Because we are dedicated to honest customer opinions Delia's How to Cheat at Cooking (Delia Smith) (Hardcover), we have also included Amazon's customer reviews for this item (of which 5 are displayed below). Amazon customers have given Delia's How to Cheat at Cooking (Delia Smith) an average rating of 3.0/5.
Top Amazon Review
Great recipes - this is a excellent resource. I got this for Christmas and love it. I have tried the Lemon Meringue Pie and the Quiche Lorraine - both were excellent. I served the pie to friends of mine and my husband and they all loved it. I am American and this a dessert served often in the South - Delia's recipe really is excellent. The Quiche Lorraine I served to my in-laws - who loved it as well. It was so easy to make and was like something served in a good restaurant (as was the pie). I have chosen four recipes to do this weekend - ordering from Waitrose online (which doesn't stock everything Delia recommends, but has quite a lot of them). Not only are the recipes interesting and easy, it is nice to have had someone as picky (presumably) as Delia test out all the products she recommends. I would have been too nervous/busy to buy all of the things she did - like tinned lamb mince, Dress Italian sauces, Thai Taste products and Aunt Bessie's potatos. For me, that is a big plus of the book. I'm a busy mom who likes to cook well for my family, but find it hard to cook like I want to all the time. I think this book is great for women like me. Well done, Delia, and thank you!
Customer Review 1
Delia makes it easy for me to cook (well it feels like cooking to a non-cook). I love this book. I wouldn't consider myself a good cook, and I need to follow recipes when I make anything new. I'm the kind of person who has bought lots of cook books in the hope of using them but never actually do. But this book is different - I actually use it and often. Delia's 'How to Cheat' has made it easy for me to make dishes which make me feel like I am really cooking. The recipes are tasty and generally simple (if I can make them anyone can). The only downside for me is that I sometimes struggle to find and buy the "cheat" ingredient. But I forgive Delia as the Goulash is fantastic (but I think my friends and family are getting bored of me making it so frequently).
Customer Review 2
Uninspiring. After reading the very mixed reviews on this page I was eager to see what all the fuss was about with this book. I am not overly concerned about the whole argument on whether or not it is right or wrong to cheat at cooking - although I might add that I am surprised at the anger from those who sit firmly in the latter camp (if you feel so strongly about it, why on earth would you buy a book entitled 'how to cheat at cooking' in the first place?) Personally, I bought the book on the basis that it might provide me with some after-work ideas for a quick meal. Flicking through the book, I have only really come across a couple of recipes that appealed to me and most of them contained so many specific ingredients that I felt it was not worth the bother. The ones with a shorter list of ingredients seemed to be so pointless as I felt it easier and cheaper to just buy the dish in a ready made version! Sorry, Delia, I know you are trying to move with the times, and I for one appreciate that, but I couldn't get on with this book, it's definitely not one of your best or one of my favourites.
Customer Review 3
Cheese, cheese and more cheese!. Far too many of the recipes in this book contain cheese - which I hate. Looking through the book I only like the look of two recipes and one of them is a cake!
Also, I wish it would give alternatives e.g so I could substitute my mashed potatoes for the frozen ones listed.
Book was bought as a gift and is now on the shelf at the local charity shop.
Customer Review 4
WHen "young Delia" was the cooking edge. The original "How to Cheat at cooking " has had an honoured place in our kitchen for 30 years. It was full of great corner cuts based on readily available products and the cheat s worked, like all Delia stuff - This original book didn't depend on which supermarket you used- no corporate recommendations here - just great ways to produce good dishes and sauces with less effort and relatively wholesome ingredients - the new book is different , fun sure, but sooo corporate, - seek out the old one(even as a collectable item it will still be cheaper) and rekindle your faith as well as getting quick dishes people admire on the table
