Dinner fit for Abraham Lincoln

[Kramer]

My book group has selected a book about Abraham Lincoln for our upcoming meeting, and I am charged with coming up with an appropriately themed dinner. Any ideas would be much appreciated!

[Sam Fujisaka]

AL was born in Hardin County, Kentucky; his parents were from Virginia: Kentucky burgoo (famous stew) or Brunswick stew, southern fried chicken and gravy or ham with red-eye gravy, fried green tomatoes, peach chutney, beaten buscuits, lemon chess pie, and mint juleps.

They moved to Indiana when AL was eight: planked fish, venison with thimbleberry sauce, chicken fried steak and gravy, sausage and apple stuffed chops, bigos, pork roast with apples and mushrooms, apple strudel, corn on the cob, whoopie pies, pink rhubarb punch,...

[Kramer]

Thanks for all your help! My original idea was to do and "All-American" hot dogs and hamburgers type dinner, but that wasn't really creative enough for me. I really appreciate all of the suggestions!

[ipsedixit]

Fricasseed chicken.

According to the White House archives, it was Lincoln's favorite food.

[jlawrence01]

Google the Abraham Lincoln museum in Springfield, IL as they have had similar events recently.

[xena]

I have a book around here somewhere that has a recipe for cake said to be one Mary Todd Lincoln served often. I'm leaving now but will see if I can find it when I get back home.

Here, I googled it:

http://fooddownunder.com/cgi-bin/reci...

Might be fun to enjoy the same dessert they shared as a family.

[Megiac]

What about a mix of dishes from the North and South since Lincoln was president during the Civil War?

[LindaWhit]

Just what I was thinking as well. Googling "Civil War era food" came up with the Food Timeline:

http://www.foodtimeline.org/foodpioneer.html#civilwar

Check out the links for "Bills of Fare" - a dinner could consist of soup, roast turkey, cranberry sauce, boiled ham and vegetables.

Also, scroll down a bit for a picture of the Bill of Fare at Lincoln's 2nd inauguration:

http://www.lib.uiowa.edu/spec-coll/Ba...