The Menu: Team of Rivals
For this menu, we’re looking back to Lincoln’s first inaugural luncheon on March 4, 1861. The meal was a modest, no-frills event to mark the occasion, especially compared to the much more elaborate celebration that followed his second inauguration four years later. I used that first luncheon as the inspiration for this book club menu, with dishes that feel fitting for Lincoln and the era. If you’re curious about the history behind the meal, Saveur has more on Lincoln’s 1861 inaugural luncheon and the menu served that day.
Drinks
Lincoln loved apples, so raise a glass to Honest Abe with Zestful Kitchen’s Apple Bourbon Smash. The bourbon smash dates back to the 1800s, making it a fitting choice for this menu. This version adds Honeycrisp apples, honey, and warm spices to the classic mix of bourbon, lemon, and mint for a fall-inspired cocktail that feels right at home at a Lincoln-themed table.
Soup
Mock turtle soup has a long history, originally created in England as a more affordable imitation of green turtle soup. This Went Here 8 version takes a Creole-style approach, using ground beef in place of turtle meat, then serving the soup over rice with chopped hard-boiled eggs. A few tips: start with half a cup of lemon juice and add more to taste. The soup is pretty thick, so you can thin it with a little broth or water, or serve it with cooked rice for an even heartier bowl. The recipe also recommends draining off excess beef fat after browning if needed. If you’re making the soup ahead, another easy option is to refrigerate it overnight and skim the hardened fat from the top before reheating.
Main
For the main course, keep it hearty and simple with Allrecipes’ slow cooker corned beef and cabbage. Corned beef brisket cooks low and slow with carrots, onions, beer, and cabbage until everything is tender and full of flavor. It’s an easy, old-fashioned kind of meal that fits naturally with the rest of this Lincoln-inspired menu. One tip before you start: rinse the corned beef a couple of times to remove some of the salty brine before it goes into the slow cooker.
Dessert
Wrap up this presidential feast with Simply Recipes’ blackberry pie. The juicy berry filling gets a little extra flavor from lemon zest, cinnamon, and almond extract, all tucked into a homemade butter crust. You can use fresh, wild, or store-bought blackberries, which makes this an easy dessert to pull off any time of year. It’s simple, classic, and a fitting finish for a Lincoln-inspired menu.
Your own team of non-rivals should have plenty to eat, talk about, and debate after this one. Team of Rivals gives us a lot to consider about leadership, political differences, and Lincoln’s unusual ability to bring very different people together when the country needed it most. Here’s to good food, honest conversation, and a little inspiration from Honest Abe.
