The PBS show is mesmerizing, and woe to the unlucky soul who tries to ask a question while it is on. Whether it is the gorgeous manor, its hidden secrets or the characters themselves that draw us back each week, let's just make sure they keep it coming. I rejoice that such a finely crafted program has found its place in our homes.

Yes, the upstairs life seems lovely, but how sad it must have been for the women of "Downton Abbey" to have nothing to do but find good matches for their heirs, manage the scheming staff and plan the next dinner party.

I would have preferred to serve my time in Mrs. Patmore's kitchen, where her screeches and wails motivate the hapless Daisy to, at the very least, get the job done. Despite the odds, they manage to crank out enough fine fare to fill up an evening of drama.

The life of an estate chef was perhaps the hardest job of them all. Many chefs died young after years of inhaling noxious fumes from coal-burning stoves. Carrying the heavy burden of preparing anywhere from six to 22 courses each evening didn't help things, either.

When the El Paso Times asked me to come up with foods to serve with a cocktail made in honor of "Downton Abbey," I immediately called in my mixologist husband, who confirmed that we had all the ingredients necessary to make the drink, including the bitters and two whole boxes of Earl Grey tea.

Earl Grey tea gets its citrusy flavor from

Because this is a cocktail, it should be paired with an appetizer, although you can keep going and plan a whole lavender menu around the show. Foods that go well with lavender are sweet in nature like figs and plums. Since we are in the depths of winter, that means using dried fruits. A quick softening of figs in dry sherry yields a decidedly British and fragrant ingredient. I then sauted them in butter with shallots and dried lavender flowers.

A slather of chevre on some crusty bread provided the perfect base. The figs were delicious and tasted just right with the cocktail, but it definitely looked like a downstairs snack.

Next up were almonds tossed with sea salt and lavender, which I had sampled in a Bay Area restaurant last summer. Grinding the sea salt and lavender with a mortar and pestle made me feel like I was surely in the trenches of Downton Abbey's kitchen. Although they were memorable, they were, at the end of the day, just a bowl of nuts.

Making refined, fussy food simply isn't in my nature. However, my family all agreed that the lavender almonds are just about the best thing to come down the pike. Eaten along with this fine cocktail, I felt like I was wearing diamonds and pearls.

No doubt Countess Grantham and I would have gotten along famously, but she would probably have fired me due to my lack of finesse in the kitchen. But there still remains a chance that I could have kept my job if she had tried a few almonds with her afternoon tea. They are simply perfect, just like "Downton Abbey."

Jane Steele teaches cooking classes in El Paso. She may be reached at livin/p>

2 ounce Kanon organic vodka
1 1/4 ounce Earl Grey tea
3/4 ounce egg white
1/2 ounce fresh lemon juice
1/2 ounce simple syrup
1/4 ounce triple sec
1/2 ounce club soda
2 dashes Angostura bitters

Pour all ingredients except soda water and bitters into a shaker with ice. Shake vigorously for 30 seconds, then pour into a glass. Add soda, then the bitters to the top. To make simple syrup, mix 2 parts sugar to one part water till sugar dissolves. To make Earl Grey tea, use one standard tea bag to 8 ounces of water.
Dried Figs with Sherry and Lavender Flowers
Serves 4
1 cup dried white figs (which are just prettier in color)
1 large shallot, minced
1 tablespoon butter
1/3 cup dry sherry
Kosher salt and pepper to taste
1/3 cup chevre (goat cheese)
1/2 teaspoon dried lavender flowers (do not use more or it will taste like potpourri)
10 slices fresh, crusty french bread
Chop the stems off the end of the figs and cut into thin slices. Pour sherry and lavender flowers over the figs, stir and allow to soak for 10 to 15 minutes.
Mince shallot. Heat medium-sized saut pan over medium-high heat and add the butter. When butter foams, add shallots and season with a pinch of kosher salt and pepper. Stir shallots around and reduce heat to medium, about 2 minutes total.
Add figs, reserving sherry, and cook for a minute or two until figs have softened well. Add sherry and remaining lavender and cook until liquor has evaporated and figs are soft and gooey.
Spread goat cheese over bread, top with hot figs and serve.

Note: Lavender flowers can be ordered online from Dean and Delucca, Penzy Spices or wait until summer and grow your own. Just be sure to grow culinary lavender.
Marcona Almonds with Lavender and Sea Salt
Make 2 cups
1/2-1 teaspoon dried culinary lavender flowers (do not use more or it will taste like potpourri)
1 heaping teaspoon sea salt
2 cups Marcona almonds
3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
Using a mortar and pestle, grind the lavender flowers and sea salt together. Grind really well and do not try this in a food processor or blender. The salt grains act as a abrasive and should turn the dried lavender flowers into a dust, but it takes some work.
Heat olive oil in a pan just large enough to fit the nuts. Add nuts to pan and toast over medium heat until just fragrant, about 3-4 minutes. Sprinkle lavender salt over top and toss well to combine. Nuts should be nicely coated and seasoned. Serve hot or at room temp.
Note: If you have extra lavender salt, try it on top of popcorn. Who knows? They might have done the same at Downton Abbey on movie night.