Hosting from ‘Real Abbey’
YOU already know TV’s “Downton Abbey” actually filmed in the English countryside’s ancestral country seat of the Earls of Carnarvon. A real classy castle, whose current long-haired blond chatelaine is its 8th Countess. On account of I’ve visited her 300-room Highclere, and she’s lunched in my slightly smaller place, I now inform you:
Her Ladyship Fiona is just out with Rizzoli’s “At Home at Highclere: Entertaining at the Real Downton Abbey.” It’s a thousand years of sup- ping, toasting, drinking, cocktailing, heavy-duty whatevering and historic sleep-aways of notables, royals, statesmen.
Footmen, Chief Stewards, Groom of Chambers, the Stewards’ Room Boy, Masters of the Hunt, Castle Manager, powdered wigs, knee breeches, black velvet dress coats, tasseled canes, white gloves and snacks of devilled kidneys mightn’t apply to time shares in the Hamptons.
This we jolly well understand. However, we’re talking Disraeli, Prince of Wales, Queen Victoria, ( Queen Latifah, no!), Henry James, the 7th Duchess of Bedford, a load of Lordships plus tea and scones over Napoleon’s actual desk, etc. I’m not even including the Joan Rivers drop-in. Her Ladyship includes Highclere recipes like scrambled eggs from 14 in-house hens all named after Jane Austen heroines, and multiple ways to cook sole — poaching, rolling, stuffing or shoving it, and guest Ian Fleming’s favorite potted shrimp. Even if you blow an invite to Lady Carnarvon’s condo, go read the book.