I'm the drain the bottle type

Delia Smith

She suggested "real women" used packet mashed potato and would not have leftover wine to make into ice-cubes for future casseroles, contrary to Delia's directions.

But Delia Smith has told the BBC Mrs Kinnock appears to have quoted spoof instructions posted on the internet as a joke.

Mrs Kinnock later insisted she did use Delia's recipes and said the speech on issues affecting women was meant to be humorous, and not intended to cause offence.

Among her observations in the speech to 350 guests at the dinner in Newport, south Wales, on International Women's Day on Friday were reported to be:

• Delia says: "To keep potatoes from budding, place an apple in the bag with the potatoes."
  Real women say: "Buy Smash and keep it in the cupboard for a year."

• Delia says: "Brush some beaten egg white over pie crust to yield a beautiful, glossy finish."
  Real women say: "The Fray Bentos pie directions do not include brushing egg whites over the crust, so I don't do it."

• Delia says: "Don't throw out all that leftover wine. Freeze into ice cubes for future use in casseroles."
  Real women say: "What leftover wine?"

Glenys Kinnock: "Didn't mean to cause offence"

"She is quite right when she says real women don't do that - of course they don't."

Delia, whose How to Cook books have sold 2.8 million copies, said she did not take the comments too seriously.

"It is just funny that she chose to quote these funny jokes on the website," she said.

"There is a time to cook and there is time not to cook. Obviously we all make use of ready meals and packet foods when we have to."

But unable to resist offering some culinary advice she added: "If you are going to spend a Saturday afternoon making a nice apple pie then maybe you would want to put a glaze on."