Before the cocktail hour, there was the cup. A jug of champagne, cupped on a warm afternoon, was as essential to Edwardian entertaining as the guest list. If you have ever wondered what the guests at a Downton Abbey garden party were drinking while they stood on the lawn making … [Read more...] about Champagne Cup: The Drink That Kept Edwardian Parties Going All Afternoon
Seasonal
Old-Fashioned Farmhouse Chicken Stew (A Pennsylvania Dutch Recipe)
Long before chefs started talking about "nose-to-tail" eating, Pennsylvania German cooks were quietly practicing it with whatever the land provided—including the humble groundhog. In 19th- and early 20th-century Pennsylvania Dutch communities, Groundhog Day wasn't just a weather … [Read more...] about Old-Fashioned Farmhouse Chicken Stew (A Pennsylvania Dutch Recipe)
Mrs. Patmore’s Yorkshire Pudding: The Downton Abbey Kitchen Classic
No roast beef dinner at Downton Abbey would be complete without Yorkshire pudding rising golden and magnificent from the Aga. In Mrs. Patmore's kitchen, these crispy, hollow puffs were essential to every Sunday luncheon served in the dining room, and likely caused Daisy more than … [Read more...] about Mrs. Patmore’s Yorkshire Pudding: The Downton Abbey Kitchen Classic
Traditional Ale Wassail Recipe: The Original Medieval Christmas Drink
Before mulled cider became the holiday standard, wassail meant one thing: warm spiced ale with roasted apples floating on top. This traditional ale wassail recipe recreates the authentic medieval drink that would have been served at grand estates like Downton Abbey - long before … [Read more...] about Traditional Ale Wassail Recipe: The Original Medieval Christmas Drink
Simple Turkey Stock: A Lesson from Mrs. Patmore’s Kitchen
Make the Most of Your Christmas Bird with This Easy, Waste-Not Approach to Homemade Turkey Stock In the great kitchens of Downton Abbey, nothing went to waste. Mrs. Patmore would have been appalled at the thought of discarding a perfectly good turkey carcass after Christmas … [Read more...] about Simple Turkey Stock: A Lesson from Mrs. Patmore’s Kitchen
