You don't need to be an experienced cook to enjoy this book, but if you are, it will most certainly make you itchy to break out your batterie de cuisine. I'm going to start by making some pikelets, a crumpet-like form free muffin. Yum. It will be the beginning of a long, I hope, cooking adventure.j I’m a girl reared in southern Philadelphia area in a neighborhood of working class blue collar families so... I’d definitely be in the Downstairs grouping. While the meals/recipes presented for the upper class look good, I found more “comfort food” with the likings of Toad in the Hole or Cauliflower Cheese. Look at this,doesn't it resemble mac and cheese? There's a bit of mental disconnect when you get a forkful. The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook with a foreword by Gareth Neame, Downton Abbey Executive Producer, will be distributed in North America by Simon & Schuster. If I were to have a party in the future, I might make mini versions and serve them as appetizers. I think some kind of seafood-y dip would go well with these. Holidays get special attention in the chapter titled "Festive Food" We have some stellar takes on traditional favorites that are included with the recipes for "Brussels Sprouts with Chestnuts", "Lemon Mincemeat", "Christmas Pudding", "Yule Log" (A cake), "Hot Cross Buns","Simnel Cake" and"Plum Cake" These are classic British recipes for seasonal dishes and they are handled in a way that any modern cook can easily make them. An essay starts the chapter detailing the importance of these foods and each recipe has handy notes that discuss the dish and how it could be adapted.

I made all of these the same day, for the same dinner, to essentially create a ‘Downton Abbey Dinner for Two.’ Added benefit is the historical context — adding extra facts to the DA story shows how much effort went into the series to be historically appropriate. Recipe Note from the book: This is an English classic, and done badly, it remains the source of nightmares for many people forced to prepare and cook at school. ( where it was often done with the whole cauliflower, serve soggy on the outside and raw in the middle)This book was very much lovingly crafted and is no small work. The detail about the food being served and how it reflects the class system, time period and traditional foodways of England is riveting. Annie Gray is not merely a food historian, she's also a brilliant food writer who clearly loves food as much as you or I do. Each of the recipes here in this book are crafted specifically to highlight the traditional dish it is based upon. I found everything in this work interesting and something that I would want to cook. As someone who has watched the series myself as a fan, I did not expect that to be the case when I went to read this book. I assumed going in, that I would be dealing with a lot of fussy food gourmet food -over prepared and excessive, I could not have been more wrong. An inside look at the intricate costuming of the popular PBS series, including character costume choices and the historic fashion trends characteristic of the aristocracy during the Edwardian era. The book is divided into sections: Soups, Fish and Shellfish, Meat, Game and Roasts, Meat Pies and Savory Puddings, Sides and Vegetables, Sauces, Savories, Desserts and Sweets, Drinks. The recipes are modernized for modern kitchens but recipe notes explaining the history of some of the recipes and how they would have been prepared. The notes also explain the differences between English and American traditions and tie-in the traditions to the characters. The 2020 IBPA Awards Winner! Bring an authentic slice of Downton Abbey into your kitchen with over 100 delicious recipes from this official cookbook.

Categories — Cooking/Baking, TV/Pop Culture, Historical - British, Edwardian/Victorian, Visually Driven, Educational The Meringues were delicious, and the Raspberry Fool that fills them is very easy to make, and very light and tasty. Lots of interesting facts, recipes, and more. Some other of my "tagged recipes" in THE OFFICIAL DOWNTON ABBEY CHRISTMAS COOKBOOK are Apple and Celery Salad, Roasted Parsnips, a few sauces, Hazelnut Cake with Coffee Icing, Wardley Cake, and Smoking Bishop (I already know what non-alcoholic liquid I can substitute for the bottle of red port in the latter recipe!). If you love to cook and/or you're interested in the history of food, this might be a terrific book for you to get hold of. Not to mention that it's also about some of the delicious dishes you might've seen while watching Downton Abbey!Doing them all in the same 8-hour period required a little work and planning, since I don’t have a kitchen staff to assist me. I do have my husband and Dachshund…but they’re more help than hindrance ( they mean well). Gray has done extensive research on the meals included in the world of Downton Abbey and chosen those suited to a contemporary palate that can be replicated in today’s kitchens. I have only seen two episodes but I think if you are a die hard fan of Downton Abbey you will love this cookbook. It’s treasure of information, snippets about the show including dialogue and episode notes, recipes and the historical story about the meals presented. I also had to put the jelly in the freezer for an hour because I didn’t see the part about the jelly being in the fridge for at least 8 hours. It worked, and the Champagne Jelly really does end up keeping the Champagne taste (or Prosecco in my case). The series "Downton Abbey" is a historical dramatic television series set in the early 20th century in the region of Yorkshire England. It takes place at the fictional estate of "Downton Abbey" in the time around WWI and before the events of WWII. The series details the lives of all the classes living within the estate and their interactions. There was a Downton Abbey film and spin-off television series "The Golden Age" currently airing on television.

Food is a constant presence at Downton Abbey and the focus of daily life and festive occasions. The enticing recipes in The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook provide an evocative and fascinating portrait of life, upstairs and downstairs, during the Edwardian era and in to the 1920s. Appealing to Anglophiles, costume and sewing aficionados, and fans of the hit series, The Costumes of Downton Abbey presents—with comprehensive historical detail and beautiful imagery—the design decisions and wardrobe intricacies that shaped the glamour and elegance of the characters of Downton Abbey. There are tons of pictures. Very easy to follow recipes. Very clear on instructions and ingredients. Accessible to most skill levels, some recipes require a bit more effort than others or a special pan or two.

Table of Contents

There are full color photos of the recipes and also from the show. There are quotes from the Christmas episodes for all 5 seasons. Beware spoilers if you haven't seen all seasons. Make sure you set your oven to the right temp, I accidentally baked my first batch at 250 vs 200 and ended up with mocha colored meringues (still very good, and I’ll use them with chocolate ice cream). But I did have to make them over for this dinner.

Annie Gray's The Downton Abbey Cookbook is a fascinating food history read. Even if you didn't watch the show, which would certainly help, there's a great deal of interesting discussion of food shortages, availability, evolving cookery tools and technologies, and some statistics that may well amaze and confound you. An Official Companion to the Downton Abbey Films and TV Series: An exclusive inside look at the intricate and glamorous costuming of the popular PBS series, with complete historical detail and beautiful imagery. Weldon Owen doesn't skimp on their cookbooks, even during a Pandemic. This is a gorgeous, full-color, hardcover book filled with Christmas recipes and traditions from Britain's past. Some are from long before the Downton Abbey days, traditions that carried over and some are from the future but classics of British Christmas tables the Crawleys probably would have known. In the chapter titled "Breakfast" we are presented with some traditional dishes such as "Kedgeree" (a dish of fish, rice and eggs), English Muffins(sounds hard to make, but not so much after reading this.), "Deviled Biscuits"(a perfect savory brunch offering), and "Pikelets" (a sort of free form crumpet that could become part of your daily home repertoire). A brief history of this meal begins the chapter and there are asides on the baking of bread in the Grantham household. Additional notes for each recipe gives historical and cultural information.The "Lunch and Supper" chapter was centered on recipes for the midday meal. Items like "Sardine Salad"(a lovely preparation), "Lobster Cutlets", "Ham with Red Wine and Almonds", "Cornish Pasties"(traditional meat pies), "Eggs A La St James" and "Vegetable Curry" A history of the midday meal as it is observed in England and has included as well as "Notes' for each recipe discussing how the dish is singular to the series or can be changed to suit tastes.