The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook

by Annie Gray, Gareth Neame

Overview

Recipes, notes, and photos from the show, “sumptuously presented in spectacular fashion even the blessed Lady Mary would approve of” (Chowhound).

Food historian and show consultant Annie Gray gives a rich and fascinating insight into the background of the dishes that were popular between 1912 and 1926, when Downton Abbey is set—a period of tremendous change and conflict, as well as culinary development. With a foreword by executive producer and co-creator Gareth Neame, and featuring over one hundred stunning color photographs, The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook also includes a special section on hosting Downton-themed dinner parties and presents stills from the TV series and film.

Notes on the etiquette and customs of the times, quotes from the characters, and descriptions of the scenes in which the foods appear provide vivid context for the dishes. The recipes are grouped by occasion, which include breakfast; luncheons and suppers; afternoon tea and garden parties; picnics, shoots and race meets; festivities; upstairs dinner; downstairs dinner; downstairs supper and tea; and the still room.

Whether adapted from original recipes of the period, replicated as seen or alluded to on screen, or typical of the time, all the recipes reflect the influences found on the Downton Abbey tables.

“A truly useful work of culinary history.” —Publishers Weekly

“Will let you live your best Dowager Countess life.” —Food & Wine

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781681885933
Publisher:	Weldon Owen
Publication date:	09/17/2019
Series:	Downton Abbey Cookery
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	NOOK Book
Pages:	272
Sales rank:	27,224
File size:	27 MB
Note:	This product may take a few minutes to download.

About the Author

Annie Gray is one of Britain’s leading food historians. She holds degrees from the University of Oxford, as well as York and Liverpool, and is an honorary research associate at the University of York. She is the author of a culinary biography of Queen Victoria: The Greedy Queen, Eating with Victoria (2016), as well as Victory in the Kitchen: The Story of Churchill’s Cook (2020), a biography of Georgina Landemare, Winston Churchill’s longest serving cook. She is also the resident food historian in BBC Radio 4’s popular food panel show, The Kitchen Cabinet, and has both presented and consulted for various British TV productions, including the recent Victoria and Albert: The Wedding (also shown on PBS), and The Sweetmakers. She is also a consultant for the Victorian Way/Mrs. Crocombe series for English Heritage on YouTube. She works generally as a consultant to the heritage industry on historic food and dining, and worked for many years as a costumed interpreter, leading the service wing team at the award-winning Audley End House (English Heritage). She is a huge fan of a proper suet pudding.

Editorial Reviews

09/16/2019

Food historian Gray (Queen Victoria: The Greedy Queen, Eating with Victoria) does more than simply collect recipes popular from 1912 to 1926 in this fun and astute tie-in to Downton Abbey. In a cogent introduction, she describes the technological advances of the era, such as the electric toaster and the move to a more “pared-down” cuisine, albeit one still lavish and complex to modern eyes: “sauces took only a few hours, rather than a few days, to prepare.” Reflecting the class divisions depicted on the show, the selections are divided into “upstairs” and “downstairs” dishes, i.e., fare fit for aristocrats (truffled eggs; filet mignon) and a shorter selection of simpler options for the servants (Toad-in-the-Hole; steak and kidney pudding). Helpful lists of common ingredients and those that are less so (such as suet and mushroom ketchup, which can be purchased online) and sure-footed instructions ensure that the recipes are usable. There are methods for the lobster “cutlets” (croquettes with lobster legs inserted as bone stand-ins) from jilted Edith’s wedding breakfast, as well as the deviled sheep’s kidneys served to Cora’s American mother (played by Shirley MacLaine) in season three. The volume is amply illustrated with stills from the TV production as well as snippets of dialogue, but Gray’s thoughtful and informed prose elevates it from mere tie-in to a truly useful work of culinary history. (Sept.)

Publishers Weekly

"With both of these books in your hands, you'll be able to have a complete evening at Downton in your own home..."

Romper

Nothing short of a bible for the serious fan, with every recipe mentioned in the show, plus dozens of others common for the period, sumptuously presented in spectacular fashion even the blessed Lady Mary would approve of, with gorgeous photos and context from author/food historian/show consultant Annie Gray

Chowhound

The perfect way to recreate a little of that Highclere glamour in the comfort of your own home

Town & Country

The perfect way to recreate a little of that Highclere glamour in the comfort of your own home

Town & Country

11/01/2019

Food historian Gray offers an inventive way to bring home cooks into Downton Abbey, the series that captured so many hearts. While not the focus of the series's story lines, food was always in the background, a secondary character to the drama unfolding throughout. The long narrative reminds readers how food was present throughout the series, and occasionally offers historical context about the food culture of the time. Recipes in the cookbook are separated into two sections, Upstairs and Downstairs, which refer to the dining rooms where the dishes and meals would be served. Whether it's designed for Breakfast, The Still Room, or Supper & Tea, each recipe includes a few sentences of dialogue and the episode in which the dish appeared. Abundant photography, including stills from the show and recipe portraits, are beautifully stylized. Not everything is equally accessible; the average cook is more likely to make and eat scones or beef stew with dumplings than mutton with caper sauce. As the recipes are written with an assumption that the reader is already a cook, this book is not for beginners. VERDICT A beautiful book for Downton Abbey lovers and serious traditional cooks.—Sara Jurek, Children's English Lib., Stuttgart, Germany

Library Journal