Is there anything better than binging on British TV, courtesy of PBS? I can’t express my love for PBS strongly enough! My favorites have always been Masterpiece Theatre and cooking shows. Since both were on Sunday night, I was in heaven!
First up was the Season 5 premiere of the insanely addictive Downton Abbey. Since the very first episode I’ve been hooked on the Edwardian era soap opera that follows the trials and tribulations of the Crawley family. (Picture a more lavish version of Upstairs, Downstairs.) I’m dying to know the future of Lady Edith’s illegitimate daughter and whether or not Lady Mary will become the wife of Viscount Gillingham.
In addition to the premiere, there was a companion piece, Manners of Downton Abbey. It revealed the secrets of how the aristocrats dined, dressed, interacted with peers and servants, made money, and chose suitable marriage partners. Living during an age when every bit of life was so constricted must’ve been quite difficult—particularly for women.
Last but not least was the awesome The Great British Baking Show which features 12 amateur chefs competing to be the UK’s best. The chefs ranged in age from 17 to senior citizen, with an elderly lady that had been cooking for 60 years. Episode one focused on cakes. Did you know Swiss Rolls come in numerous varieties? (I mistakenly thought it was simply a chocolate cake filled with cream—inaccurate!) Some of the recipes were so creative it was incredible: strawberry, orange, hazelnut, and cardamom pistachio, and red velvet.
Talk about inspirational! I consider myself a decent baker, but these folks are light years ahead of anyone I know. Can you imagine the effort to hand paint those strawberries on the cake? Unreal!
After the Swiss Rolls, they were instructed to make the judge’s recipe for Cherry Cake. Sounds easy, except key components were missing! Here’s what it’s supposed to look like:
Most of the results didn’t. Some were really bad, but everyone of them deserves an “A” for effort. I can’t wait to watch Episode 2; they call them “biscuits,” we call them “cookies.” In either vernacular, they’re delicious!
Do you watch any British TV?