Something’s cooking for the election

Hilde G. Lee Daily Progress correspondent
Published: September 9, 2008

Foods associated with election campaigns have varied throughout the history of our country. Some have stemmed from the market days of Colonial times. Others evolved from church festivals and from militia parades.

In the Colonial period, each region of the country had its own feasts connected with public events. In many communities the semi-annual fair days were the focal points for great social gatherings and considerable drinking.

At the market fair held in Frederick, Md., in April 1747, there were competitive games, such as horse racing with old nags, chasing pigs with soaped tails and grinning for cheese. The cheese competition only was open to old men and old women. The contestant with the most toothless grin won the cheese. This custom lingers today in the habit of saying “cheese” when we have our picture taken.

Fair explanation

Also associated with fair days and celebrations were gingerbreads, honey cakes, fancy wafers, waffles, funnel cakes and pies. Women sold their own creations.

On many of these occasions great bonfires were built, and it was not unusual for one of the leading gentlemen of the community to organize an ox roast or a bear roast. Open-air roasting was then called “barbequing.” The high cost of such an event was underwritten by the host as part of the obligation of his social position. In the shifting struggle for power and status in Colonial days, it was a good way to acquire friends.

After the Revolution, when many market fairs were discontinued because of rowdiness and disorder, the outdoor roasting customs were transferred to political rallies. At the presidential campaign rally for Harrison and Tyler held in Wilmington, Ohio, in 1840, 1,000 people gathered to raise a log cabin and consume corn dodgers (corn bread shaped like a goose egg), hard cider and barbecued ham. The Harrison and Tyler campaign made a great effort to portray the candidates as down-to-earth folks and friends of the working man. (Things haven’t changed much.)

Public feasting

In New England, the situation was somewhat different because of Congregationalist attitudes toward public feasting. In general, public events were tied to the church. One of the most important of these events was the election of officers of the various county militias. This normally took place around the end of May and gave Congregationalists a counterpart to Thanksgiving and a substitute for Easter.

Election Day, or Training Day (as it was also called), provided the militia with an occasion to parade. It gave the local minister an excuse to sermonize. It also gave the community a happy day of leisure filled with

cake, gingerbread, drinking and socializing around the town common.

In Colonial Massachusetts gingerbread always was sold on Election or Training Day. When the companies of militia met on that occasion, people came from every outlying farm and hamlet. Peddlers set up booths and went through the crowd selling their wares, including the most popular of all — hard gingerbread. Everyone brought the squares and munched on them while watching the militias train.

Two kinds of gingerbread were made at Molly Saunder’s Bakeshop in Salem, Mass., during Colonial times. The plain, hard one sold for two cents a square and the moister one with a maple sugar and butter topping sold for three cents. Molly Saunder’s gingerbread squares were always of uniform size, since she rolled the dough flat on tin sheets and printed it with corrugated squares made especially for that purpose.

The raised cakes made with yeast that were served at these events were called “election” or “training” cakes. They were more like cookies. They were often stamped or decorated with wooden “prints,” as the carved molds were formerly called.

The motifs on these cakes generally were secular and usually patriotic. Before the Revolution, they often depicted the coat of arms of the governor, or King George, or an Indian. After the Revolution, the American eagle became one of the most popular motifs. Indian figures also remained popular.

Election or training cakes were not specific recipes, but were usually named after the town where the particular recipe was in vogue at the time. Norwich (from Norwich, Conn.) raised cake was a popular election cake.

My favorite gingerbread is the following recipe. This moist, light gingerbread is topped with an apricot-sherry glaze.

Gingerbread

with Apricot Glaze

½ cup sugar

½ teaspoon ground ginger

¼ teaspoon cinnamon

¼ teaspoon ground cloves

¼ teaspoon nutmeg

½ cup vegetable oil

½ cup dark molasses

1 teaspoon baking soda

¼ cup boiling water

¼ cup cream sherry

1¼ cups all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten

Combine the sugar and spices in a bowl. Stir in the oil and molasses, blending well. Mix together the soda and the boiling water in a small bowl and stir into the sugar mixture. Then add the cream sherry and pour in the flour in a gradual stream, stirring constantly to prevent lumps. Add the beaten egg and mix well. Pour the batter into a well-greased 8-inch square pan and bake in a preheated 350 degree F. oven for 30 to 35 minutes.

Spoon the Apricot Glaze over the warm cake and serve at room temperature. Serves 10 to 12.

Apricot Glaze

1 cup apricot jam

1/3 cup water

1 teaspoon grated orange zest

2 tablespoons cream sherry

½ cup chopped walnuts

Combine the apricot jam, water, and orange zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from the heat and stir in the sherry and walnuts.