The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook: From Lady Mary’s Crab Canapes to Mrs. Patmore’s Christmas Pudding (Adams Media, $21.95), by Emily Ansara Baines, promises more than “150 recipes from Upstairs and Downstairs.”
Fans will enjoy the name-dropping and references, from Mrs. Patmore’s Dropped Roasted Chicken to the Upstairs Anchovy-Onion Tarts. “It’s likely that Lady Mary would stay away from this particular hors d’oeuvre as it would give her bad breath — and then the charming Pamuk might never want to kiss her,” writes Ansara Baines, whose credits include The Unofficial Hunger Games Cookbook and work as a professional baker and caterer.
Bubble and squeak’s there; so are Lancashire hot pot and Bakewell tarts. The author peppered the book with “Times Gone By” and “Etiquette Lessons” sidebars.
While the book has it charms, those with a knowledge of English cookery may look askance at a few recipes — shepherd’s pie topped with pastry, not mashed potatoes? And with the Edwardian era fading and Crawley wealth diminishing, the excesses of French food seem a bit much.
— Judy Hevrdejs
Chicago Tribune
