Simply Delicious by Orva

About the Book

This book was written in order to fill the need for delicious dishes that are quick to prepare. The author produced a series of television shows called “ Simply Delicious by Orva” devoted to the development and exposition of such recipes.

For over 20 years the author was owner and head chef of Parties by Orva, catering events in the greater Washington D.C. Metropolitan area. The television show and the recipes in this book, owe a great deal to the experience gained in that catering enterprise.

The recipes are easy to follow, have few ingredients, and are generally quick to prepare. The results are spectacular. Many shortcuts are used without loss of flavor or quality. The recipes – even classics like Stroganoff, Cordon Bleu, Soupe de Poisson and Gumbo – have been simplified for ease of preparation. The biscuits alone (only 3 ingredients) are worth the whole effort. Most of the desserts are particularly easy and luscious with judicious use of prepared ingredients such as frozen piecrust, puff pastry shells, and canned and frozen fruit. Occasionally long cooking time cannot be avoided. For those dishes the author suggests preparing extra and she includes many recipes to make leftovers seem like new meals.

This book is derived from the first 94 shows in the television series. The recipes are all thoroughly experimentally verified, as the television crew for those shows will testify, since they were the beneficiaries of the dishes that were prepared on camera.

All of these recipes use only “real”, full fat ingredients -- butter (not margarine), mayonnaise (unsweetened not “lite” or low fat), real vanilla (not artificial vanilla flavoring), and full fat dairy products -- milk, cheese, sour cream and cream cheese, with no substitutes recommended! Indeed, in many cases substitutes will cause the recipe to fail. In some places warnings are given about substitutions, where they can do the most harm to the preparation of the recipe.

About the Author

Orva was born in Illinois and grew up in Mississippi. She lives in Virginia. Until she retired in 2001, Orva was owner and head chef of Parties by Orva, catering to the greater DC Metropolitan Area. Together with her husband Bill, Orva co-produced a TV show Simply Delicious by Orva, which is telecast each week on Channel 10 Cox Cable in Fairfax County Virginia. She is the on-screen talent and the recipes are hers. Orva has one son and two grandchildren. Orva volunteers for the Washington Humane Society. She has proudly been owned by many dogs in her life and is happy to see others so blessed.