDELIA
MEANSTO...
JAMIE
OLIVER
“Deliawill
alwaysbe
the queenof
cookingtome.
She’salways
innovative.
I havea
pictureofher
on mykitchen
wallandgive
hera littlekiss
anda nod
everyday”

“I’d failed my 11-plus and had no

O levels, but I had the chance to

reach people – 5 million of them”

somethingthatreallyintriguedme– andI became

hungrytolearnmore.Moreeveningsandpilesof

washingupfollowed,alongsidea damplittlenotebook.

EventuallyI graduatedfromwashinguptoassisting

thechefandlearninglotsofpreciousskills– such

ashowtomakemayonnaisewhilesomeonein

therestaurantwaswaitingforit!Thechefwas

a hardtaskmaster,butI reallybenefitedfrombeing

taughttocookwhileit wasgoingonallaroundme.

A HUNGERFORHISTORY

Learningtocookwasamazing,butsomethingelse

wasbeginningtoevolve.I begantodoa coupleof

nightseachweekasa waitressfront-of-house,

whichwasequallycompellingasI wasabletolearn

aboutandservegreatwinesandcheesesfromthe

variousregionsofFrance.Butsometimespeople

struggledwithmenusandwereunsureofhowto

tacklesomethinglikea globeartichokevinaigrette

orpronouncethenamesofcertainFrenchdishes.

Extraordinaryasit maysound,inEnglandatthat

time,spaghettiwassomethingthatcameintinsand

oliveoilfromthemedicinalcounterinthechemist.

Peoplewereunawareoftheexplosionofworld

cuisinewaitingjustoverthehorizon.SomehowI felt

a kindofempathyandthatpeopleneededtobe

taughtwhatI wasbeingtaught.Apartfrommostly

Frenchcookerybooks,if anyonewashungrytolearn

therewereonlytwosources:thenewlylaunched DELIA WEARS (OPENING SPREAD) SWEA

TER BY EILEEN FISHER,

EARRINGS BY VAN PETERSON

DELIA’S STORY – IN HER OWN WORDS