The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook (Downton Abbey Cookery)

Product Information

Each of the sections that discuss the series "Downton Abbey" in various ways are informative and educational, but are never "over-done" There are multiple discussions of the Grantham Family as well as the servants, but there is also a greater discussion of British Society and history as well. As Downton Abbey is a snapshot of British Class and the way the people of England interacted and lived together. The research and historic work that went into this cookbook is clear. I believe the TV show is a great window into this time in history and the author proves this successfully. This well-researched and compelling cookbook from food historian Dr. Annie Gray includes more than 100 authentic and delicious period recipes, accompanied by spectacular images of the Downton Abbey cast, food photography, quotes and historical information to vividly bring the dishes and customs of the Crawley’s English country home to life. FINALLY!!!! I have acquired the Downton Abbey cookbook. After all this time… it was worth it! I love baking and cooking, and I also love Downton Abbey + history. Mix all together and you’ve got the official DA cookbook. Amazing. 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. 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.

The layout of the book delves into the various meals of the day, including the British "tea" and what exactly they ate during these different repasts. What I loved about the book is that nothing is taken for granted but given real consideration.

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. But aside from the recipes & the ingredients that I scoured as I devoured this book's words & awesome photos, this cookbook provided a richness of info about old English Christmas traditions as well. I love reading about different holiday traditions of all kinds, worldwide, but the food-related stuff is a "biggie" for me. I have "tagged" 21 recipes in this as possibilities for adding to my soon-to-be-cooked or to-be-baked or even a to-be-concocted list in the near, or maybe even farther into the future. I'm not likely to do a complete Old English Christmas any time soon, if ever, but I "starred" (as in "*") a few recipes for earlier creation in our kitchen . For instance, the author cites Dorothy Hartley's Food in England re her mentions of "Epiphany Tart" in relation to its 6-pointed star design with a dozen different jams, although Hartley did not provide a recipe in her writing. I want to try the Downton writer's version of that tart, perhaps for the real Epiphany holiday on January 6th (in honor, actually, of the Italian legend of La Befana!) 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!

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. As the book is reflecting the divided class of Downton Abbey, and the cookbook likewise is divided (mostly) into two parts. There are in this book recipes for the gentry and the recipes for the servant class respectively separated. The introduction gives an excellent overview of the way food was important in British society and also how the dishes served were different for the various classes. As history (and science) moved forward, the availability of food and access to foodstuffs, electricity, refrigeration also changed the way the classes ate. 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. Featuring stunning photographs of dishes and the beloved series, plus notes on customs of the time, quotes from characters, and descriptions of scenes, this unique cookbook provides vivid context for the dishes and brings the show to life. Savor the rich traditions and historic flavors of Downton Abbey for contemporary palettes with Cornish Pasties, Jam and Custard Tarts, and more! Let’s not forget the photography and mouthwatering visions of meals, separated by the Upstairs and Downstairs menus.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) 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. There are things I would have done differently – less sauce on my fillets, making sure my fruit didn’t bob to the top of the mold (or what ends up being the bottom)– maybe my fruit pieces were sliced too thin and hence too light? 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. 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.