Food historian Rae Katherine Eighmey discusses her latest books: "Abraham Lincoln in the Kitchen" and "Soda Shop Salvation"

Rae Katherine Eighmey serves up a generous portion of history and food.

Rae Katherine Eighmey is the author of numerous food history books, including her two most recent: Abraham Lincoln in the Kitchen  and  Soda Shop Salvation. She is also the author of Food Will Win the War: Minnesota Crops, Cooks, and Conservation during World War I and Potluck Paradise: Favorite Fare from Church and Community Cookbooks. Follow her on Twitter @RaeKatherine and on her Soda Shop Salvation blog (http://sodashopsalvation.blogspot.com/).

Eighmey visits Common Good Books to talk about her latest projects.

----

Pull up a chair to Abe Lincoln's table.

Abraham Lincoln in the Kitchen is a culinary biography unlike any before. The very assertion of the title--that Abraham Lincoln cooked--is fascinating and true. It's an insight into the everyday life of one of our nation's favorite and most esteemed presidents and a way to experience flavors and textures of the past. Eighmey solves riddles such as what type of barbecue could be served to thousands at political rallies when paper plates and napkins didn't exist, and what gingerbread recipe could have been Lincoln's childhood favorite when few families owned cookie cutters and he could carry the cookies in his pocket. Through Eighmey's eyes and culinary research and experiments--including sleuthing for Lincoln's grocery bills in Springfield ledgers and turning a backyard grill into a cast-iron stove--the foods that Lincoln enjoyed, cooked, or served are translated into modern recipes so that authentic meals and foods of 1820-1865 are possible for home cooks.

----

On October 28, 1919, the U.S. Senate made Prohibition the law of the land. The nation was going completely dry--and the soda shops were ready.

When Prohibition shuttered saloons, thirsty law-abiding citizens turned to soda fountains for sustenance and entertainment. Parlor owners developed concoctions to suit every taste--and to keep their counters and tables full. Names from the soda shop menu hint at the dimensions of change in this dynamic era: Prohibition Sour, Flapper Frappé, and sundaes like the Suffragist, Soldier Boy Kiss, and “Reel” Nice Movie--all of which are included in Rae Kathryn Eighmey’s book Soda Shop Salvation--are among scores of tasty, innovative treats.

Soda Shop Salvation collects more than 125 recipes for imaginative drinks, sundae varieties, and luncheonette delights from the 1920s, evoking the time of speakeasies, newfangled devices, and racy automobiles. Soda Shop Salvation gives readers a sweet taste of life during a turbulent time.