the "Gourmet" prompt...
35. Delia Smith- If you’re British, she’s a saint; if you’re not, you’ve probably never heard of her, but the cookbook author who looks like a nun and owns a Premier League soccer club has led generations of Brits to the kitchen, and will no doubt continue to do so for decades to come.
Born in 1941, she left school at the age of 16 and became a hair dresser...then a shop assistant...and shortly after worked in a travel agency. But having been complimented on her cooking by a boyfriend, she decided that cookery was the path she should take. She started work at a tiny restaurant called The Singing Chef (in Paddington) when she was 21 as a "washer-upper" (dishwasher?). She then became a waitress and eventually was allowed in the kitchen. She began reading English cookery books in the Reading Room of the British Museum and trying out recipes on the family she lived with. In 1969, she became the cookery writer for the Daily Mirror's new magazine where she met her husband Michael Wynn-Jones (he was the deputy editor of this mag). Throughout her lifetime, she wrote many other columns and cookbooks, plus she hosted cooking shows and demonstrations. I thought it pretty cool to mention that in 2009 she was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire. Not that I have the slightest clue what that is...but it sounds impressive.
