Despite a common belief that Abraham Lincoln had little or no interest in food, research shows that he actually did have many favorite foods. Family stories, observations of his friends, and White House menus indicate those favorites – many of which he had enjoyed since his childhood. Survival in the Kentucky and Indiana wilderness where Lincoln grew to adulthood depended in great part on good nutrition, and young Abraham was fortunate to be part of a family that boasted of several good cooks. The boy’s hearty appetite was satisfied by such foods as wild game, pork, fish, vegetables and fruit grown on the family’s farm, and corn cakes that he laughingly said he could eat “twice as fast as two women could make them.” As an adult his palate was introduced to other favorites – oysters, pecan pie, lemon cake and many other dishes that were enjoyed by the American aristocracy of the nineteenth century. Lincoln’s Table: A President’s Culinary Journey from Cabin to Cosmopolitan, is more than just a recipe book: It is also a social commentary, a chronicle of Abraham Lincoln’s life through the foods he ate, from the simple fare of the frontier to the most elaborate meals that befitted a President. The reader is allowed a glimpse into the dishes that literally made Abraham Lincoln the man he was, and to experience firsthand a true taste of American history.
Reviews
Lincoln’s Table is a wonderful combination of cookbook and insight into the Lincolns’ life and times. The recipes are ‘real life’ American style cooking and baking and (when appropriate) are modified for the modern cook. I have equally enjoyed reading the cookbook as well as using it! This is a delightful look at what was ‘plain’ food fare in the mid-1850 to 1860 or so era, as well as what where party/celebratory types of cakes and foods for the time as well. Both Abraham and Mary Lincoln are able to be appreciated as ‘real folks’ and not historical, stereotyped persons.
Especially interesting to me are the recipes for pancakes (flannel cakes), desserts and the gingerbread/molasses cookies that bring back some of the old anecdotes about Lincoln’s boyhood. This is a book that can be appreciated on so many levels–personality & biography, history, and cooking–and if you are interested in the Lincolns, you will find this an eminently readable, well-done book about their lives and the foods of their times. I am enjoying trying some of the recipes and it’s rather intriguing to think the dishes were enjoyed by Honest Abe and his family.
Bravo to the author!! This is truly a wonderful slice of Americana!!! —Valerie Wood, (from Amazon.com)
This is a wonderful contribution to Lincolniana. It’s filled with little-known and hard-to-come-by facts–about Abe’s life and food preferences, Mary Todd Lincoln’s contributions, and his time in the White House. The author has apparently done meticulous research to “flesh out” this aspect of the Lincolns’ life. It includes recipes (both historic and modern versions) for most of the foods talked about and even menus for a few of the key events in Abe’s or his family’s life. Recommended for any library with significant Lincoln or history collections, or for any individual with interest in cooking and history. – (from Amazon.com)
“Lincoln’s Table: A President’s Culinary Journey From Cabin to Cosmopolitan” by author Donna D. McCreary is an historical delight. This 182 page hard cover book is chocked full of recipes, illustrations, pictures, and information about the Lincoln family. It is a veritable treasure trove.
Author McCreary has not only listed some historical versions of recipes, such as Beaten Biscuits on page 42, but she followed it up with the modern version on the next page. The same goes for Election Cake and other recipes. Not only was I able to read how the recipe was written and made, but I could also make it in my modern kitchen. Genius!
Pictures are sprinkled throughout this lovely cookbook. You will see the Lincoln Home in Springfield, the beautiful tea set of Asian-style florals they used, china and crystal from the White House during the Lincoln administration, and Mary Todd Lincoln in her fashionable dresses. You will read menus, poems, and so much information you will be begging for more. The author is an expert on the Lincoln, and it is apparent by this wonderful book.
Epilogue, acknowledgements, bibliography, index of the book, and index of recipes are the ending pages after a plethora of Lincoln recipes, pictures, tips, and information. Did you ever wonder what sorghum is? It is explained in this book. Need tips on cast iron cooking? They’re in the book, too. Mary Todd’s Courting Cake recipe is included. How about White House recipes. Check! I could go on and on and on.
Do yourself a favor and get this book. I absolutely love it. The author has written a well planned, well organized, knowledgeable book that is interesting for cooks and readers alike. It is much more than a cookbook. This gem is an excellent, fascinating book on the Lincoln family. I rated it 5 out of 5 stars. It would make a terrific gift, cooking club book, or treat for oneself. — (from Good Reads)
Cover: Hardcover
Pages: 182
ISBN Number: 9780979538315
Ordering Information:
Mary Todd Lincoln House:
| Mary Todd Lincoln HouseDiscover one of America’s most fascinating first ladies during a visit to her girlhood home. The Mary Todd Lincoln House, located in downtown Lexington, Kentucky was the family home of the wife of 16th president Abraham Lincoln. In 1977, the home opened to the public and became the first house museuwww.mtlhouse.org |
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Donna McCreary, Author and Historian 