There has been a frisson of excitement zinging about the Ebury offices about Delia’s Happy Christmas ever since it was first announced. Most people have a dog eared and brandy smudged copy of Delia’s original Christmas book and have fond memories of perfectly cooked turkeys a la Delia and 1995’s cranberry shortage but when we heard that Delia was to rework most of the recipes and adding 100 brand new ones we were beside ourselves.

When the finished book finally arrived a few weeks ago a brief halt was called to work in the publicity and marketing departments whist we cooed and ahhhed over its lovely white and red cover and stunning photography. We publish a lot of cookbooks at Ebury and there is no end of inspiration for home cooking but of all the books that have come in recently I could not wait to cook from this one. Christmas or no there are so many recipes that you can use year round in this book.

I had a dinner party late last week and when I trawled through all the cook books at home I still couldn’t get past wanting to cook something from this book. Maybe it was something about the nights drawing in but I felt the need for decent winter comfort food and this book is chock full of it.

There was a pescatarian amongst the party so I turned to the seafood section and fell upon the Hot-Smoked Salmon Pie. Since Gruyere and Parmesan were required for the pie I decided to use the rest of the cheese to make Gruyere and Parmesan Allumettes as an alternative to the usual bowl of Kettle chips I shove in bowls whilst I get the first course ready. Delia suggests storing the allumettes in an airtight tin but there was no chance of that! I pulled them out of the oven when my guests arrived and we ate them (all!) warm. The pie was simple to cook and looked stunning when presented (for presented read dumped on a skillet in the middle of the table!). Everyone dived on the pie and it was gone in 20 seconds flat. The wife of the afore mentioned pescatarian said that she gets given a lot of fish pie because of her husband and ‘there are fish pies and fish pies’ but she loved this one and even wanted the recipe. A resounding success.

Although this book is, without a doubt, a book for Christmas, and my family will be having Roast Stuffed Goose with Apples and Prunes in Armagnac this year, I defy you to get your hands on a copy of this book and not want to cook from it right away!

Louise - Marketing Executive