If like us at The Amazing Blog you’re feeling restless just sitting around at home during the #lockdown Christmas period. Then now’s your moment to bone-up on your culinary skills and get making some classic cocktails to help raise your spirits. We’ve got two new cookbooks and a Downton Abbey inspired cocktail book - all to whet your appetite.
Let’s start with the aperitifs, the Downton Abbey Cocktail Book has 70 delicious recipes that have an old-world glamour from a bygone era, they call it ‘appropriate libations for all occasions’. We love that it has the photographs from the programme’s set and even uses the original lead crystal to illustrate the cocktails. One of our favourites is The Last Word cocktail, inspired by pre-prohibition, this drink combines zesty flavours of fresh lime juice and green chartreuse. Other drinks such as the Fish House Punch can be made in plentiful quantities and is perfect for entertaining; the recipe combines rum, peach brandy, lemon and gum syrup (which is two-parts sugar and one-part water see ‘liberation note’ on P37). Apart from the 50 famous photographs from the show and a history of each unique drink, there are drinks to suit all from the drawing-room parties to the hangovers cure for downstairs. The forward is by Julian Fellowes, the writer and creator of the Downton series; however, it is compiled by the famous food historian, Annie Gray. Regular readers may remember that we reviewed The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook by the same author here to transport yourself back into the age of elegance, get your copy of the book by White Lion Publishing here for £14.99.
Next, we have The 30 Easy Ways to Join the Food Revolution, this cookbook contains mouth-watering, sustainable recipes. Not only is the food delicious, but the cookbook will also inspire us all to make better decisions for our bodies and the planet. A couple of our favourite recipes included spicy Curried Cauliflower Stem Soup, and Homemade Limoncello made with fresh lemons and all-natural sugars. The cookbook is written by 2013 MasterChef Semi-finalist, Ollie Hunter. After his debut on the TV show, he and his wife, Lauren, took over The Wheatsheaf Pub in Chilton Foliat. The Wheatsheaf was voted the UK's most sustainable business (Sustainable Restaurant Association) and has won several other awards such as the 'Serve More Veg & Better Meat' at the Food Made Good Awards in 2019. They plan to continue sharing their passion by creating the movement: 30 Food. This project revolves around three goals: produce zero waste, eat both seasonal and organic food, and source 50% of produce within twenty miles. To try these recipes out, you can find the cookbooks published by Pavilion Books which can be found here for £14.99.
Last but not least, we have the Carpathia Food From the Heart of Romania introduces readers to real Romanian inspired food and recipes. The cookbook combines bold flavours with culinary tradition. There's plenty for readers to enjoy such as small plates, street food and tasty desserts. A classic and staple recipe of the cookbook is the Cornulete Cu Gem which features mini crescent rolls with jam or Turkish delight. These warm bread rolls will melt into your mouth and go perfect with a steaming cup of tea or coffee. The author is Irina Georgescu, a food writer who incorporates culture from Eastern European into of her culinary skills. Her cooking was inspired by her mother and grandmother, and their experiences in the charming capital Bucharest. Published by Frances Lincoln, her kitchen adventurous can be found here for £22.00.