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Special For Mother’s Day: Recipes from ABC’s show ‘The Chew’ and Downton Abbey’s Edwardian Cooking

By Ann Hattes
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Or perhaps mom and grandmother are fans of PBS’s “Downton Abbey.” Then may they dine as aristocrats guided by Edwardian Cooking: The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook (Arcade Publishing) by Larry Edwards.

The five hosts of ABC’s show “The Chew” guide you through planning and cooking a full year of holidays and special occasions with their cookbook, The Chew: A Year of Celebrations (Kingswell, an imprint of Disney Books). From the Fourth of July to Labor Day to Christmas and New Year’s Eve, Mario Batali, Carla Hall, Clinton Kelly, Daphne Oz and Michael Symon provide recipes, useful entertaining tips and creative crafts for original, yet manageable gatherings.

Try blueberry pucker bars for a Labor Day picnic, sticky toffee pudding as a Christmas treat, beef Wellington and upside-down cake for an elegant dinner. There’s Mario Batali’s cauliflower fritters for an awards-night get-together, Michael Symon’s Halloween trick or treat mac and cheese with pumpkin as a secret ingredient, and Carla Hall’s pumpkin pecan pie for Thanksgiving. Create memories this Mother’s Day with frisee salad with candied bacon and bananas foster crepes.

Or perhaps mom and grandmother are fans of PBS’s “Downton Abbey.” Then may they dine as aristocrats guided by Edwardian Cooking: The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook (Arcade Publishing) by Larry Edwards. Its elegant arrays of traditional high tea sandwiches and sweets, to a variety of bread, soups, sides, entrees and desserts are easy to make and adopted for the modern cook. The 80 recipes include items like estate oat bread, majestic potato soup, baked creamed turnips, shredded spiced Brussels sprouts, lobster pudding, leek pie, pork loaf with apples, lemon cornmeal cake, and Queen Victoria rice pudding.

In “Downton Abbey” and in films depicting the Victorian and Edwardian era, footmen or maids deliver platters of cheese to men and women celebrating high tea. According to author Edwards, “Pickled feta cheese is one of those cheese dishes, a savory delight served alongside water crackers and thinly sliced bread. It was also a favorite at garden parties, picnics and in box seats of the polo matches.” Try it for Mother’s Day, and perhaps asparagus in cider sauce too. Pamper moms and grandmoms with culinary wonders enjoyed by the aristocracy in Edwardian England.


 

Frisee Salad with Candied Bacon

(Courtesy of The Chew: A Year of Celebrations). Serves 4. Prep time: 20 minutes. Cook time: 25 to 30 minutes.

Vinaigrette:

1 shallot, finely chopped

4 tablespoons champagne vinegar

3 tablespoons olive oil

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Combine the shallot, vinegar, and oil in a small bowl. Season with salt and pepper and whisk. Set aside.

 

Candied Bacon:

½ cup dark brown sugar

¼ cup maple syrup

1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper (or more to taste)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 pound thick-cut bacon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silicone mat or foil and place a cooling rack on top. Stir together the dark brown sugar, maple syrup, cayenne pepper, Dijon mustard, and apple cider vinegar. Add freshly ground pepper, about 10 turns, and a pinch of salt. Add half the mixture to a baking dish and reserve the other half.

Lay the bacon, piece by piece, in the baking dish, coating both sides, then transfer to the cooling rack. Lay the bacon in a single row on the rack. Place in the oven and let cook. After 15 minutes begin basting every 5 minutes until crispy, 25 to 30 minutes total.

Remove from the oven and let cool on the rack for 5 minutes. Remove from the rack to prevent sticking and use, either whole or crumbled.

 

Poached eggs:

4 eggs

1 tablespoon vinegar

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add vinegar; reduce to a simmer. Crack one egg at a time into water and cook 4 to 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon.

 

Salad:

2 large heads frisee lettuce

Salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Chives for garnish

Cut the root end off the frisee and separate the leaves. Place in a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Dress with the vinaigrette and toss. Divide greens among four serving plates. Top each with a poached egg and candied bacon. Garnish with chives.


 

Bananas Foster Crepes

(Courtesy of The Chew: A Year of Celebrations) Serves 6. Prep time: 20 minutes. Cook time: 30 to 45 minutes.

Crepes:

1 & ½ cups all-purpose flour

4 eggs

2 cups whole milk

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Pinch of salt

Butter, to oil crepe pan

Place flour in a mixing bowl. Add the eggs one at a time, whisking to combine. Add the milk bit by bit and whisk to combine until all the milk is incorporated. Whisk in the olive oil. Season with salt and allow the batter to stand for 10 minutes to an hour. Heat a 6-inch nonstick pan over high heat until hot and add a dab of butter. Turn the heat down to medium and pour 1 & ½ tablespoons of batter into the pan and swirl to coat. Cook until pale golden on the bottom, about 1 minute. Flip and cook just 5 or 10 seconds on the second side. Remove and set aside. Keep warm on a plate and cover with a warm towel.

 

Bananas Foster:

¼ cup butter

½ cup dark brown sugar

1 stick cinnamon

¼ teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

4 bananas, diced

1/3 cup dark rum

Melt the butter over medium heat in a large nonstick skillet. Add the brown sugar, spices, and vanilla and cook until caramelized, stirring occasionally. Toss in the bananas and coat with the sauce. Add the rum and flambé until flames extinguish.

 

Melted Peanut Butter:

1 cup all-natural peanut butter

Water

Salt, to taste

Confectioners’ sugar, to garnish

Heat the peanut butter in a small saucepan over low, adding water as needed to thin to desired consistency. Season with salt, to taste. Fill the crepes with a large spoonful of the filling and serve with a drizzle of melted peanut butter. Garnish with confectioners’ sugar to serve.


 

Pickled Feta Cheese

(Courtesy of Edwardian Cooking: The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook). Serves 4.

½ pound feta cheese

2 teaspoons red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

¼ teaspoon ground cayenne pepper

½ teaspoon minced tarragon

½ teaspoon minced thyme

½ teaspoon minced rosemary

1 teaspoon minced mint

Slice the feta cheese into ¼-inch slices and place on a chilled serving platter. In a small bowl, whisk together the remaining ingredients. Drizzle the dressing over the cheese, cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 1 hour before serving.

Remove from the refrigerator, unwrap and let sit 1 hour at room temperature before serving.

 


 

Asparagus in Cider Sauce

(Courtesy of Edwardian Cooking: The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook) Serves 4.

1 pound asparagus, trimmed if necessary

1 tablespoon butter

2 teaspoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon ground black pepper

1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/3 cup cider vinegar

2/3 cup heavy cream

¼ teaspoon lemon juice

In a large sauté pan, bring a few inches of water to a boil. Add the asparagus and cook 10 minutes or until tender, depending on the size. Drain the asparagus and set it aside. Discard the cooking liquid.

In a small saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, salt, black pepper, and nutmeg, until well combined to make a seasoned roux (thickener).

Whisk the cider vinegar and whipping cream into the saucepan and whisk until the sauce begins to simmer. Reduce the heat to low and cook 5 minutes. Stir in the lemon juice. Drape the sauce over the asparagus and serve.

 

Ann Hattes has over 25 years experience writing about both travel and food for publications both in the US and internationally. A senior living in Wisconsin, she’s a member of the International Food, Wine and Travel Writers Association and the Midwest Travel Writers Association.

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