Given the fact that America is within days (hours to be exact!) of the series 5 premiere of Downton Abbey (Sunday, January 4, 2015 at 9:00pET/8:00pCT on PBS), it’s time to start thinking about that fabulous watching party you’ve always wanted to have leading up to one of the episodes this season. The upside is you have 9 weeks to plan as the series will conclude on Sunday, March 1 this year. Downton meals are lavish but not impossible!

That’s where the expanded edition of The Unofficial Downton Abbey Cookbook comes to the rescue. With more than 150 recipes including 15 brand-new recipes from Downton’s latest Roaring Twenties era, all prepared with the ‘downstairs’ passion of those that took great pride in their food prep, you can add a bit of sophistication and style to your Downton Abbey watching parties in the weeks to come. The great thing about the book is that it is not only laid out by meal course (7 total!) from Hor D’Oeuvres to the Finishing Touches of Sweets and Desserts, there are also some bits and bobs that will help you prepare Afternoon Tea, course pairings, tips for table seatings and etiquette guidelines. Don’t forget your ruler to measure the exact distance between the edge of the plate and the back of the chair!

Lest we forget those ‘work till they drop’ staff members that make the upstairs culinary magic happen, part 2 of the book is subtitled “Sustenance for the Staff” taking you from Hearty Breakfasts to start the Work Day through lunch, then supper and, to cap it off, Desserts for the Servants Sweet Tooth!

Tellyspotting has two copies to give away! Just email your contact information to tellyspotting@kera.org by 11:59p, Sunday, January 11, 2015 and we’ll enter you in a drawing to win! Remember, you can’t make Mrs. Patmore proud if you don’t enter!

Prepared by Mrs. Patmore, served by Mr. Carson and enjoyed by the Crawley family and their guests, meals at Downton Abbey were extravagant, to say the least. When watching the series, there were times that you’d wish for the ‘These are professionals, do not try this at home’ graphic to appear on the screen. While not a problem for Mrs. Patmore, Daisy, Ivy and the entire downstairs staff at Downton, the mere thought of an 8-course meal featuring the likes of Lady Mary’s Crab Canapes, Lady Sybil’s Poached Salmon with Creamy Hollandaise Sauce, Lobster Thermidor, Guard of Honor Lamb with Mint Sauce, Squab with Fig Fois Gras, Potatoes Lyonnaise, not to mention, the Dowager Countess’ Dark Chocolate Trouffles was probably just a bit too much for me to tackle on the home front this past holiday season but I am going to make my best effort at making Alfred proud and at least try Lord Grantham’s American Italian: Risotto alla Milanese. FYI, I’m ruling out the Highland Haggis at Duneagle…just on principle.

Don’t forget! Tellyspotting has two copies to give away! Just email your contact information to tellyspotting@kera.org by 11:59p, Sunday, January 11, 2015 and we’ll enter you in a drawing to win! Remember, you can’t make Mrs. Patmore. Mrs. Hughes or Mr. Carson proud if you don’t enter!