Eyren Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 Thanks for posting the link, Claret - I just added my comment to the article The first cookery books I owned were Delia's original "Cookery Course", bought for me by my mum when I was a student. Back in those days, she wrote good, sensible stuff, and until DH turned me onto Nigel Slater she was my reliable source for good but unpretentious cooking. However, having followed Delia so long ago, it's interesting that she's published another book on making meals out of convenience food, since that was the subject of one of her earliest bestsellers. Then, in 1976 she published "Frugal Food", which was about cooking cheap stuff (pulses, sausages and so on) from scratch in interesting ways ("Getting out of the supermarket and into the kitchen" was her new maxim). This was all before her real success with the Cookery Course books. Is her career now running in reverse?!? BTW, I have little sympathy for the "pensioners" argument - it was their generation who introduced factory farming and the expectation that chicken was a cheap meat, and now that our generation and the next are rejecting that unhappy heritage, they start bleating Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Christian Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 TBH I have very little faith in the Daily Mail anymore. After several articles were published about near misses and plane crashes etc where I work. Absolute fiction. I think she probably made some unnecessary comments and they have been blown out of proportion. If they are true, when are we having a mass burning of Delia -How to cook, books 1-3?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chelsea Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 Christian said: If they are true, when are we having a mass burning of Delia -How to cook, books 1-3?? I dont have any Delia cookbooks, but am I still welcome to come along and warm my little hands?! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 TBH I haven't read the Daily Mail since my Dad used to buy it back in the 70s - it wouldn't surprise me if they had quoted something out of context to create a story Still doesn't change the fact that Delia is basically rehashing her old books, because the younger generation (Jamie et al) have stolen her crown Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Martin B Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 I have to admit, I used to buy the Sun and Mirror every day, but now I buy the Sun and Daily Mail. The Mail is by far better quality than most papers I have ever seen/read! I mentioned on my blog about the mass burning Christian! I don't have any of her cookbooks, I mainly have Jamie Oliver, Hugh and Gordon Ramsay. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 That's because you're too young, Martin!! Delia is old hat! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 The cheek of the woman - feed the poor I would not class myself as having a lot of money, but I would rather eat less and good quality than more and bad quality. Stupid stupid woman who does she think she is to belittle the lives of chickens! Who wants to eat a plate full of additives and antibiotics anyway - I'd be very surprised if people knew exactly what was in there chemically enriched chicken or pork or beef or whatever that they would want to eat it anyway! Oh dear I have got on my Organic band-wagon again At least we all know in some small way, we by our buyers power can make small differences towards change, just such a shame Delia has undone some of the great work others (Hugh, Jamie etc...) have been doing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 (edited) The people she is so loftily talking about aren't the ones who watch cookery programmes or buy cookery books anyway. Him Indoors was chortling about her today. He read somewhere that she needs to go to Mass every day in the same way that she needs to clean her teeth. Better get off to confession then Mrs while you are at it and own up to being a con woman. It'll take more than 3 Hail Mary's to make up for what she has done. Edited February 17, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jomaxsmith Posted February 16, 2008 Share Posted February 16, 2008 I read this in the Sun and aside from the hugely confusing description of intensively farmed chicken for meat as 'battery chicken' (the headline was something like 'Delia says we should all eat battery chicken' which gave all sorts of horrible mental images!) I think Delia's main point seemed to be that it is too simplistic to try to make everyone buy more expensive meat. She also went off on a different tangent and said that if everyone switched to local and/or organic food it would make third world poverty worse. I think she probably said something fairly innocuous and the news agencies have made it more newsworthy by making it an old chefs vs new trendy chefs argument. Jo Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 jomaxsmith said: I think Delia's main point seemed to be that it is too simplistic to try to make everyone buy more expensive meat. She also went off on a different tangent and said that if everyone switched to local and/or organic food it would make third world poverty worse. Unfortunately it's also simplistic to say that we should go on buying Kenyan green beans in order to support the growers. Third World countries are still too reliant on luxury cash crops whilst their own people have barely enough to eat - something we all hoped would end with the cancelling of Third World debts. When I was newly graduated and earning a pittance in my first job, I became vegetarian for a while simply because I couldn't afford meat and good-quality fresh fruit and veg, and I didn't want to give up the latter. If you're on a budget, you have to set priorities - but nowadays people are encouraged to think that if it's in the shops, they "deserve" to have it. Basically we've forgotten how to be poor... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 At least it's raised the profile of chickens generally - again . Let's hope there's a backlash against what she said (if it's true) and, as a result, a few more people end up more informed. I wonder how long it will be before everybody actually understands what "battery hen" actually means? It seems that even newspaper editors haven't a clue . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Maybe this another of her 'lets be 'avin you' moments Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Egluntyne Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 The acres and acres of Kenyan land which are used to grow green beans are taken from rural people who were previously self sufficient. Poor, but self sufficient. They are now slightly less cash poor, but dependent. I fail to see that as a positive thing. I feel that the plight of the British independent shop keeper and farmer is of equal importance. Different I admit...but of no less concern. The Delia effect has kicked in already. The sales of M&S tinned lamb has gone up by over 30% since some recipes were published last week in the Weekend mag....so presumably Daily Mail readers alone are responsible for that! Also Aunt Bessies Mash is flying off the shelves. The manufacturers are gearing up for the demand. Let's hope at least that the use British spuds. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eyren Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Egluntine said: The acres and acres of Kenyan land which are used to grow green beans are taken from rural people who were previously self sufficient. Poor, but self sufficient. They are now slightly less cash poor, but dependent. I fail to see that as a positive thing. I feel that the plight of the British independent shop keeper and farmer is of equal importance. Different I admit...but of no less concern. Well put! Surely the best thing all round (i.e. what's most practical for the average consumer) is to buy local produce in season (to help support British farmers) and give any money you save to a good charity that helps Third World people to become more self-sufficient... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cinnamon Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 (edited) Egluntine said: Also Aunt Bessies Mash is flying off the shelves. The manufacturers are gearing up for the demand. I bought that & used it on my Shepherds Pie (Proper meat base,not tinned) & it was fantastic I have no qualms about a little cheating when cooking, but I do object to her comments about hens. Edited February 17, 2008 by Guest Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dogs and chickens Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 I must be soooo behind the times! I did not even know they sold tinned lamb - it's sounds awful! Who buys this stuff! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Eyren said: BTW, I have little sympathy for the "pensioners" argument - it was their generation who introduced factory farming and the expectation that chicken was a cheap meat, and now that our generation and the next are rejecting that unhappy heritage, they start bleating You have to remember that the 'pensioners' of today, me included, lived through the rationing situation after the WW2. Chicken was a luxury food item throughout my childhood, we had it maybe twice a year When chicken and other food products became easier to get and cheaper, "Ooops, word censored!"ody questioned how this was possible, we were just glad to get nice food again. We were in fact ignorant. It is not true that your generation and the next are the ones who are questioning how food is produced. Me and my 'pensioner' friends were campaigning back in the late 60's about the horrors of intensive farming, but food issues were not fashionable back then and we were dismissed as 'brown rice eating, sandal wearing, hippies' The whole 'green' movement has been around for a very long time, it is just that it has only become fashionable since people realised that we have, through our selfish, ignorant ways actually managed to start to destroy our beautiful planet The politicians all added green issues to their agenda, celebrities jumped on the bandwagon and, trust me I'm glad they did, but I do tend to say under my breath "haven't I been banging on about this for 40 years, thank goodness 'they' are at last taking notice" albeit too late for a lot of species Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 I didnt know you could buy ready mashed potato! This cheap chicken thing is rubbish. I havent eaten chicken for must be over 6 months now as we can't afford to buy the decent quality stuff. I doubt we'll be eating it again until we can provide our own. RC thread is quite interesting http://forum.rivercottage.net/viewtopic.php?t=29024&start=0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 bronze said: RC thread is quite interesting http://forum.rivercottage.net/viewtopic.php?t=29024&start=0 Very interesting. Also interesting is how the topics on the FC forum regularly disintegrate into rudeness and nasty arguments Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Olly Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 *nips over to RC Forum to have a look.* crikey - all the poor woman did was say 'Peace, love and vegetables! It does get a bit heated over there, doesn't it! I'm sticking to this side of the playground with the nice girls and boys. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Well said Tessa . * trots off to check out RC forum for some nastiness * Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
susanbb Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Olly said: *nips over to RC Forum to have a look.* crikey - all the poor woman did was say 'Peace, love and vegetables! It does get a bit heated over there, doesn't it! I'm sticking to this side of the playground with the nice girls and boys. I just nipped over and sprinted VERY quickly back .Like you, I'll be staying in this playground where people are polite and show respect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bronze Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 Sorry I showed the link not to point out RCs problems becaue I tend to see past them and look at the interesting point sof the posts. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ain't Nobody Here Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 You're quite right . (* trots off to look at the interesting points of the posts * ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tessa the Duchess Posted February 17, 2008 Share Posted February 17, 2008 bronze said: Sorry I showed the link not to point out RCs problems becaue I tend to see past them and look at the interesting point sof the posts. Sorry Bron The posters on RC seem divided between people having pretty much the same views as we do here and people who think she has a point re: third world problems etc., A small minority take the 'its a free country everybody entitled to their views'. I think the point about 'organic' being less important than kindly reared, good quality is a very good one. As somebody pointed out HFW doesn't necessarily say that organic is best. Tessa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
