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MANILA, Philippines - Who is the English cook and TV presenter who is the UK’s best-selling cookbook author with more than 18 million copies sold?
She was born in Woking Surrey in 1941, and it was a compliment from her boyfriend that made her step into cookery. At 21, she worked in a tiny restaurant called The Singing Chef, where she worked her way up until she was allowed to help in cooking. She started reading English cookery books in the Reading Room at the British Museum, trying out recipes with a family with whom she was living at that time.
In 1969, she was taken on as the cookery writer for the Daily Mirror’s new magazine. Her first piece featured kipper pate, beef in beer, and cheesecake. In 1972, she started a column in the Evening Standard, which she was to write for 12 years.
She became famous by hosting a cookery television show Family Fare, which ran from 1973 to 1975. She approached BBC Further Education with an idea for their first televised cookery course. Her aim was to teach people how to cook: To take them back to basics and to cover all the classic techniques. Accompanying cookbooks were needed to explain not only how, but why, things happen.
This led her to three cookery course books.
Since then, she has written numerous books including How to Cheat at Cooking (1971), Recipes from Country Inns and Restaurants (1973), The Evening Standard Cookbook (1974), Cakes, Bakes, and Steaks, (1977), The Book of Cakes, (1977), a three volume Cookery Course, Christmas (1990), Summer Collection, 1993, Winter Collection, 1995, and Kitchen Garden (2007).
She has also written religious books like A Feast for Advent and A Feast for Lent, both in 1983, as well as A Journey into Prayer in 1986 and A Journey into God in 1988.
Her influence was such that her TV series How to Cook in 1998 reportedly led to a 19 percent rise in egg sales in Britain. Her use of ingredients such as frozen mash, tinned minced beef, and onions), or utensils (such as an omelette pan) could cause sell-outs overnight.
This phenomenon — called the “Effect” — was most recently seen in 2008 after the new cookbook, How to Cheat at Cooking was published. Her fame was such that her first name has become sufficient to identify her in public, and items that have benefited from the effect include the Kenwood mini chopper, Martelli Pasta, and Aunt Bessie’s mashed potato. And she has rubbed elbows with celebrities, baking the cake depicted on the cover of the Rolling Stones album “Let it Bleed.”
In 2003, she announced her retirement from TV. However, she returned for an eponymously titled six part series airing on the BBC in spring 2008. The accompanying book, an update of her original 1971 bestseller How to Cheat at Cooking was published and immediately became a number one bestseller.
She was won numerous awards for her work, including a honorary degree at the Nottingham University, a fellowship from St. Mary’s University College, and a Fellowship from the Royal Television Society.
Last week’s question: Who is the Finnish architect and designer who is considered one of the first and most influential architects of the Scandinavian modern movement, and is known for his legendary glassware?
Answer: Alvar Aalto
Winner: Eusebia Joy B. Mendoza of Los Baños Laguna
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Text your answer to 0915-1371538 with your name and address. One winner will be chosen through a raffle of texts with the correct answer. The winner will receive P2,000 worth of SM gift certificates for use at Our Home, SM Department Store, or SM Supermarket. They can claim their prize at Our Home in SM Megamall. Call the store manager at 634-1951.Bring photocopies of two valid IDs and a clipping of the Design Quiz issue in which you appear as winner.
