Giddyup. I'm on my high horse.

Now don't get me wrong, I like my curry deliveries and ready-made-flan cases as much as the next girl, but I am very disappointed to hear news that Delia Smith is a fan of unmentionable gross stuff like frozen char-grilled aubergine - from ASDA no less.

When I first arrived on these fine British shores I encountered and basked in the warm, maternal glow of her bread-filled oven. And now the light has been replaced with ready chopped ginger and cheese sauce in a jar.

While the Telegraph have filled their pages with news of exactly which products are about to enjoy 'the Delia effect', Zoe Williams at The Guardian seemed as bewildered by the aubergine thing as I am.

When Delia recommends big brand, multi-national varieties of ready made mashed potatoes, surely we have to ask ourselves what the world is coming to.

If there's anyone out there who'd rather keep it 'old school Delia' I've found a recipe in that has her doing the aubergine char-grilling herself, the results of which are shown in the picture at the top of this post - those were the days.