The Delia Collection, Chocolate (Delia Collection)

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Delia Smith

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Pages: 144 (Hardcover)

ISBN: 0563487321

Pub: BBC Books

Pub date: 2003-10-02

Amazon.co.uk Sales Rank: 32191

Editorial Review:

Few would argue that chocolate is the indulgence of choice for most of us and that the irresistible cocoa-based product is something that we're happy to enjoy in all kinds of recipes. So who better than Delia Smith to guide us down some interesting byways? Chocolate is one of the most attractive volumes in the four-volume set The Delia Collection and it's difficult to imagine a better collection of recipes than those offered here.
No space is wasted on lengthy introductions telling us how wonderful chocolate is (and who needs reminding of such a truism?); Delia plunges us right into the choccie fray with a very serviceable recipe for Chocolate Fudge Cake, with wholemeal flour used to give an extra special moistness to the cake. Typically, the recipe gives us just the bald, unvarnished facts--Delia's speciality as a chef. Similarly, even more indulgent recipes perform a canny balancing act--describing the most outrageous of recipes in simple, unaffected prose. How about Squidgy Chocolate Cakes with Prunes in Marsala? This most seductive of treats is surprisingly made without flour. Very little in this volume will do much for your waistline, but don't we all deserve a little indulgence? These are not recipes for every day, after all.

In fact, one of the few criticisms Delia has received over the years is her lack of attention to calories, but weightwatching is not what one goes to her recipes for. Chocolate (with its totally delectable recipes) is as dangerous to the figure as it is mouth-watering. But this is a book that belongs on most cookery shelves. --Barry Forshaw

Reader Reviews:

Brilliant! (2/2 people found this helpful)

I love this book - everything I have made from it has come out as it should have! The ingredients aren't too exotic, and there's a good variety of recipes. There is a good mixture of simple and fancy things to make.
The only difficulty I had was that quite a few of the recipes contained nuts (I live with someone with an allergy) but in a lot of cases the nuts weren't a crucial part of the recipe anyway.
I love this series of books, and this is my favourite so far!

A gentle introduction to cooking! (29/33 people found this helpful)

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.

Lovely recipes!! (12/16 people found this helpful)

There are some incredibly stylish and delicious recipes in here. My only wish was that Delia could have packed in a few simpler recipes. But all-in-all, an excellent selection of soup recipes to choose from!

Excellent (19/36 people found this helpful)

I've always wanted a book like this. I never cook fish or other meats, so to have Delias chicken recipes in one book is just fantasic. The photography is excellent. It is hardbound so won't be damaged in the kitchen. It usually cheap on Amazon. What more do you want?

I have heard that some receipes are in Delias older books. That is probably true. Lets face it, they're somewehere in the 500 page 4 inch thick book with no pictures and boring text that you've had for ten years. Treat yourself as this is an excellent addition to the bookshelf at a great price!

Good ... yet not so good (72/77 people found this helpful)

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.

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