Classic, 19 May 2008
Bought this recently and a week ago tried one of the recipes- spiced chicken pilau. Just like other Delia recipes that I have tried, this did not disappoint.
Her take on frugal eating and cooking is always timely but alas, her pronouncements on freezing are out of date (see How to Cheat at Cooking for updates on freezing and how technology has made it all possible).

Now this is what Delia is about!, 19 Mar 2008
Great Book, I've cooked so many recipes from this book and still revert to it as a foolproof classic. I wish she'd made an up to date version of this to teach people how to cook, instead of how to cheat.

Update Required !!, 08 Feb 2008
I purchased this book as it carried a 5 star rating and was really disapointed when it arrived, it is tierd and could do with an update. It's in black and white, no colour, and no tempting yummy pictures of the food you are going to cook. Overall, a bit of a disapointment.

A culinary classic, 23 Oct 2007
This is a book for real cooks. It is also a book for people trying to feed a family well on a limited budget, as the title suggests. I brought my children up on it and at times things were very frugal. Nevertheless they ate well in all senses of the word - flavour, quality and balance. There is a wide range of recipes, and all of the ones that I have tried really do work. Don't be misled by the word 'Frugal' in the title. This is a set of superb recipes by any standard. Even my 25 year old son, who is now a chef, remembers the book.

Delia at her best, 12 Jun 2007
I can't remember how many copies of this book I have bought - because it's so good I recommend it to friends and end up by giving them my copy. It combines Delia's infallible recipes with budget conscious ingredients and proves that good food doesn't have to be high priced.

Classic, 19 May 2008
Bought this recently and a week ago tried one of the recipes- spiced chicken pilau. Just like other Delia recipes that I have tried, this did not disappoint.
Her take on frugal eating and cooking is always timely but alas, her pronouncements on freezing are out of date (see How to Cheat at Cooking for updates on freezing and how technology has made it all possible).

Now this is what Delia is about!, 19 Mar 2008
Great Book, I've cooked so many recipes from this book and still revert to it as a foolproof classic. I wish she'd made an up to date version of this to teach people how to cook, instead of how to cheat.

Update Required !!, 08 Feb 2008
I purchased this book as it carried a 5 star rating and was really disapointed when it arrived, it is tierd and could do with an update. It's in black and white, no colour, and no tempting yummy pictures of the food you are going to cook. Overall, a bit of a disapointment.

A culinary classic, 23 Oct 2007
This is a book for real cooks. It is also a book for people trying to feed a family well on a limited budget, as the title suggests. I brought my children up on it and at times things were very frugal. Nevertheless they ate well in all senses of the word - flavour, quality and balance. There is a wide range of recipes, and all of the ones that I have tried really do work. Don't be misled by the word 'Frugal' in the title. This is a set of superb recipes by any standard. Even my 25 year old son, who is now a chef, remembers the book.

Delia at her best, 12 Jun 2007
I can't remember how many copies of this book I have bought - because it's so good I recommend it to friends and end up by giving them my copy. It combines Delia's infallible recipes with budget conscious ingredients and proves that good food doesn't have to be high priced.

A reasonable try, 02 Oct 2008
This is an inexpensive, easy-to-use guide which can help you sort the bargains from the mass-market trash. It can also give you more confidence to try unfamiliar grapes and wine styles. However, his scoring system reflects value for money rather than outright quality, and in 2008 I found many of his high-scoring recommendations rather idiosyncratic compared to 2007. His coverage of different supermarket chains seems dependent on what they offer him to sample. Most disappointingly, if you buy this book for Christmas and look for his main 2009 recommendations in January 2009, they may already have sold out, leaving you with the (usually disappointing) option of a more recent vintage.

VINO, 08 Jan 2008
Easy guide to use but regretably recomendations did not hit the mark.
Very limited choice from Supermarkets such as Tesco as he does not have a strong link.

Useful and interesting, 20 Dec 2007
A very useful book, small enough to carry around with you when out shopping. The information given is detailed enough to make it an interesting read in its own right, and of course the benefit of the book is clear in the title. An excellent idea.

So helpful!!, 10 Oct 2006
This book's an absolute treasure...I find it so confusing trying to pick out a wine in the supermarket but this gives you the best ones available. The price guide is really helpful too, especially when on a budget - makes sure you don't end up with a disgusting wine just because you can't afford the really expensive ones! I'd highly recommend this guide

Classic, 19 May 2008
Bought this recently and a week ago tried one of the recipes- spiced chicken pilau. Just like other Delia recipes that I have tried, this did not disappoint.
Her take on frugal eating and cooking is always timely but alas, her pronouncements on freezing are out of date (see How to Cheat at Cooking for updates on freezing and how technology has made it all possible).

Now this is what Delia is about!, 19 Mar 2008
Great Book, I've cooked so many recipes from this book and still revert to it as a foolproof classic. I wish she'd made an up to date version of this to teach people how to cook, instead of how to cheat.

Update Required !!, 08 Feb 2008
I purchased this book as it carried a 5 star rating and was really disapointed when it arrived, it is tierd and could do with an update. It's in black and white, no colour, and no tempting yummy pictures of the food you are going to cook. Overall, a bit of a disapointment.

A culinary classic, 23 Oct 2007
This is a book for real cooks. It is also a book for people trying to feed a family well on a limited budget, as the title suggests. I brought my children up on it and at times things were very frugal. Nevertheless they ate well in all senses of the word - flavour, quality and balance. There is a wide range of recipes, and all of the ones that I have tried really do work. Don't be misled by the word 'Frugal' in the title. This is a set of superb recipes by any standard. Even my 25 year old son, who is now a chef, remembers the book.

Delia at her best, 12 Jun 2007
I can't remember how many copies of this book I have bought - because it's so good I recommend it to friends and end up by giving them my copy. It combines Delia's infallible recipes with budget conscious ingredients and proves that good food doesn't have to be high priced.

A reasonable try, 02 Oct 2008
This is an inexpensive, easy-to-use guide which can help you sort the bargains from the mass-market trash. It can also give you more confidence to try unfamiliar grapes and wine styles. However, his scoring system reflects value for money rather than outright quality, and in 2008 I found many of his high-scoring recommendations rather idiosyncratic compared to 2007. His coverage of different supermarket chains seems dependent on what they offer him to sample. Most disappointingly, if you buy this book for Christmas and look for his main 2009 recommendations in January 2009, they may already have sold out, leaving you with the (usually disappointing) option of a more recent vintage.

VINO, 08 Jan 2008
Easy guide to use but regretably recomendations did not hit the mark.
Very limited choice from Supermarkets such as Tesco as he does not have a strong link.

Useful and interesting, 20 Dec 2007
A very useful book, small enough to carry around with you when out shopping. The information given is detailed enough to make it an interesting read in its own right, and of course the benefit of the book is clear in the title. An excellent idea.

So helpful!!, 10 Oct 2006
This book's an absolute treasure...I find it so confusing trying to pick out a wine in the supermarket but this gives you the best ones available. The price guide is really helpful too, especially when on a budget - makes sure you don't end up with a disgusting wine just because you can't afford the really expensive ones! I'd highly recommend this guide

A valuable addition to my bookcase, and a book that I use often, 30 Nov 2006
I have both this and the 3rd edition, and I would strongly recommend you to have a recent copy in your collection, but not to rush out and buy the new edition every time it appears. The 3rd edition had >1,000 pages and this one >1,600 pages, I suppose the next edition will have >2,000 pages - which ever way you look at it, it's fantastic value for money in terms of /kg. I know that much is said for and against Parker, but the point-rating system and the well-written text makes it an interesting and useful book. I have read some reviews that praise Parker for opening up new wine producing areas, new markets, and new tasting options. Other reviews condemn him for pushing for one type of taste and for inflating prices. I look at what the book gives me. Firstly, I like the descriptions about the countries, producers and wine. Secondly, I like rating systems, his and others, because they can help me decide what to go for next. Thirdly, I use his book to check interesting options that I find in supermarkets (I live in Europe and our supermarkets sometimes have an amazing range of wines on offer) and wine shops. Some people say it is too oriented to the US market, but it nevertheless has provided me with a few good finds, and it often comforts me in buying some lesser known producer or region/grape combination. I will admit that I use Bettane & Desseauve for my French wines, but I tend to use Parker for its coverage of wines from the new world.

The Indispensable Guide by the Incomparable Parker, 02 Jun 2004
There is absolutely no point in carping and moaning about it. Robert Parker is “The Man”, the “nec plus ultra” , when it comes to wine tasting, criticism and review. He is revered, feared, loathed, admired and beloved, in equal measure, by wine growers, “negociants”, importers and brokers (particularly in Bordeaux, home of the greatest and most noble wines), since it is he, who through his fearless and uninfluenceable criticisms, and more importantly, his 0-100 point scoring of wines, who effectively sets the prices that can be charged, and it is he who is the ultimate benchmark arbiter, world-wide, of which wines are good, which are bad, which are terrific, and which are abysmal. No matter who you are, and whatever may be your reputation, he will call it as he tastes it, and if that causes squeals of anguish amongst complacent or ineffective wine growers, so be it. For every big ego that he has bruised, he has elevated to recognition a brilliant, hard working, but previously overlooked wine grower from a less well known region or “appellation”. This has served as an inspiration to legions of young wine growers and oenologists, as never before. We, the consumer, bear all of the benefit. As President Chirac said, on the occasion of Parker being awarded France’s highest civilian honour, the “Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur” , “Robert Parker is the most followed and influential critic of French wines in the entire world”. Through his 0-100 point scoring system, which was at first much decried but which is now frequently mimicked by others, the wine lover, of whatever degree of experience or sophistication, is able to set out into the wine market place equipped with an invariably accurate, highly detailed, unusually informative and well judged companion and guide.
A word of warning: do not be seduced or beguiled by preconception or otherwise into the belief that an “RP” (ie. Robert Parker) score of 88 points or thereabouts reflects anything but a superb bottle of wine. You will not find many 88 pointers on the shelves of your local or out of town supermarket, let alone in your local off licence. As Parker himself describes it, wines scoring 80 to 89 points are “..very good. Many of the wines that fall into this range are often great value as well. I have many of these wines in my personal cellar.” Make no mistake. The wines that are reviewed in this book are, all of them, pretty damn fine. Only the very richest amongst readers will be able to undertake the pursuit of the various and mythical 100 pointers, whose prices will be out of reach to less fortunate mortals such as this reviewer.
The opening section of the book, in which Parker explains his methods and gives tips and advice as to the proper storage of wines, the use of additives, and making sense of the notion of “terroir”, as well as many other topics, is itself worth the price of the book. That is before one even comes to the wine reviews, which are set out region by region, and then in easy to find alphabetical order, with the recent vintages of each of the wines (four to five vintages from 2000 and prior are typically reviewed and scored, together with a “past glories” reference to any earlier outstanding vintages). The style of all of the writing, including the wine reviews is highly accessible and understandable, albeit within the slightly bizarre language of wine criticism.
Parker is generous in what he says about other quality wine critics, with whom he does not always agree, but whose integrity and passion he admires and respects. He says of Jancis Robinson, for example, that “no one should ignore what Britain’s leading lady of wine has to say” (coincidentally, Parker and Robinson are currently diametrically opposed in their opinions as to the quality of the 2003 Chateau Pavie, which Parker adores but which Robinson considers overblown).
A final thought, and the one that perhaps best sums up the usefulness and value of this book. I bought my copy of the book one year ago. It is big and heavy and seemed expensive to me at the time. It contains not a single picture on any of its 1600 plus pages. It is most definitely not a book for the coffee table. I have a good few other wine guides, many much cheaper, and some with a great many pretty pictures, and I use them all. However, the book to which I always make first reference and to which I always return, for one final check before sending off my cheque for another case of wine, is Parker’s. If you are a lover of good quality wine, or would like to be, you will have to buy this book.

(chanting): USA.. USA.. USA, ad nauseam, 24 Jul 2003
This is a big book. And it costs a lot of money. One could buy x bottles of (insert wine here) for the price of this weighty tome. But for serious imbibers the opinions of Parker simply cannot be ignored.Coming in two parts, France is marvellously covered, Rhone particulally but on reaching part two, from Italy onwards there are some glaring omisions. I couldn't find entries on some top tuscan wineries (Sassicaia..) and the remaining sections are strongly biased (esp. Australia) in favour of v. limited cult wineries. My biggest whine is that Californian wines take up about half of 'The rest of the world'. Whilst Bob Parkers stylistic preferences precede him there is little that will interest the European wine drinker here. Parker writes well and I enjoyed this volume but I feel that those on a budget could do without and spend the money on a bottle of Beaucastle '99!

Great Present for a Wine Lover, 17 Mar 2003
Very detailed information about French wines. Has everything you would even need to know, including what type of glasses to use! A bit light on the Southern Hemisphere and I think he needs to consider Australian wines but overall well worth it

5*..but if you have never heard of Robert Parker Jr ... 1*, 22 Jan 2003
This man has been described as the worlds most powerful critic, and it's true. Nobody, in any field, has as much infulence over his/her chosen field. People the world over, quite literally, make wines to please Parker.

Don't expect to find most of the wines in this book in your local supermarket, there are better books (Gluck, Oz Clarke) for that. But if you need to know about the worlds best wines, then there is abolutely no substitute for Parker. And by best wines, this means mainly France, also US, Italy, Australia. Don't expect too much more detail from other countries, Parker doesn't rate New Zealand much for example, apart from maybe Cloudy Bay.

So if you are looking for information on reasonably priced wines that are available in the high street, avoid this book. Most of the tastings are of vintages long since unavilable outside of an auction house.

But if you are serious about wine, then this is essential. And if you have any sort of investment at all in wine, you will no doubt have this anyway. A good review of one of your "en primeur" wines will send it's value soaring.

Classic, 19 May 2008
Bought this recently and a week ago tried one of the recipes- spiced chicken pilau. Just like other Delia recipes that I have tried, this did not disappoint.
Her take on frugal eating and cooking is always timely but alas, her pronouncements on freezing are out of date (see How to Cheat at Cooking for updates on freezing and how technology has made it all possible).

Now this is what Delia is about!, 19 Mar 2008
Great Book, I've cooked so many recipes from this book and still revert to it as a foolproof classic. I wish she'd made an up to date version of this to teach people how to cook, instead of how to cheat.

Update Required !!, 08 Feb 2008
I purchased this book as it carried a 5 star rating and was really disapointed when it arrived, it is tierd and could do with an update. It's in black and white, no colour, and no tempting yummy pictures of the food you are going to cook. Overall, a bit of a disapointment.

A culinary classic, 23 Oct 2007
This is a book for real cooks. It is also a book for people trying to feed a family well on a limited budget, as the title suggests. I brought my children up on it and at times things were very frugal. Nevertheless they ate well in all senses of the word - flavour, quality and balance. There is a wide range of recipes, and all of the ones that I have tried really do work. Don't be misled by the word 'Frugal' in the title. This is a set of superb recipes by any standard. Even my 25 year old son, who is now a chef, remembers the book.

Delia at her best, 12 Jun 2007
I can't remember how many copies of this book I have bought - because it's so good I recommend it to friends and end up by giving them my copy. It combines Delia's infallible recipes with budget conscious ingredients and proves that good food doesn't have to be high priced.

A reasonable try, 02 Oct 2008
This is an inexpensive, easy-to-use guide which can help you sort the bargains from the mass-market trash. It can also give you more confidence to try unfamiliar grapes and wine styles. However, his scoring system reflects value for money rather than outright quality, and in 2008 I found many of his high-scoring recommendations rather idiosyncratic compared to 2007. His coverage of different supermarket chains seems dependent on what they offer him to sample. Most disappointingly, if you buy this book for Christmas and look for his main 2009 recommendations in January 2009, they may already have sold out, leaving you with the (usually disappointing) option of a more recent vintage.

VINO, 08 Jan 2008
Easy guide to use but regretably recomendations did not hit the mark.
Very limited choice from Supermarkets such as Tesco as he does not have a strong link.

Useful and interesting, 20 Dec 2007
A very useful book, small enough to carry around with you when out shopping. The information given is detailed enough to make it an interesting read in its own right, and of course the benefit of the book is clear in the title. An excellent idea.

So helpful!!, 10 Oct 2006
This book's an absolute treasure...I find it so confusing trying to pick out a wine in the supermarket but this gives you the best ones available. The price guide is really helpful too, especially when on a budget - makes sure you don't end up with a disgusting wine just because you can't afford the really expensive ones! I'd highly recommend this guide

A valuable addition to my bookcase, and a book that I use often, 30 Nov 2006
I have both this and the 3rd edition, and I would strongly recommend you to have a recent copy in your collection, but not to rush out and buy the new edition every time it appears. The 3rd edition had >1,000 pages and this one >1,600 pages, I suppose the next edition will have >2,000 pages - which ever way you look at it, it's fantastic value for money in terms of /kg. I know that much is said for and against Parker, but the point-rating system and the well-written text makes it an interesting and useful book. I have read some reviews that praise Parker for opening up new wine producing areas, new markets, and new tasting options. Other reviews condemn him for pushing for one type of taste and for inflating prices. I look at what the book gives me. Firstly, I like the descriptions about the countries, producers and wine. Secondly, I like rating systems, his and others, because they can help me decide what to go for next. Thirdly, I use his book to check interesting options that I find in supermarkets (I live in Europe and our supermarkets sometimes have an amazing range of wines on offer) and wine shops. Some people say it is too oriented to the US market, but it nevertheless has provided me with a few good finds, and it often comforts me in buying some lesser known producer or region/grape combination. I will admit that I use Bettane & Desseauve for my French wines, but I tend to use Parker for its coverage of wines from the new world.

The Indispensable Guide by the Incomparable Parker, 02 Jun 2004
There is absolutely no point in carping and moaning about it. Robert Parker is “The Man”, the “nec plus ultra” , when it comes to wine tasting, criticism and review. He is revered, feared, loathed, admired and beloved, in equal measure, by wine growers, “negociants”, importers and brokers (particularly in Bordeaux, home of the greatest and most noble wines), since it is he, who through his fearless and uninfluenceable criticisms, and more importantly, his 0-100 point scoring of wines, who effectively sets the prices that can be charged, and it is he who is the ultimate benchmark arbiter, world-wide, of which wines are good, which are bad, which are terrific, and which are abysmal. No matter who you are, and whatever may be your reputation, he will call it as he tastes it, and if that causes squeals of anguish amongst complacent or ineffective wine growers, so be it. For every big ego that he has bruised, he has elevated to recognition a brilliant, hard working, but previously overlooked wine grower from a less well known region or “appellation”. This has served as an inspiration to legions of young wine growers and oenologists, as never before. We, the consumer, bear all of the benefit. As President Chirac said, on the occasion of Parker being awarded France’s highest civilian honour, the “Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur” , “Robert Parker is the most followed and influential critic of French wines in the entire world”. Through his 0-100 point scoring system, which was at first much decried but which is now frequently mimicked by others, the wine lover, of whatever degree of experience or sophistication, is able to set out into the wine market place equipped with an invariably accurate, highly detailed, unusually informative and well judged companion and guide.
A word of warning: do not be seduced or beguiled by preconception or otherwise into the belief that an “RP” (ie. Robert Parker) score of 88 points or thereabouts reflects anything but a superb bottle of wine. You will not find many 88 pointers on the shelves of your local or out of town supermarket, let alone in your local off licence. As Parker himself describes it, wines scoring 80 to 89 points are “..very good. Many of the wines that fall into this range are often great value as well. I have many of these wines in my personal cellar.” Make no mistake. The wines that are reviewed in this book are, all of them, pretty damn fine. Only the very richest amongst readers will be able to undertake the pursuit of the various and mythical 100 pointers, whose prices will be out of reach to less fortunate mortals such as this reviewer.
The opening section of the book, in which Parker explains his methods and gives tips and advice as to the proper storage of wines, the use of additives, and making sense of the notion of “terroir”, as well as many other topics, is itself worth the price of the book. That is before one even comes to the wine reviews, which are set out region by region, and then in easy to find alphabetical order, with the recent vintages of each of the wines (four to five vintages from 2000 and prior are typically reviewed and scored, together with a “past glories” reference to any earlier outstanding vintages). The style of all of the writing, including the wine reviews is highly accessible and understandable, albeit within the slightly bizarre language of wine criticism.
Parker is generous in what he says about other quality wine critics, with whom he does not always agree, but whose integrity and passion he admires and respects. He says of Jancis Robinson, for example, that “no one should ignore what Britain’s leading lady of wine has to say” (coincidentally, Parker and Robinson are currently diametrically opposed in their opinions as to the quality of the 2003 Chateau Pavie, which Parker adores but which Robinson considers overblown).
A final thought, and the one that perhaps best sums up the usefulness and value of this book. I bought my copy of the book one year ago. It is big and heavy and seemed expensive to me at the time. It contains not a single picture on any of its 1600 plus pages. It is most definitely not a book for the coffee table. I have a good few other wine guides, many much cheaper, and some with a great many pretty pictures, and I use them all. However, the book to which I always make first reference and to which I always return, for one final check before sending off my cheque for another case of wine, is Parker’s. If you are a lover of good quality wine, or would like to be, you will have to buy this book.

(chanting): USA.. USA.. USA, ad nauseam, 24 Jul 2003
This is a big book. And it costs a lot of money. One could buy x bottles of (insert wine here) for the price of this weighty tome. But for serious imbibers the opinions of Parker simply cannot be ignored.Coming in two parts, France is marvellously covered, Rhone particulally but on reaching part two, from Italy onwards there are some glaring omisions. I couldn't find entries on some top tuscan wineries (Sassicaia..) and the remaining sections are strongly biased (esp. Australia) in favour of v. limited cult wineries. My biggest whine is that Californian wines take up about half of 'The rest of the world'. Whilst Bob Parkers stylistic preferences precede him there is little that will interest the European wine drinker here. Parker writes well and I enjoyed this volume but I feel that those on a budget could do without and spend the money on a bottle of Beaucastle '99!

Great Present for a Wine Lover, 17 Mar 2003
Very detailed information about French wines. Has everything you would even need to know, including what type of glasses to use! A bit light on the Southern Hemisphere and I think he needs to consider Australian wines but overall well worth it

5*..but if you have never heard of Robert Parker Jr ... 1*, 22 Jan 2003
This man has been described as the worlds most powerful critic, and it's true. Nobody, in any field, has as much infulence over his/her chosen field. People the world over, quite literally, make wines to please Parker.

Don't expect to find most of the wines in this book in your local supermarket, there are better books (Gluck, Oz Clarke) for that. But if you need to know about the worlds best wines, then there is abolutely no substitute for Parker. And by best wines, this means mainly France, also US, Italy, Australia. Don't expect too much more detail from other countries, Parker doesn't rate New Zealand much for example, apart from maybe Cloudy Bay.

So if you are looking for information on reasonably priced wines that are available in the high street, avoid this book. Most of the tastings are of vintages long since unavilable outside of an auction house.

But if you are serious about wine, then this is essential. And if you have any sort of investment at all in wine, you will no doubt have this anyway. A good review of one of your "en primeur" wines will send it's value soaring.

OK, but...., 10 Jul 2008
There is a wealth of information in this chunky little book. I only gaive it three stars because I feel there are rather too many ready-made, branded foods listed because the label on such items would give all the information, anyway, so no need to look them up in a reference book.

Everything I eat I have created myself so I need calorie values of ingredients, not finished items. So I found I had to wade through ready-made, canned, etc before I find what I am looking for.

But for someone who has little idea of caorie values or needs a fuller list this would be a good little reference book to keep in the kitchen.

Poor selection of everyday foods, 26 Mar 2008
Items listed within the book assumes everybody buys brands names therefore on that basis the information contained was very limited.

Not So Comprehensive, 03 Dec 2007
As mentioned by another reviewer, its coverage is less than comprehensive. It seems to blithely assume that people only ever buy brand-named foods - what about shop's own brands? I couldn't find a single one. Pretty good value for money if you ignore this, but disappointing for me as I don't buy brand names. It does at least have a decent selection of fruit and veg in it.

Far from comprehensive, 15 Sep 2007
I have used a book like this for years, but wanted an update because many of the manufactured items were out-of-date, and many things which are now commonplace were rare in 1991.

I still find myself using my old book in preference to this one.

This sort of book should be comprehensive and easy to use.

The book has details of many manufactured foods - which is, to a degree, pointless because (a) manufacturers frequently change their recipes (and thus the food's calories) and (b) publish the calories on the packet. When it comes to basic food items, the coverage is average and has some surprising omissions. For example, it doesn't tell you how many calories there are in raw asparagus, just in the boiled tips. If you want to know the calorific value of aubergine, tough (unless you happen to have fried your aubergine in corn oil, that is). And that's just the As.

The layout isn't terribly clear but that's probably more a result of the Gem format. It provides values per 100g in the main: invest in a decent set of digital scales and you're away (which should help the honey-dripper reviewer below).

Avoid unless you only eat ready meals!

A Bible for weight loss, 05 Jun 2007
Been there done that, after putting on weight from giving up smoking. If you seriously want to lose weight this book provides the foolproof method without the smoke and mirrors of Atkins Diets etc:

1. Get this book (it's a pocket sized book - you don't need to read it all, just the introduction to get started)
2. Keep a food diary (examples can be found on the web - I kept mine on a spreadsheet)
3. Use the book and the diary to keep a tight track of calories in v calories out (the book is a real education in this respect, also providing information on calories burned during exercise)
4. Then stay below your maintenance calorie level (you can calculate this from the book) and you can't fail to lose weight (I stayed 1000 calories per day below my maintenance weight = about 2lbs loss per week). Even if you consume too many calories one day, do some exercise to take it off the next
5. Some reviewers have downgraded their review of this book because the book provides a calorie count per 100 grams or millilitres of food or drink. However, this is the most foolproof way of calorie counting so keep some scales and a measuring jug handy to take the lazy guesswork out of the equation. Otherwise you will only cheat yourself...!

Classic, 19 May 2008
Bought this recently and a week ago tried one of the recipes- spiced chicken pilau. Just like other Delia recipes that I have tried, this did not disappoint.
Her take on frugal eating and cooking is always timely but alas, her pronouncements on freezing are out of date (see How to Cheat at Cooking for updates on freezing and how technology has made it all possible).

Now this is what Delia is about!, 19 Mar 2008
Great Book, I've cooked so many recipes from this book and still revert to it as a foolproof classic. I wish she'd made an up to date version of this to teach people how to cook, instead of how to cheat.

Update Required !!, 08 Feb 2008
I purchased this book as it carried a 5 star rating and was really disapointed when it arrived, it is tierd and could do with an update. It's in black and white, no colour, and no tempting yummy pictures of the food you are going to cook. Overall, a bit of a disapointment.

A culinary classic, 23 Oct 2007
This is a book for real cooks. It is also a book for people trying to feed a family well on a limited budget, as the title suggests. I brought my children up on it and at times things were very frugal. Nevertheless they ate well in all senses of the word - flavour, quality and balance. There is a wide range of recipes, and all of the ones that I have tried really do work. Don't be misled by the word 'Frugal' in the title. This is a set of superb recipes by any standard. Even my 25 year old son, who is now a chef, remembers the book.

Delia at her best, 12 Jun 2007
I can't remember how many copies of this book I have bought - because it's so good I recommend it to friends and end up by giving them my copy. It combines Delia's infallible recipes with budget conscious ingredients and proves that good food doesn't have to be high priced.

A reasonable try, 02 Oct 2008
This is an inexpensive, easy-to-use guide which can help you sort the bargains from the mass-market trash. It can also give you more confidence to try unfamiliar grapes and wine styles. However, his scoring system reflects value for money rather than outright quality, and in 2008 I found many of his high-scoring recommendations rather idiosyncratic compared to 2007. His coverage of different supermarket chains seems dependent on what they offer him to sample. Most disappointingly, if you buy this book for Christmas and look for his main 2009 recommendations in January 2009, they may already have sold out, leaving you with the (usually disappointing) option of a more recent vintage.

VINO, 08 Jan 2008
Easy guide to use but regretably recomendations did not hit the mark.
Very limited choice from Supermarkets such as Tesco as he does not have a strong link.

Useful and interesting, 20 Dec 2007
A very useful book, small enough to carry around with you when out shopping. The information given is detailed enough to make it an interesting read in its own right, and of course the benefit of the book is clear in the title. An excellent idea.

So helpful!!, 10 Oct 2006
This book's an absolute treasure...I find it so confusing trying to pick out a wine in the supermarket but this gives you the best ones available. The price guide is really helpful too, especially when on a budget - makes sure you don't end up with a disgusting wine just because you can't afford the really expensive ones! I'd highly recommend this guide

A valuable addition to my bookcase, and a book that I use often, 30 Nov 2006
I have both this and the 3rd edition, and I would strongly recommend you to have a recent copy in your collection, but not to rush out and buy the new edition every time it appears. The 3rd edition had >1,000 pages and this one >1,600 pages, I suppose the next edition will have >2,000 pages - which ever way you look at it, it's fantastic value for money in terms of /kg. I know that much is said for and against Parker, but the point-rating system and the well-written text makes it an interesting and useful book. I have read some reviews that praise Parker for opening up new wine producing areas, new markets, and new tasting options. Other reviews condemn him for pushing for one type of taste and for inflating prices. I look at what the book gives me. Firstly, I like the descriptions about the countries, producers and wine. Secondly, I like rating systems, his and others, because they can help me decide what to go for next. Thirdly, I use his book to check interesting options that I find in supermarkets (I live in Europe and our supermarkets sometimes have an amazing range of wines on offer) and wine shops. Some people say it is too oriented to the US market, but it nevertheless has provided me with a few good finds, and it often comforts me in buying some lesser known producer or region/grape combination. I will admit that I use Bettane & Desseauve for my French wines, but I tend to use Parker for its coverage of wines from the new world.

The Indispensable Guide by the Incomparable Parker, 02 Jun 2004
There is absolutely no point in carping and moaning about it. Robert Parker is “The Man”, the “nec plus ultra” , when it comes to wine tasting, criticism and review. He is revered, feared, loathed, admired and beloved, in equal measure, by wine growers, “negociants”, importers and brokers (particularly in Bordeaux, home of the greatest and most noble wines), since it is he, who through his fearless and uninfluenceable criticisms, and more importantly, his 0-100 point scoring of wines, who effectively sets the prices that can be charged, and it is he who is the ultimate benchmark arbiter, world-wide, of which wines are good, which are bad, which are terrific, and which are abysmal. No matter who you are, and whatever may be your reputation, he will call it as he tastes it, and if that causes squeals of anguish amongst complacent or ineffective wine growers, so be it. For every big ego that he has bruised, he has elevated to recognition a brilliant, hard working, but previously overlooked wine grower from a less well known region or “appellation”. This has served as an inspiration to legions of young wine growers and oenologists, as never before. We, the consumer, bear all of the benefit. As President Chirac said, on the occasion of Parker being awarded France’s highest civilian honour, the “Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur” , “Robert Parker is the most followed and influential critic of French wines in the entire world”. Through his 0-100 point scoring system, which was at first much decried but which is now frequently mimicked by others, the wine lover, of whatever degree of experience or sophistication, is able to set out into the wine market place equipped with an invariably accurate, highly detailed, unusually informative and well judged companion and guide.
A word of warning: do not be seduced or beguiled by preconception or otherwise into the belief that an “RP” (ie. Robert Parker) score of 88 points or thereabouts reflects anything but a superb bottle of wine. You will not find many 88 pointers on the shelves of your local or out of town supermarket, let alone in your local off licence. As Parker himself describes it, wines scoring 80 to 89 points are “..very good. Many of the wines that fall into this range are often great value as well. I have many of these wines in my personal cellar.” Make no mistake. The wines that are reviewed in this book are, all of them, pretty damn fine. Only the very richest amongst readers will be able to undertake the pursuit of the various and mythical 100 pointers, whose prices will be out of reach to less fortunate mortals such as this reviewer.
The opening section of the book, in which Parker explains his methods and gives tips and advice as to the proper storage of wines, the use of additives, and making sense of the notion of “terroir”, as well as many other topics, is itself worth the price of the book. That is before one even comes to the wine reviews, which are set out region by region, and then in easy to find alphabetical order, with the recent vintages of each of the wines (four to five vintages from 2000 and prior are typically reviewed and scored, together with a “past glories” reference to any earlier outstanding vintages). The style of all of the writing, including the wine reviews is highly accessible and understandable, albeit within the slightly bizarre language of wine criticism.
Parker is generous in what he says about other quality wine critics, with whom he does not always agree, but whose integrity and passion he admires and respects. He says of Jancis Robinson, for example, that “no one should ignore what Britain’s leading lady of wine has to say” (coincidentally, Parker and Robinson are currently diametrically opposed in their opinions as to the quality of the 2003 Chateau Pavie, which Parker adores but which Robinson considers overblown).
A final thought, and the one that perhaps best sums up the usefulness and value of this book. I bought my copy of the book one year ago. It is big and heavy and seemed expensive to me at the time. It contains not a single picture on any of its 1600 plus pages. It is most definitely not a book for the coffee table. I have a good few other wine guides, many much cheaper, and some with a great many pretty pictures, and I use them all. However, the book to which I always make first reference and to which I always return, for one final check before sending off my cheque for another case of wine, is Parker’s. If you are a lover of good quality wine, or would like to be, you will have to buy this book.

(chanting): USA.. USA.. USA, ad nauseam, 24 Jul 2003
This is a big book. And it costs a lot of money. One could buy x bottles of (insert wine here) for the price of this weighty tome. But for serious imbibers the opinions of Parker simply cannot be ignored.Coming in two parts, France is marvellously covered, Rhone particulally but on reaching part two, from Italy onwards there are some glaring omisions. I couldn't find entries on some top tuscan wineries (Sassicaia..) and the remaining sections are strongly biased (esp. Australia) in favour of v. limited cult wineries. My biggest whine is that Californian wines take up about half of 'The rest of the world'. Whilst Bob Parkers stylistic preferences precede him there is little that will interest the European wine drinker here. Parker writes well and I enjoyed this volume but I feel that those on a budget could do without and spend the money on a bottle of Beaucastle '99!

Great Present for a Wine Lover, 17 Mar 2003
Very detailed information about French wines. Has everything you would even need to know, including what type of glasses to use! A bit light on the Southern Hemisphere and I think he needs to consider Australian wines but overall well worth it

5*..but if you have never heard of Robert Parker Jr ... 1*, 22 Jan 2003
This man has been described as the worlds most powerful critic, and it's true. Nobody, in any field, has as much infulence over his/her chosen field. People the world over, quite literally, make wines to please Parker.

Don't expect to find most of the wines in this book in your local supermarket, there are better books (Gluck, Oz Clarke) for that. But if you need to know about the worlds best wines, then there is abolutely no substitute for Parker. And by best wines, this means mainly France, also US, Italy, Australia. Don't expect too much more detail from other countries, Parker doesn't rate New Zealand much for example, apart from maybe Cloudy Bay.

So if you are looking for information on reasonably priced wines that are available in the high street, avoid this book. Most of the tastings are of vintages long since unavilable outside of an auction house.

But if you are serious about wine, then this is essential. And if you have any sort of investment at all in wine, you will no doubt have this anyway. A good review of one of your "en primeur" wines will send it's value soaring.

OK, but...., 10 Jul 2008
There is a wealth of information in this chunky little book. I only gaive it three stars because I feel there are rather too many ready-made, branded foods listed because the label on such items would give all the information, anyway, so no need to look them up in a reference book.

Everything I eat I have created myself so I need calorie values of ingredients, not finished items. So I found I had to wade through ready-made, canned, etc before I find what I am looking for.

But for someone who has little idea of caorie values or needs a fuller list this would be a good little reference book to keep in the kitchen.

Poor selection of everyday foods, 26 Mar 2008
Items listed within the book assumes everybody buys brands names therefore on that basis the information contained was very limited.

Not So Comprehensive, 03 Dec 2007
As mentioned by another reviewer, its coverage is less than comprehensive. It seems to blithely assume that people only ever buy brand-named foods - what about shop's own brands? I couldn't find a single one. Pretty good value for money if you ignore this, but disappointing for me as I don't buy brand names. It does at least have a decent selection of fruit and veg in it.

Far from comprehensive, 15 Sep 2007
I have used a book like this for years, but wanted an update because many of the manufactured items were out-of-date, and many things which are now commonplace were rare in 1991.

I still find myself using my old book in preference to this one.

This sort of book should be comprehensive and easy to use.

The book has details of many manufactured foods - which is, to a degree, pointless because (a) manufacturers frequently change their recipes (and thus the food's calories) and (b) publish the calories on the packet. When it comes to basic food items, the coverage is average and has some surprising omissions. For example, it doesn't tell you how many calories there are in raw asparagus, just in the boiled tips. If you want to know the calorific value of aubergine, tough (unless you happen to have fried your aubergine in corn oil, that is). And that's just the As.

The layout isn't terribly clear but that's probably more a result of the Gem format. It provides values per 100g in the main: invest in a decent set of digital scales and you're away (which should help the honey-dripper reviewer below).

Avoid unless you only eat ready meals!

A Bible for weight loss, 05 Jun 2007
Been there done that, after putting on weight from giving up smoking. If you seriously want to lose weight this book provides the foolproof method without the smoke and mirrors of Atkins Diets etc:

1. Get this book (it's a pocket sized book - you don't need to read it all, just the introduction to get started)
2. Keep a food diary (examples can be found on the web - I kept mine on a spreadsheet)
3. Use the book and the diary to keep a tight track of calories in v calories out (the book is a real education in this respect, also providing information on calories burned during exercise)
4. Then stay below your maintenance calorie level (you can calculate this from the book) and you can't fail to lose weight (I stayed 1000 calories per day below my maintenance weight = about 2lbs loss per week). Even if you consume too many calories one day, do some exercise to take it off the next
5. Some reviewers have downgraded their review of this book because the book provides a calorie count per 100 grams or millilitres of food or drink. However, this is the most foolproof way of calorie counting so keep some scales and a measuring jug handy to take the lazy guesswork out of the equation. Otherwise you will only cheat yourself...!


Fabulous!, 25 Aug 2008
This is a fantastic student recipe book. As a student I've owned many recipe books aimed at students but none of them have the content and quality of this one. It makes healthy eating seem easy and achievable, which for students setting out on their own can seem daunting. With the clever and helpful extras such as tips, tricks and games that other books don't have, it is an awesome guide for students - particularly freshers who are looking for an insight into what university life will be like. I wish I'd had it as a fresher!!

Would 100% recommend this book! :)

Definitely "Sorted"!!, 20 Aug 2008
This is a great book, bought one for my daughter who is just about to head off to uni and she loves it! It has plenty of tips as well as the recipes, so it covers all aspects of the student lifestyle.

We tried one of the recipes tonight, Portugese soup, and it was gorgeous!

Definitely not just for students, this book really hits all the right places!!

Sorted, 19 Aug 2008
Brilliant book, cleverly put together in "student speak" although clearly you do not need to be a student to enjoy the fabulous recipes.

Classic, 19 May 2008
Bought this recently and a week ago tried one of the recipes- spiced chicken pilau. Just like other Delia recipes that I have tried, this did not disappoint.
Her take on frugal eating and cooking is always timely but alas, her pronouncements on freezing are out of date (see How to Cheat at Cooking for updates on freezing and how technology has made it all possible).

Now this is what Delia is about!, 19 Mar 2008
Great Book, I've cooked so many recipes from this book and still revert to it as a foolproof classic. I wish she'd made an up to date version of this to teach people how to cook, instead of how to cheat.

Update Required !!, 08 Feb 2008
I purchased this book as it carried a 5 star rating and was really disapointed when it arrived, it is tierd and could do with an update. It's in black and white, no colour, and no tempting yummy pictures of the food you are going to cook. Overall, a bit of a disapointment.

A culinary classic, 23 Oct 2007
This is a book for real cooks. It is also a book for people trying to feed a family well on a limited budget, as the title suggests. I brought my children up on it and at times things were very frugal. Nevertheless they ate well in all senses of the word - flavour, quality and balance. There is a wide range of recipes, and all of the ones that I have tried really do work. Don't be misled by the word 'Frugal' in the title. This is a set of superb recipes by any standard. Even my 25 year old son, who is now a chef, remembers the book.

Delia at her best, 12 Jun 2007
I can't remember how many copies of this book I have bought - because it's so good I recommend it to friends and end up by giving them my copy. It combines Delia's infallible recipes with budget conscious ingredients and proves that good food doesn't have to be high priced.

A reasonable try, 02 Oct 2008
This is an inexpensive, easy-to-use guide which can help you sort the bargains from the mass-market trash. It can also give you more confidence to try unfamiliar grapes and wine styles. However, his scoring system reflects value for money rather than outright quality, and in 2008 I found many of his high-scoring recommendations rather idiosyncratic compared to 2007. His coverage of different supermarket chains seems dependent on what they offer him to sample. Most disappointingly, if you buy this book for Christmas and look for his main 2009 recommendations in January 2009, they may already have sold out, leaving you with the (usually disappointing) option of a more recent vintage.

VINO, 08 Jan 2008
Easy guide to use but regretably recomendations did not hit the mark.
Very limited choice from Supermarkets such as Tesco as he does not have a strong link.

Useful and interesting, 20 Dec 2007
A very useful book, small enough to carry around with you when out shopping. The information given is detailed enough to make it an interesting read in its own right, and of course the benefit of the book is clear in the title. An excellent idea.

So helpful!!, 10 Oct 2006
This book's an absolute treasure...I find it so confusing trying to pick out a wine in the supermarket but this gives you the best ones available. The price guide is really helpful too, especially when on a budget - makes sure you don't end up with a disgusting wine just because you can't afford the really expensive ones! I'd highly recommend this guide

A valuable addition to my bookcase, and a book that I use often, 30 Nov 2006
I have both this and the 3rd edition, and I would strongly recommend you to have a recent copy in your collection, but not to rush out and buy the new edition every time it appears. The 3rd edition had >1,000 pages and this one >1,600 pages, I suppose the next edition will have >2,000 pages - which ever way you look at it, it's fantastic value for money in terms of /kg. I know that much is said for and against Parker, but the point-rating system and the well-written text makes it an interesting and useful book. I have read some reviews that praise Parker for opening up new wine producing areas, new markets, and new tasting options. Other reviews condemn him for pushing for one type of taste and for inflating prices. I look at what the book gives me. Firstly, I like the descriptions about the countries, producers and wine. Secondly, I like rating systems, his and others, because they can help me decide what to go for next. Thirdly, I use his book to check interesting options that I find in supermarkets (I live in Europe and our supermarkets sometimes have an amazing range of wines on offer) and wine shops. Some people say it is too oriented to the US market, but it nevertheless has provided me with a few good finds, and it often comforts me in buying some lesser known producer or region/grape combination. I will admit that I use Bettane & Desseauve for my French wines, but I tend to use Parker for its coverage of wines from the new world.

The Indispensable Guide by the Incomparable Parker, 02 Jun 2004
There is absolutely no point in carping and moaning about it. Robert Parker is “The Man”, the “nec plus ultra” , when it comes to wine tasting, criticism and review. He is revered, feared, loathed, admired and beloved, in equal measure, by wine growers, “negociants”, importers and brokers (particularly in Bordeaux, home of the greatest and most noble wines), since it is he, who through his fearless and uninfluenceable criticisms, and more importantly, his 0-100 point scoring of wines, who effectively sets the prices that can be charged, and it is he who is the ultimate benchmark arbiter, world-wide, of which wines are good, which are bad, which are terrific, and which are abysmal. No matter who you are, and whatever may be your reputation, he will call it as he tastes it, and if that causes squeals of anguish amongst complacent or ineffective wine growers, so be it. For every big ego that he has bruised, he has elevated to recognition a brilliant, hard working, but previously overlooked wine grower from a less well known region or “appellation”. This has served as an inspiration to legions of young wine growers and oenologists, as never before. We, the consumer, bear all of the benefit. As President Chirac said, on the occasion of Parker being awarded France’s highest civilian honour, the “Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur” , “Robert Parker is the most followed and influential critic of French wines in the entire world”. Through his 0-100 point scoring system, which was at first much decried but which is now frequently mimicked by others, the wine lover, of whatever degree of experience or sophistication, is able to set out into the wine market place equipped with an invariably accurate, highly detailed, unusually informative and well judged companion and guide.
A word of warning: do not be seduced or beguiled by preconception or otherwise into the belief that an “RP” (ie. Robert Parker) score of 88 points or thereabouts reflects anything but a superb bottle of wine. You will not find many 88 pointers on the shelves of your local or out of town supermarket, let alone in your local off licence. As Parker himself describes it, wines scoring 80 to 89 points are “..very good. Many of the wines that fall into this range are often great value as well. I have many of these wines in my personal cellar.” Make no mistake. The wines that are reviewed in this book are, all of them, pretty damn fine. Only the very richest amongst readers will be able to undertake the pursuit of the various and mythical 100 pointers, whose prices will be out of reach to less fortunate mortals such as this reviewer.
The opening section of the book, in which Parker explains his methods and gives tips and advice as to the proper storage of wines, the use of additives, and making sense of the notion of “terroir”, as well as many other topics, is itself worth the price of the book. That is before one even comes to the wine reviews, which are set out region by region, and then in easy to find alphabetical order, with the recent vintages of each of the wines (four to five vintages from 2000 and prior are typically reviewed and scored, together with a “past glories” reference to any earlier outstanding vintages). The style of all of the writing, including the wine reviews is highly accessible and understandable, albeit within the slightly bizarre language of wine criticism.
Parker is generous in what he says about other quality wine critics, with whom he does not always agree, but whose integrity and passion he admires and respects. He says of Jancis Robinson, for example, that “no one should ignore what Britain’s leading lady of wine has to say” (coincidentally, Parker and Robinson are currently diametrically opposed in their opinions as to the quality of the 2003 Chateau Pavie, which Parker adores but which Robinson considers overblown).
A final thought, and the one that perhaps best sums up the usefulness and value of this book. I bought my copy of the book one year ago. It is big and heavy and seemed expensive to me at the time. It contains not a single picture on any of its 1600 plus pages. It is most definitely not a book for the coffee table. I have a good few other wine guides, many much cheaper, and some with a great many pretty pictures, and I use them all. However, the book to which I always make first reference and to which I always return, for one final check before sending off my cheque for another case of wine, is Parker’s. If you are a lover of good quality wine, or would like to be, you will have to buy this book.

(chanting): USA.. USA.. USA, ad nauseam, 24 Jul 2003
This is a big book. And it costs a lot of money. One could buy x bottles of (insert wine here) for the price of this weighty tome. But for serious imbibers the opinions of Parker simply cannot be ignored.Coming in two parts, France is marvellously covered, Rhone particulally but on reaching part two, from Italy onwards there are some glaring omisions. I couldn't find entries on some top tuscan wineries (Sassicaia..) and the remaining sections are strongly biased (esp. Australia) in favour of v. limited cult wineries. My biggest whine is that Californian wines take up about half of 'The rest of the world'. Whilst Bob Parkers stylistic preferences precede him there is little that will interest the European wine drinker here. Parker writes well and I enjoyed this volume but I feel that those on a budget could do without and spend the money on a bottle of Beaucastle '99!

Great Present for a Wine Lover, 17 Mar 2003
Very detailed information about French wines. Has everything you would even need to know, including what type of glasses to use! A bit light on the Southern Hemisphere and I think he needs to consider Australian wines but overall well worth it

5*..but if you have never heard of Robert Parker Jr ... 1*, 22 Jan 2003
This man has been described as the worlds most powerful critic, and it's true. Nobody, in any field, has as much infulence over his/her chosen field. People the world over, quite literally, make wines to please Parker.

Don't expect to find most of the wines in this book in your local supermarket, there are better books (Gluck, Oz Clarke) for that. But if you need to know about the worlds best wines, then there is abolutely no substitute for Parker. And by best wines, this means mainly France, also US, Italy, Australia. Don't expect too much more detail from other countries, Parker doesn't rate New Zealand much for example, apart from maybe Cloudy Bay.

So if you are looking for information on reasonably priced wines that are available in the high street, avoid this book. Most of the tastings are of vintages long since unavilable outside of an auction house.

But if you are serious about wine, then this is essential. And if you have any sort of investment at all in wine, you will no doubt have this anyway. A good review of one of your "en primeur" wines will send it's value soaring.

OK, but...., 10 Jul 2008
There is a wealth of information in this chunky little book. I only gaive it three stars because I feel there are rather too many ready-made, branded foods listed because the label on such items would give all the information, anyway, so no need to look them up in a reference book.

Everything I eat I have created myself so I need calorie values of ingredients, not finished items. So I found I had to wade through ready-made, canned, etc before I find what I am looking for.

But for someone who has little idea of caorie values or needs a fuller list this would be a good little reference book to keep in the kitchen.

Poor selection of everyday foods, 26 Mar 2008
Items listed within the book assumes everybody buys brands names therefore on that basis the information contained was very limited.

Not So Comprehensive, 03 Dec 2007
As mentioned by another reviewer, its coverage is less than comprehensive. It seems to blithely assume that people only ever buy brand-named foods - what about shop's own brands? I couldn't find a single one. Pretty good value for money if you ignore this, but disappointing for me as I don't buy brand names. It does at least have a decent selection of fruit and veg in it.

Far from comprehensive, 15 Sep 2007
I have used a book like this for years, but wanted an update because many of the manufactured items were out-of-date, and many things which are now commonplace were rare in 1991.

I still find myself using my old book in preference to this one.

This sort of book should be comprehensive and easy to use.

The book has details of many manufactured foods - which is, to a degree, pointless because (a) manufacturers frequently change their recipes (and thus the food's calories) and (b) publish the calories on the packet. When it comes to basic food items, the coverage is average and has some surprising omissions. For example, it doesn't tell you how many calories there are in raw asparagus, just in the boiled tips. If you want to know the calorific value of aubergine, tough (unless you happen to have fried your aubergine in corn oil, that is). And that's just the As.

The layout isn't terribly clear but that's probably more a result of the Gem format. It provides values per 100g in the main: invest in a decent set of digital scales and you're away (which should help the honey-dripper reviewer below).

Avoid unless you only eat ready meals!

A Bible for weight loss, 05 Jun 2007
Been there done that, after putting on weight from giving up smoking. If you seriously want to lose weight this book provides the foolproof method without the smoke and mirrors of Atkins Diets etc:

1. Get this book (it's a pocket sized book - you don't need to read it all, just the introduction to get started)
2. Keep a food diary (examples can be found on the web - I kept mine on a spreadsheet)
3. Use the book and the diary to keep a tight track of calories in v calories out (the book is a real education in this respect, also providing information on calories burned during exercise)
4. Then stay below your maintenance calorie level (you can calculate this from the book) and you can't fail to lose weight (I stayed 1000 calories per day below my maintenance weight = about 2lbs loss per week). Even if you consume too many calories one day, do some exercise to take it off the next
5. Some reviewers have downgraded their review of this book because the book provides a calorie count per 100 grams or millilitres of food or drink. However, this is the most foolproof way of calorie counting so keep some scales and a measuring jug handy to take the lazy guesswork out of the equation. Otherwise you will only cheat yourself...!


Fabulous!, 25 Aug 2008
This is a fantastic student recipe book. As a student I've owned many recipe books aimed at students but none of them have the content and quality of this one. It makes healthy eating seem easy and achievable, which for students setting out on their own can seem daunting. With the clever and helpful extras such as tips, tricks and games that other books don't have, it is an awesome guide for students - particularly freshers who are looking for an insight into what university life will be like. I wish I'd had it as a fresher!!

Would 100% recommend this book! :)

Definitely "Sorted"!!, 20 Aug 2008
This is a great book, bought one for my daughter who is just about to head off to uni and she loves it! It has plenty of tips as well as the recipes, so it covers all aspects of the student lifestyle.

We tried one of the recipes tonight, Portugese soup, and it was gorgeous!

Definitely not just for students, this book really hits all the right places!!

Sorted, 19 Aug 2008
Brilliant book, cleverly put together in "student speak" although clearly you do not need to be a student to enjoy the fabulous recipes.

Worth buying if you're studying nutrition or even just keen to improve your health, 06 Mar 2007
This is a very good book, which is clearly thoroughly researched and contains a lot of fascinating information. It gives you the science behind all the "magazine diet" info on fats. The book goes into the biochemistry, how fats are produced, history (including how the corrupt food giants misguided the public about certain fats and oils), fats in your food and how they affect your body or can lead to disorders.
There are quite a lot of grammatical errors, but I was willing to overlook them because the information is presented in an easy to understand way. The most interesting aspects were about the oil manufacturers (another example of how industry created urban myths to boost their sales) cholesterol theory and the most nutritious oils available for consumption: hemp seed and oil flax seed oil. I would have liked more detail on the therapeutic use of fats, for example how much of what type of oil for how long to see a difference etc. But clearly more research needs to be done, especially into the therapeutic benefits of hemp and flax.

Essential reading for anyone who really cares about health, 24 Apr 2001
Udo Erasmus spent 6 years researching the nutritional and industry literature to properly understand the effects of oils and fats on human health. Udo's book presents these findings in clear English, so allowing all of us to understand what the scientists and nutritionalists have been discovring but but not telling anyone!

Udo writes that oil and fats have a profound effect on health, with highly processed oils, such as those commonly found on the Supermarket shelf, being highly detrimental - leading to long term degenerative diseases. Udo also explains that two oils are essential (i.e. humans cannot manufacture them they have to be taken in as part of a healthy diet), these being Omega 3 and Omega 6 oils. When the body has enough of these (an essential oil mix of a least a tablespoon a day or equivilent in crushed seeds or oily fish)there are a whole number of good things which allow the body to function properly and healthily.

Udo presents a well rounded picture by including the role of vitamins and minerals in helping essential oils to do their good work. If you know someone who suffers a degenerative disease and wants to get back to full health, this book provides useful guidance on appropriate and drug free diets and (vitamin / mineral)suppliments.

Udo is perhaps at his most entertaining when he damns the Medical profession for being being uneducated in the realms of health (they are educated in the realms of disease), and their propensity to dish out drugs which deal with symptoms instead of using nutrition to deal with the cause.

The edible oil industry gets a scathing review, as they seem intent on pumping out millions of gallons of nutritionally questionable fats and oils, knowing that their manufacturing processes damage the product.

At his most profound level, Udo discusses the effects of poor nutrition leading to criminal behaviour, uncontrollable children, moods and poor temperament. When the diet of these disturbed people is re-orientated towards being balanced and healthy, including in particular the provision of Omega 3 oils, their behaviour transforms away from their previous antisocial activity. One wonders at the benefits of transforming school and prison kitchens to centers of healthy food to help create healthy and well adjusted people - read the book if you think this too far fetched.

If there is one thing which is suprising, if not shocking about the Udo's book, it was published in its current updated form in 1993. Shocking becuase all the issues of big edible oil business, ignorant Doctors, chronic disease and people behaviour problems are as relivant today (if not more so) than in late 80's and early 90's when the book was being put together. This is a book politicians should be forced to read, so as to better help the populations who voted them into power.

Udo's book is an excellent read. For those of you serious about good nutrition and excellent health, then a good companion book is 'The Optimum Nutrition Bible' by Patrick Holford. Patrick covers Vitamins and Minerals and their relationship to health in more detail than Udo, but both books work well together.

Foot Note: Udo got fed up of poor oils on offer and set up with an edible oil manufacturer. Look out for 'Udo's Choice' oil in good health food shops. Its expensive but worth it. Use your coffee grinder to mill the seeds that Udo mentions and sprinkle this on your breakfast cereal (preferably non wheat) to have a really healthy start to the day. Here's to Good Health!

Excellent summary of the whys and hows of oils and fats, 07 Jul 2000
I work halftime as a teacher in chemistry. In the other halftime I am a researcher and I am trying to understand in what way experiments contribute to student's learning. I am also extremely interested in finding the areas within chemistry that makes students really interested. I have found that for example cosmeics and food chemistry are such areas. This book is a goldmine. I attended a course in applied lipids in may and now I have found all the facts about omega3 and omega6, about gammalinolenic acid and which oils are good to eat. I changed my own diet and make an oil mixture that does all the difference - it gave me a lot of energy. My husband suffers from diabetes and heart trouble and this book gives us a lot of help with his diet. Thank you so much Udo Erasmus, you did an excellent work doing all the research and the book is so well written!

If you buy only one book on nutrition, let it be this one!, 29 Dec 1999
When I first saw this book, I thought food was essentially carbohydrates, protein and fats, plus of course minerals and vitamins. My "knowledge" of fats was "avoid them!" plus "eat cod liver oil for omega-3". So why anyone would bother with a whole book on the subject was beyond me.

Yet, one idle day I opened the book in the bookstore, and behold - by the time it had left my hands I had somehow gone through the cash registry, paid for it, gone home, and had put it on the bedside table.

This book explains deep dietary issues in a straightforward manner. After reading it, you feel you KNOW how different factors in the diet work. You will not only know what to eat and what to avoid, but also why you are doing so, and which replacements you can use if some items are temporarily or permanently unavailable. Most of all - you will know how to eat healthy, to minimize risks of cancer, heart disease and other diseases down to dry skin. Read it!

Classic, 19 May 2008
Bought this recently and a week ago tried one of the recipes- spiced chicken pilau. Just like other Delia recipes that I have tried, this did not disappoint.
Her take on frugal eating and cooking is always timely but alas, her pronouncements on freezing are out of date (see How to Cheat at Cooking for updates on freezing and how technology has made it all possible).

Now this is what Delia is about!, 19 Mar 2008
Great Book, I've cooked so many recipes from this book and still revert to it as a foolproof classic. I wish she'd made an up to date version of this to teach people how to cook, instead of how to cheat.

Update Required !!, 08 Feb 2008
I purchased this book as it carried a 5 star rating and was really disapointed when it arrived, it is tierd and could do with an update. It's in black and white, no colour, and no tempting yummy pictures of the food you are going to cook. Overall, a bit of a disapointment.

A culinary classic, 23 Oct 2007
This is a book for real cooks. It is also a book for people trying to feed a family well on a limited budget, as the title suggests. I brought my children up on it and at times things were very frugal. Nevertheless they ate well in all senses of the word - flavour, quality and balance. There is a wide range of recipes, and all of the ones that I have tried really do work. Don't be misled by the word 'Frugal' in the title. This is a set of superb recipes by any standard. Even my 25 year old son, who is now a chef, remembers the book.

Delia at her best, 12 Jun 2007
I can't remember how many copies of this book I have bought - because it's so good I recommend it to friends and end up by giving them my copy. It combines Delia's infallible recipes with budget conscious ingredients and proves that good food doesn't have to be high priced.

A reasonable try, 02 Oct 2008
This is an inexpensive, easy-to-use guide which can help you sort the bargains from the mass-market trash. It can also give you more confidence to try unfamiliar grapes and wine styles. However, his scoring system reflects value for money rather than outright quality, and in 2008 I found many of his high-scoring recommendations rather idiosyncratic compared to 2007. His coverage of different supermarket chains seems dependent on what they offer him to sample. Most disappointingly, if you buy this book for Christmas and look for his main 2009 recommendations in January 2009, they may already have sold out, leaving you with the (usually disappointing) option of a more recent vintage.

VINO, 08 Jan 2008
Easy guide to use but regretably recomendations did not hit the mark.
Very limited choice from Supermarkets such as Tesco as he does not have a strong link.

Useful and interesting, 20 Dec 2007
A very useful book, small enough to carry around with you when out shopping. The information given is detailed enough to make it an interesting read in its own right, and of course the benefit of the book is clear in the title. An excellent idea.

So helpful!!, 10 Oct 2006
This book's an absolute treasure...I find it so confusing trying to pick out a wine in the supermarket but this gives you the best ones available. The price guide is really helpful too, especially when on a budget - makes sure you don't end up with a disgusting wine just because you can't afford the really expensive ones! I'd highly recommend this guide

A valuable addition to my bookcase, and a book that I use often, 30 Nov 2006
I have both this and the 3rd edition, and I would strongly recommend you to have a recent copy in your collection, but not to rush out and buy the new edition every time it appears. The 3rd edition had >1,000 pages and this one >1,600 pages, I suppose the next edition will have >2,000 pages - which ever way you look at it, it's fantastic value for money in terms of /kg. I know that much is said for and against Parker, but the point-rating system and the well-written text makes it an interesting and useful book. I have read some reviews that praise Parker for opening up new wine producing areas, new markets, and new tasting options. Other reviews condemn him for pushing for one type of taste and for inflating prices. I look at what the book gives me. Firstly, I like the descriptions about the countries, producers and wine. Secondly, I like rating systems, his and others, because they can help me decide what to go for next. Thirdly, I use his book to check interesting options that I find in supermarkets (I live in Europe and our supermarkets sometimes have an amazing range of wines on offer) and wine shops. Some people say it is too oriented to the US market, but it nevertheless has provided me with a few good finds, and it often comforts me in buying some lesser known producer or region/grape combination. I will admit that I use Bettane & Desseauve for my French wines, but I tend to use Parker for its coverage of wines from the new world.

The Indispensable Guide by the Incomparable Parker, 02 Jun 2004
There is absolutely no point in carping and moaning about it. Robert Parker is “The Man”, the “nec plus ultra” , when it comes to wine tasting, criticism and review. He is revered, feared, loathed, admired and beloved, in equal measure, by wine growers, “negociants”, importers and brokers (particularly in Bordeaux, home of the greatest and most noble wines), since it is he, who through his fearless and uninfluenceable criticisms, and more importantly, his 0-100 point scoring of wines, who effectively sets the prices that can be charged, and it is he who is the ultimate benchmark arbiter, world-wide, of which wines are good, which are bad, which are terrific, and which are abysmal. No matter who you are, and whatever may be your reputation, he will call it as he tastes it, and if that causes squeals of anguish amongst complacent or ineffective wine growers, so be it. For every big ego that he has bruised, he has elevated to recognition a brilliant, hard working, but previously overlooked wine grower from a less well known region or “appellation”. This has served as an inspiration to legions of young wine growers and oenologists, as never before. We, the consumer, bear all of the benefit. As President Chirac said, on the occasion of Parker being awarded France’s highest civilian honour, the “Chevalier de la Legion d’honneur” , “Robert Parker is the most followed and influential critic of French wines in the entire world”. Through his 0-100 point scoring system, which was at first much decried but which is now frequently mimicked by others, the wine lover, of whatever degree of experience or sophistication, is able to set out into the wine market place equipped with an invariably accurate, highly detailed, unusually informative and well judged companion and guide.
A word of warning: do not be seduced or beguiled by preconception or otherwise into the belief that an “RP” (ie. Robert Parker) score of 88 points or thereabouts reflects anything but a superb bottle of wine. You will not find many 88 pointers on the shelves of your local or out of town supermarket, let alone in your local off licence. As Parker himself describes it, wines scoring 80 to 89 points are “..very good. Many of the wines that fall into this range are often great value as well. I have many of these wines in my personal cellar.” Make no mistake. The wines that are reviewed in this book are, all of them, pretty damn fine. Only the very richest amongst readers will be able to undertake the pursuit of the various and mythical 100 pointers, whose prices will be out of reach to less fortunate mortals such as this reviewer.
The opening section of the book, in which Parker explains his methods and gives tips and advice as to the proper storage of wines, the use of additives, and making sense of the notion of “terroir”, as well as many other topics, is itself worth the price of the book. That is before one even comes to the wine reviews, which are set out region by region, and then in easy to find alphabetical order, with the recent vintages of each of the wines (four to five vintages from 2000 and prior are typically reviewed and scored, together with a “past glories” reference to any earlier outstanding vintages). The style of all of the writing, including the wine reviews is highly accessible and understandable, albeit within the slightly bizarre language of wine criticism.
Parker is generous in what he says about other quality wine critics, with whom he does not always agree, but whose integrity and passion he admires and respects. He says of Jancis Robinson, for example, that “no one should ignore what Britain’s leading lady of wine has to say” (coincidentally, Parker and Robinson are currently diametrically opposed in their opinions as to the quality of the 2003 Chateau Pavie, which Parker adores but which Robinson considers overblown).
A final thought, and the one that perhaps best sums up the usefulness and value of this book. I bought my copy of the book one year ago. It is big and heavy and seemed expensive to me at the time. It contains not a single picture on any of its 1600 plus pages. It is most definitely not a book for the coffee table. I have a good few other wine guides, many much cheaper, and some with a great many pretty pictures, and I use them all. However, the book to which I always make first reference and to which I always return, for one final check before sending off my cheque for another case of wine, is Parker’s. If you are a lover of good quality wine, or would like to be, you will have to buy this book.

(chanting): USA.. USA.. USA, ad nauseam, 24 Jul 2003
This is a big book. And it costs a lot of money. One could buy x bottles of (insert wine here) for the price of this weighty tome. But for serious imbibers the opinions of Parker simply cannot be ignored.Coming in two parts, France is marvellously covered, Rhone particulally but on reaching part two, from Italy onwards there are some glaring omisions. I couldn't find entries on some top tuscan wineries (Sassicaia..) and the remaining sections are strongly biased (esp. Australia) in favour of v. limited cult wineries. My biggest whine is that Californian wines take up about half of 'The rest of the world'. Whilst Bob Parkers stylistic preferences precede him there is little that will interest the European wine drinker here. Parker writes well and I enjoyed this volume but I feel that those on a budget could do without and spend the money on a bottle of Beaucastle '99!

Great Present for a Wine Lover, 17 Mar 2003
Very detailed information about French wines. Has everything you would even need to know, including what type of glasses to use! A bit light on the Southern Hemisphere and I think he needs to consider Australian wines but overall well worth it

5*..but if you have never heard of Robert Parker Jr ... 1*, 22 Jan 2003
This man has been described as the worlds most powerful critic, and it's true. Nobody, in any field, has as much infulence over his/her chosen field. People the world over, quite literally, make wines to please Parker.

Don't expect to find most of the wines in this book in your local supermarket, there are better books (Gluck, Oz Clarke) for that. But if you need to know about the worlds best wines, then there is abolutely no substitute for Parker. And by best wines, this means mainly France, also US, Italy, Australia. Don't expect too much more detail from other countries, Parker doesn't rate New Zealand much for example, apart from maybe Cloudy Bay.

So if you are looking for information on reasonably priced wines that are available in the high street, avoid this book. Most of the tastings are of vintages long since unavilable outside of an auction house.

But if you are serious about wine, then this is essential. And if you have any sort of investment at all in wine, you will no doubt have this anyway. A good review of one of your "en primeur" wines will send it's value soaring.

OK, but...., 10 Jul 2008
There is a wealth of information in this chunky little book. I only gaive it three stars because I feel there are rather too many ready-made, branded foods listed because the label on such items would give all the information, anyway, so no need to look them up in a reference book.

Everything I eat I have created myself so I need calorie values of ingredients, not finished items. So I found I had to wade through ready-made, canned, etc before I find what I am looking for.

But for someone who has little idea of caorie values or needs a fuller list this would be a good little reference book to keep in the kitchen.

Poor selection of everyday foods, 26 Mar 2008
Items listed within the book assumes everybody buys brands names therefore on that basis the information contained was very limited.

Not So Comprehensive, 03 Dec 2007
As mentioned by another reviewer, its coverage is less than comprehensive. It seems to blithely assume that people only ever buy brand-named foods - what about shop's own brands? I couldn't find a single one. Pretty good value for money if you ignore this, but disappointing for me as I don't buy brand names. It does at least have a decent selection of fruit and veg in it.

Far from comprehensive, 15 Sep 2007
I have used a book like this for years, but wanted an update because many of the manufactured items were out-of-date, and many things which are now commonplace were rare in 1991.

I still find myself using my old book in preference to this one.

This sort of book should be comprehensive and easy to use.

The book has details of many manufactured foods - which is, to a degree, pointless because (a) manufacturers frequently change their recipes (and thus the food's calories) and (b) publish the calories on the packet. When it comes to basic food items, the coverage is average and has some surprising omissions. For example, it doesn't tell you how many calories there are in raw asparagus, just in the boiled tips. If you want to know the calorific value of aubergine, tough (unless you happen to have fried your aubergine in corn oil, that is). And that's just the As.

The layout isn't terribly clear but that's probably more a result of the Gem format. It provides values per 100g in the main: invest in a decent set of digital scales and you're away (which should help the honey-dripper reviewer below).

Avoid unless you only eat ready meals!

A Bible for weight loss, 05 Jun 2007
Been there done that, after putting on weight from giving up smoking. If you seriously want to lose weight this book provides the foolproof method without the smoke and mirrors of Atkins Diets etc:

1. Get this book (it's a pocket sized book - you don't need to read it all, just the introduction to get started)
2. Keep a food diary (examples can be found on the web - I kept mine on a spreadsheet)
3. Use the book and the diary to keep a tight track of calories in v calories out (the book is a real education in this respect, also providing information on calories burned during exercise)
4. Then stay below your maintenance calorie level (you can calculate this from the book) and you can't fail to lose weight (I stayed 1000 calories per day below my maintenance weight = about 2lbs loss per week). Even if you consume too many calories one day, do some exercise to take it off the next
5. Some reviewers have downgraded their review of this book because the book provides a calorie count per 100 grams or millilitres of food or drink. However, this is the most foolproof way of calorie counting so keep some scales and a measuring jug handy to take the lazy guesswork out of the equation. Otherwise you will only cheat yourself...!


Fabulous!, 25 Aug 2008
This is a fantastic student recipe book. As a student I've owned many recipe books aimed at students but none of them have the content and quality of this one. It makes healthy eating seem easy and achievable, which for students setting out on their own can seem daunting. With the clever and helpful extras such as tips, tricks and games that other books don't have, it is an awesome guide for students - particularly freshers who are looking for an insight into what university life will be like. I wish I'd had it as a fresher!!

Would 100% recommend this book! :)

Definitely "Sorted"!!, 20 Aug 2008
This is a great book, bought one for my daughter who is just about to head off to uni and she loves it! It has plenty of tips as well as the recipes, so it covers all aspects of the student lifestyle.

We tried one of the recipes tonight, Portugese soup, and it was gorgeous!

Definitely not just for students, this book really hits all the right places!!

Sorted, 19 Aug 2008
Brilliant book, cleverly put together in "student speak" although clearly you do not need to be a student to enjoy the fabulous recipes.

Worth buying if you're studying nutrition or even just keen to improve your health, 06 Mar 2007
This is a very good book, which is clearly thoroughly researched and contains a lot of fascinating information. It gives you the science behind all the "magazine diet" info on fats. The book goes into the biochemistry, how fats are produced, history (including how the corrupt food giants misguided the public about certain fats and oils), fats in your food and how they affect your body or can lead to disorders.
There are quite a lot of grammatical errors, but I was willing to overlook them because the information is presented in an easy to understand way. The most interesting aspects were about the oil manufacturers (another example of how industry created urban myths to boost their sales) cholesterol theory and the most nutritious oils available for consumption: hemp seed and oil flax seed oil. I would have liked more detail on the therapeutic use of fats, for example how much of what type of oil for how long to see a difference etc. But clearly more research needs to be done, especially into the therapeutic benefits of hemp and flax.

Essential reading for anyone who really cares about health, 24 Apr 2001
Udo Erasmus spent 6 years researching the nutritional and industry literature to properly understand the effects of oils and fats on human health. Udo's book presents these findings in clear English, so allowing all of us to understand what the scientists and nutritionalists have been discovring but but not telling anyone!

Udo writes that oil and fats have a profound effect on health, with highly processed oils, such as those commonly found on the Supermarket shelf, being highly detrimental - leading to long term degenerative diseases. Udo also explains that two oils are essential (i.e. humans cannot manufacture them they have to be taken in as part of a healthy diet), these being Omega 3 and Omega 6 oils. When the body has enough of these (an essential oil mix of a least a tablespoon a day or equivilent in crushed seeds or oily fish)there are a whole number of good things which allow the body to function properly and healthily.

Udo presents a well rounded picture by including the role of vitamins and minerals in helping essential oils to do their good work. If you know someone who suffers a degenerative disease and wants to get back to full health, this book provides useful guidance on appropriate and drug free diets and (vitamin / mineral)suppliments.

Udo is perhaps at his most entertaining when he damns the Medical profession for being being uneducated in the realms of health (they are educated in the realms of disease), and their propensity to dish out drugs which deal with symptoms instead of using nutrition to deal with the cause.

The edible oil industry gets a scathing review, as they seem intent on pumping out millions of gallons of nutritionally questionable fats and oils, knowing that their manufacturing processes damage the product.

At his most profound level, Udo discusses the effects of poor nutrition leading to criminal behaviour, uncontrollable children, moods and poor temperament. When the diet of these disturbed p