07.01.02
Delia
to Teach the French How to Cook
Best-selling
cookery author, Delia Smith, is about to be published in France for
the first time. Hachette Pratique, one of the biggest publishers of
cookery books in France, is to publish a selection of recipes from
Books One and Two of Delia's best-selling cookery course How to Cook.
The
How to Cook course was devised by Delia to teach people all the
basic techniques and skills needed to cook successfully in the 21st
century, as well as provide, in total, over 350 new recipes for
her many fans. Books One (1998) and Two (1999) have so far sold
over 2.7 million copies between them. The third and final volume,
Book Three, was published in the UK on 3 December 2001 and has already
sold over 300,000 copies. The accompanying 大象传媒 TV series starts
on Tuesday (8 Jan, 大象传媒 TWO).
The
French book will be called:
La
cuisine facile d'aujourd'hui, par Delia
150 recettes indispensables pour apprendre 脿 cuisiner*
* Easy
cooking for today by Delia - 150 indispensable recipes for learning
how to cook
Recipes
selected for the book include Petites tourtes au boeuf, aux rognons
et aux champignons (individual steak, mushroom and kidney pies);
R枚sti "bubble and squeak" (bubble and squeak rosti);
Trifle 脿 la banane, sauce Mad猫re (butterscotch and
banana trifle with Madeira); crumble aux pommes et aux amandes (apple
and almond crumble); souffl茅s chauds au lemon curd (hot lemon
curd souffles); scones au lait ribot et p芒te de framboise
(buttermilk scones with raspberry butter); and pommes de terre facon
Welsh Rarebit (Welsh Rarebit jacket potatoes).
As
in the UK, Hachette have elected to drop Delia's surname and introduce
her to the French just as "Delia" from the word go. Editor
Brigitte Eveno said:
"What
I like about Delia, and what makes her book different from French
cookery books, is that she takes the reader by the hand and helps
him or her all the way, step by step. Delia is also different from
French culinary authors in that her recipes are not traditional
"bourgeois " dishes, but rather a mix of influences from
all over the world, like contemporary British cuisine itself."
Chris
Weller, Director of Book Publishing at 大象传媒 Worldwide (Delia's UK
publisher), said:
"Editions
of How to Cook have also been published in Holland, Singapore, South
Africa, Australia and the USA and are selling well. We are delighted
that Hachette will now be introducing Delia to the French public
who will doubtless find her helpful style and delicious recipes
as appealing as do her millions of UK fans."
"La
cuisine facile d'aujourd'hui, par Delia" will be published
in spring 2002.
Editor's
Notes
Background to How to Cook: In 1998 the UK's favourite cookery writer
perceived that the country was in a state of culinary crisis. Though
supermarket shelves abounded with sophisticated products from all
over the world and Chicken Tikka Masala was voted our favourite
dish, many people had no idea how to boil an egg. Cookery was no
longer on the school curriculum and was being taught less at home
too. A survey showed that 18-25 year olds considered re-heating
a ready-made meal to be an achievement in itself.
Renowned
as a great teacher and communicator, as well as a brilliant cook,
Delia rolled up her sleeves and began a labour of love that has
taken her four years to complete. In October 1998 her cookery course
book and series How to Cook was launched with the aim of helping
uncertain cooks acquire all the essential basic culinary skills,
and to provide confident cooks with a treasure-trove of new Delia
fail-safe recipes.
Despite
initial scepticism in some quarters, Delia's instincts were proved
right. How to Cook: Books One and Two have now sold over 2.7 million
copies between them. Up to five million people watched the accompanying
two series on 大象传媒 TWO each week. And Delia has received hundreds
of letters from grateful "students".
Book
Three (the third and final volume published on 3 December 2002 by
大象传媒 Worldwide, price 拢18.99) has sold over 300,000 copies
in four weeks. The accompanying 8-part TV series starts on Tuesday
8 January, 8.30pm 大象传媒 TWO.
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