Delia Smith's Summer Collection

by Delia Smith, Peter Knab (Photographer)

This illustrated book contains imaginative ideas for light lunches, barbecues, buffets and summer teas, putting a new slant on traditional favourites with exciting flavours from South-East Asia, Italy and California.

Genres: Cookbooks, Cooking, Nonfiction, Food, Reference, British Literature, Food and Drink

224 pages, Hardcover

First published October 4, 1993

About the author

Delia Smith CBE is an English cook and television presenter, known for teaching basic cookery skills in a no-nonsense style. She is the UK's best-selling cookery author, with more than 21 million copies sold.

Smith is also famous for her role as joint majority shareholder at Norwich City F.C. Her partner in the shareholding is her husband, Michael Wynn-Jones. Her role at the club has attracted varying media attention, from positive when she "saved" the club from bankruptcy, to negative, when making a controversial on-pitch announcement in 2005.

Already an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE), Smith was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2009 Birthday Honours, "in recognition of ... [her] contribution to television cookery and recipe writing".

Reviews

[Meep · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some nice recipes in this one, have a few marked to try.

Best to ignore Delia's commentaries though, for a household name she comes across pompous and unpleasant - especially if you're uncivilised enough to be one of the sub-species of Vegetarian.
The book is from 1993 and societies attitudes have thankfully changed a lot, I bet she's hating the current enthusiasm for Vegan food though.

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

You too can get coronary heart disease by eating Delia's suggestions....

Deffinitely not for the faint-hearted or those on a low cholestoral diet.

As much as I like Delia... she isn't very "pc" these days.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recipe book of the month for April 2024. I have mixed feelings about this book because I have a nostalgia for some of the recipes which me and my mother used to make a lot in the late 90s and early noughties, such as the Caesar salad (Mum made this regularly in the summer, as a starter, and it was always absolutely delicious!) and chicken basque (both of us made it fairly regularly. I have had a request to make it again at home too.) However, going through the book carefully I realise that it is quite dated. It’s French brasserie style food, popular at the time of publication.

Recipes named: ‘Pesto sauce’ and ‘focaccia bread’ make me realise how much further on we’ve gone in our food knowledge in this country!

Chicken with sherry vinegar and tarragon sauce: too much sherry! But I have to say with some additions of the holy trinity and some chestnuts it made an absolutely excellent pie filling for the following couple of days’ dinner! (Mr made the recipe and converted it to pie.)

Balsamic vinegar dressing: far too little vinegar to make an impact, or give any taste. Were people in the 90s scared of balsamic?!


I plan to make the Caesar salad in the summer and the blue cheese dressing. I’ll never get rid of this book because it has such a nostalgic feel for me. I’m sure there are other recipes here that I may want to try in the future too.

30/4/24

[Karen Foster · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has such gorgeous photography, that truly captures the vibrancy of summer produce. And more importantly it has very inspiring and accessible recipes - simple, seasonal and delicious. I've cooked so many recipes from this book, and return to it every year. My copy is incredibly well-loved (i.e. covered in cooking smudges!)

[Renata · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful cookbook. Well illustrated with gorgeous photos. A few of the recipes have become family favourites. I bought this years ago and still use it. Worth buying (along with the Winter companion book) if you can find it in a used book store.

[Jagati Bagchi · Rating 4 out of 5]

the dainty sketches of flowers are an added pleasure

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bought this book and her Winter Collection for $1 each at a library sale and have made two recipes so far nd have many more tagged. Some simple but unique recipes in this one.

[Jaynie Morgan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This and the Winter version are best cookery books I have ever bought. I love it.

[Showey Yazdanian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the Summer and Winter Collections. Delia's recipes are clean and precise; if you obey her instructions dutifully you will always get the desired result.

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

As ever Delia comes up trumps with a lovely book of summery recipes. Delicious food, recipes are easy to follow and produce, with no 'chefy' nonsense as in so many others these days.

I have a great many recipe books, but keep going back to Delia!

[Swmbt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely love this book. I lived in England when it came ut and waited eagerly, every week for the next episode. I still refer to the book regularly and highly recommend it

[Connie · Rating 3 out of 5]

British TV cooking star

[Sana Abdulla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I bought this book for the recipe of Ceasar Salad and it is spectacular, people enjoy it and never notice that they don't like anchovies. I am sure that all the recipes are accurate but only 10 percent interested me.