Delia

Delia Smith has been part of my life since about 1970 when we left Trinidad and my parents bought a house in Norfolk, my father's birthplace county and the area I had always most associated with.

Back in those days, my mother became one of Delia's first fans after seeing her doing a cooking spot on the local BBC East Anglia TVs "Look East" early evening programme. The book followed and became a standard work for my mother getting used to "proper" English cooking. In Trinidad while there was a lot of British food culture, the supermarket shelves and much of the recipe ideas were more American, it being a lot easier to import from the USA than the motherland.

With time the odd Delia Smith recipe book came in to my hands but nowadays I tend to rely on Delia sending me a message at least twice a week suggesting what I should be cooking and baking.

I have no idea how Delia is thought of in the UK in general but was pleased that she got a Queens honour this year. While not a Norfolk lass, she has been very connected with the county especially through her chairmanship of "Norridge" FC, better known as the "C'naries".

Well this weeks Bake message from Delia was too tempting and so had to give it a go. Apart from that need to get my hand in as I have promised granddaughter Charlotte a belated Black Forest Cake for her birthday and she'll be here in 8 days.

Turned out great even though it doesn't look as well filled as Delia's - I suspect the photographer manipulated the odd raspberry.