The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook

Product Information

Lots of great historical information about food, cooking, and the difference between upstairs and downstairs. The Downton version is notable for adding culinary variety (and drama) with a soufflé topping, soufflés being a regular feature in the Downton kitchen. My copy of The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook arrived last week and it's as beautiful a cookbook as I'd hoped it would be.

For this book I jumped into my collection of cookery books of not only the early 20th century in which Downton is set but also the Victorian era when our most beloved cook Mrs Patmore was training as a chef. The recipes are grouped by occasion, which include breakfast; luncheons and suppers; afternoon tea and garden parties; picnics, shoots and racemeets; festivities; upstairs dinner; desserts and canapes; downstairs dinner; downstairs supper and tea; and the still room. Annie frequently appears on television and radio, including The Great British Bake Off, Heston's Great British Food and BBC Radio 4's Kitchen Cabinet. Others were cookbooks written by aristocratic ladies like Lady Cora Crawley with recipes gifted to them by other ladies of her circle.The book intermingles quotes about tea from the Downton Abbey series and photographs from the show that depicts tea in some manner. Food historian Dr Annie Gray is familiar to British audiences as a regular on the BBC Radio 4 panel show ‘ The Kitchen Cabinet. I’m happy to announce the publication of my new book: ‘The Official Downton Abbey Christmas Cookbook’! Afternoon tea is a revered and treasured English tradition—and no one knows better how to prepare and enjoy a proper tea than the residents of Downton Abbey. The book's lushly photographed and the historical notes peppered throughout are by British food historian Annie Gray.

Turbot is one of the most prized fish in French cuisine, and the recipe for Turbot with Hollandaise would make a suitably extravagant centerpiece for a Downton-themed dinner – but if you don’t (yet) own a turbotière, you may need to improvise your cooking arrangements to accommodate the fish’s unusual shape. The Cookbook presents over 100 recipes showcasing the cookery of the Crawley household - from upstairs dinner party centrepieces to downstairs puddings and pies - and brings an authentic slice of Downton Abbey to fans' modern kitchens. Gray's historical notes are brilliant insights into the life and times of era in which the show takes place. Get information about the pandemic from trusted and trustworthy sources like the CDC and your local state and city government. This book is a must for anyone who loved Downton Abbey and enjoys cooking (particularly elaborate or time consuming dishes, as most take hours or even days to prepare [obviously with a lot of downtime between steps.However, nothing included is outside of the realm of the modern cook, and they took great pains to make sure that these recipes are something that anyone could tackle. We are treated to recipes for just about every course imaginable--from the standard breakfast, lunch, dinner, supper and afternoon tea, to garden parties, picnics, shoots, and festive holiday fare. Pattmore and young cooks like Daisy and how young cooks were more brand conscious and eager to adopt new technologies that made their lives easier. Even if you did not have the skills to cook some of the more exotic meals you believe they ate in the Downton period, this book clearly lays the ingredients out boldly and clearly, with nowhere near as many items in each recipe that I thought it might include, which makes it so much easier to follow. My daughter bought this for me for Christmas and I can't wait to make the yummy desserts in it (except that I am trying to eat more healthy!

I also uncovered a celebration of strong women, from the extraordinary position of Mrs Patmore as a female chef in a period when men were still lord and master in the kitchens of the aristocratic households. I believe the TV show is a great window into this time in history and the author proves this successfully. Given the state of the world and as part of my efforts to lessen my impact on the spread of this virus, I'm suspending my cooking and baking classes until further notice. It's a really fun mix of food/cookery info from Edwardian England, a little trivia from the show, and very interesting and achievable recipes.Food historian Annie Gray in The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook offers up not only a feast for the eyes and the palette, but a marvelous historical journey through the lives, the country homes, the foods, the kitchens, and the people who populated such places as the fictional Downton Abbey. As Downton Abbey is a snapshot of British Class and the way the people of England interacted and lived together. This book is being re-released in a gift set with a matching apron this year in 2022 for seasonal gift giving. This is a lovely book with interesting and informative text, plus wonderful photographs and recipes that demonstrate the “Downton” era both upstairs and downstairs. Anyhow, The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook, while highlighting English foods, has had its recipes sifted through an American filter.