1860s Period Foods - Including Good Down Home Eatin'

[L Verge]

I mentioned in an earlier thread The Presidents' Cookbook. It's another gloomy day in Maryland, so I thought I would pass along some of the Lincoln tidbits covered in that book: The authors' remind us of the poor times that the Lincoln family often had in the early years. They include a story from Sandburg's Prairie Years about how potatoes were often the only thing they had for dinner. At one sitting, "...the father spoke a blessing to the Lord for potatoes. The boy [Abe] answered, 'These are mighty poor blessings.'"

Potatoes were also on Abe's mind in 1861, when he visited Delmonico's restaurant in New York shortly before the Civil War began. After dinner, he called the owner over to his table and said, "In my city of Washington there are many mansions, but alas, we have no cooks like yours." One of the dishes had been Delmonico Potatoes, which are very rich with cream, butter, grated cheese, and breadcrumbs.

Truffles today are worth their weight in gold (for a fungus!). However, in Lincoln's early years in Illinois, mushrooms, puffballs, and truffles were commonplace and easily found in the fields and countryside. Truffles were especially abundant around the old oak trees of the territory. The cookbook includes a recipe for Truffles Ragout. (I'll pass)

When I was a teenager, I remember visiting my aunt in Danville, Virginia, and being served what she called Fake Apple Pie. I learned many years later that it was also called Confederate Apple Pie and had been created during the war when Southerners - very accustomed to rich, delicious cooking - suffered severe food shortages. Their wartime pie was created with crackers, water or milk, tartaric acid, sugar, butter, and nutmeg. My aunt's version used Ritz Crackers and vinegar instead of the tartaric acid. Believe it or not, it came very close to tasting like real apple pie! Also, sometimes flour was scarce in the South. Pie crust could be made with boiled potatoes, salt, butter, and water.

Another thing in short supply for Southerners during the war was oysters. Lincoln was lucky - he controlled the Chesapeake Bay and the Patuxent River in Maryland, both wonderful suppliers of these delicacies. Southerners had to mimic fried oysters; and I remember these being a side dish many times at home when I was growing up. Oyster-less Fried Oysters were made with grated, young green corn, a beaten egg, flour, butter, salt and pepper; formed into a patty, and fried until light brown.

One last Punch Line (yes, pun intended), this cookbook includes Mrs. Lincoln's Champagne Punch recipe -- and it looks like it could pack quite a punch (yes, another inteded pun): Several of the First Lady's letters include orders to a New York wine merchant for "a basket of Champagne...the choicest quality you have in the store." She did manage to irritate members of the various temperance groups which were growing in numbers at that time. After one soiree at the White House, the American Temperance Journal commented: "With regard to the President, we had at his election, and have to this day, good reason to suppose that he was and is in principle and practice a decided temperance man. We never endorsed for his better half, but...we supposed that all was right in the family."
Here's the recipe: Chill 3 quarts champagne, 2 quarts sauterne, 3 quart bottle of soda water, and 1 gill (4 ozx.) Curacao. At serving time, place a large chunk of ice in a large punch bowl. Mix the various liquors in another large bowl and pour into the punch bowl. Add fresh strawberries, washed and hulled, raspberries, slices of peaches, and whatever fruit is in season. Makes about 64 4-ounce servings.

I understand from Joe Beckert that he will be making this in his hotel room on Saturday night after Erik's presentation...