How to pull off a great ‘Downton Abbey’ movie party
Two new books will help guide your efforts
“Downton Abbey” the movie opens in theaters Friday, and I’ve been looking forward to it more than the Crawleys awaiting the royal visit.
The character I am most excited to see on the big screen is the house itself decked out for a formal dinner — all that crystal and candlelight and the spotless linens. Swoon!
If you’re planning a gathering with friends timed to the movie, there are two new books to help guide your efforts: “The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook” ($35, Weldon Owen) by Annie Gray and “Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book: Appropriate Libations for All Occasions” ($25, Weldon Owen).
The cookbook is 269 pages of recipes for various occasions — breakfast, tea parties, race meets and more — for both upstairs and downstairs, plus sublime photos from the series as well as the food. Many of the recipes are elaborate and time-consuming, and not meant for beginner cooks. But frankly, you could read this tome like a novel, with all the history accompanying each recipe adding context to preparations with their own story lines and dramatic tension.
The cocktail book is no slouch, either, with drinks grouped by the part of house or village where they would be served. With a forward by “Downton Abbey” creator Julian Fellowes, the book also includes a fair amount of history per drink or ingredient. Also filled with photos from the series and with tons of photos of each drink, this book looks as good as the cocktails will taste.
And as for your own fete, though we think of the show’s characters as being very buttoned-up and prim, don’t be afraid to loosen up. When in doubt, follow the dowager countess’ philosophy: “Principles are like prayers. Noble, of course. But awkward at a party.”