Monday 4 January 2010

Delia and David

The leader of the British Tory party, David Cameron, who will most likely be Britain's next premier, wants to have all-women short lists for the next elections. The party faithful are not on board with this it seems. Women, can be SUCH an embarrassment.
Recently, they tried to de-select a candidate because she had had an extra-marital affair. I know! I did too! Thought that was a pre-requisite for being a Tory MP that is.

Now positive discrimination along the lines that Cameron wants, is a hot potato, even amongst feminists, but in this case, I'd have to go with Cameron. The Daily Mirror, have produced a calendar of Tory racist, sexist, homophobic and generally shocking-taste indiscretions of 2009, and guess what? Apart from the one where a Tory MP resigns after suffering sexual discrimination for three years, they're ALL committed by Tory men! Oh, I suppose if you think about it, in all likelihood, that one was committed by men too.

Now another British icon is Delia Smith. I've never seen her on TV here, so she may not be well known this side of the pond. And to be fair, watching her on TV is like watching paint dry. As TV chefs go, she lacks charisma, even if you are not a fan of the charms of Jamie and Nigella. But in terms of cooking, hers are the recipes everyone turns to.
Delia's Christmas Book is the Christmas Bible it seems, and I admit, that on the rare occasions that I want to cook something, I look up Delia online, as in fact I did last weekend, and discovered that I was making something from...her Christmas Book.
And whilst I am always singing the praises of reading electronically, the fact is, if you are a slow, clumsy cook like me, you bloody well need a book, the laptop keeps going to screensaver whilst you fiddle-faddle about.

Then there is the 'NotDelia' website, another useful site for finding out tips like - how to make self raising flour if the country you live in doesn't sell it.

Oh, and Delia owns or part owns or something, Norwich football team - hence the footie scarf. I dunno, I just thought such sartorial...quirkiness, needed explaining.

4 comments:

karemay said...

We have done Christmas, Delia style for the past 20 years! Steve loves cooking at Christmas but would be lost without her book! I do like the informality of Jamie and Nigella, but somehow deviate back to Ms Smith for most things.

Schneewittchen said...

I saw her book in everyone's house this year (not that I went to that many, but where I did go, there was Delia, and I know Amanda uses her recipes too.)
She's like the modern Mrs. Beeton.

I like the shows where you watch someone like Jamie show you how to make something, and it makes you think you could do it yourself.
The cooking shows I really hate are the competitive ones, where sweaty people are rushing around to produce something that is no use to woman nor beast, at least in terms of learning how to cook something.

Urban Cynic said...

Hi there,I read your comment on Grey Area & thought it was so funny I'd check out your blog.

I have a French friend who described Delia as having a 'tete a claque' - I think you may agree!

Like your name too!

Schneewittchen said...

Welcome Urban Cynic!
Oh, poor Delia!
There is a very funny website called 'Têtes à claques'.