When I first reviewd this book last year, I said it contained too many fussy recipes and gave it only 6/10. However, following several complaints, I have revisited it and I have to admit I was wrong - hence the upgraded 8/10 rating. I have tried several more recipes myself, and spoken to others who have tried more - all with great success.

The book contains over 200 pages of "summer" recipes, some of which are pictured in colour. When you first flick through the book, you will notice two main course recipes that leap out at you (this may largely be because of the full page colour photos!). The first of these is the magnificent "Baked Lamb with Rosemary with Recurrant and Mint Sauce". I have had this many times, and it is one of my all time favourites - it is a typical Delia Smith recipe, being easy to make and tasting really great. In fact, I would almost say that the book is worth buying for that recipe alone. The second recipe is the "Chicken with Sherry Vinegar and Tarragon Sauce", which includes shallots and is delicious. A second look at the book reveals many more tempting recipes.

The first chapter covers soups, starters and light lunches. There is a lovely recipe for Piedmont Roasted Peppers, and several asparagus recipes. The second chapter features salads and dressings such as American Blue Cheese Dressing. Chapter three is all about fish. Here you will find a great Salmon Fishcake recipe, a Crab Cakes recipe and several Thai dishes.

Next comes a chapter about vegetables, my favourite being the Oven-raosted Potatoes with Garlic and Rosemary. Next comes a great chpater about barbecues and other outdoor food. There is a page devoted to "Amercian" Half-ounder hamburgers, and a great recipe for Spiced Lamb and Cashew Kebabs. You will also find detailed instructions for making your own Lemonade and Iced Tea. Vegetarian recieps make up the next section of the book, one of which is a very nice Roasted Mediterranean Vegetable Lasagne. Not being a vegetarian myself, I must admit that there wasn't anything else in this chapter that took my fancy.

The Meat and Poultry chapter contains the two recipes mentioned above, and also some curries and a very nice Chicken Basque - chicken, rice, olives and peppers. The Ices & Granitas section of the book contains many ice cream recipes - and I strongly recommend you get hold of an ice cream maker if you love ice cream as it makes tings so much easier. The follwoing chapter is about baking and desserts, and includes several muffin recipes and a really good One-crust Pie with many variations - this is as easy as it gets (and of course you can always cheat and by the pastry if you're in a hurry).

The book finshes with a short section of Preserves, and another short section on Breads and Pizza.
Delia Smith's Summer Collection contains 140 recipes, and there is enough here to make it a worthwhile buy. Unfortunately only a few of the recipes are pictured, but other than that there is not much to complain about.

Available worldwide on-line from Amazon.com
Available on-line in the UK from Amazon.co.uk