LLCC Community Education presents “History Cooks” at Lincoln Home

"History Cooks" over an image of the Lincoln homeLLCC Community Education is again partnering with the Lincoln Home National Historic Site and Springfield Convention and Visitors Bureau to present “History Cooks,” a series of free cooking and baking demonstrations of dishes from President Lincoln’s time.

Demonstrations, with the exception of May 27, will be on Fridays at noon at the Lincoln Home National Historic Site. Attendees will receive a souvenir recipe card so they can re-create the dishes at home.

“History Cooks presented by LLCC Community Education was an amazing addition to the Visit Springfield History Comes Alive program last year,” said Scott Dahl, director of the Springfield Visitors and Convention Bureau. “I am thrilled the program is returning to HCA this summer! Local celebrity chefs will provide a taste of the 1800s from Mrs. Lincoln’s Southern Cooking to Mr. Lincoln’s First Inaugural Ball.”

The lineup includes:

  • May 27, 10 a.m., Downtown Springfield Farmers Market: “Local foods: Then and Now” – Chef Michael Higgins, owner and executive chef of Maldaner’s Restaurant, will demonstrate recipes utilizing ingredients common to the Lincoln and Springfield gardens of the time.
  • June 2: “Mrs. Lincoln’s Southern Cooking” – LLCC Chef Instructor Lakesha Jackson will demonstrate some of Mrs. Lincoln’s Southern favorites. Note: This demonstration will also be held at 10 that morning in the rotunda of the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Museum.
  • June 9: “Food Preservation in the 1850s” – Peter Glatz, a food columnist who works at acclaimed Chef Sean Brock’s fermentation lab in Nashville, Tenn., will demonstrate how food was preserved in Lincoln’s time.
  • June 16: “Flour” – Bob Bunn and Charlyn Fargo will speak on how flour was being processed, demonstrate how it was used in baking and talk about where Mrs. Lincoln purchased it: Jacob Bunn’s grocery store.
  • June 23: “Mrs. Lincoln’s White/Almond Cake” – LLCC Community Education Culinary Coordinator Jolene Lamb will demonstrate Mrs. Lincoln’s recipe for this dessert. Mary baked the cake for Mr. Lincoln when they courted, after they were married and when she was First Lady.
  • June 30: “The Irish in Springfield” – Hallie Pierceall of D’Arcy’s Pint will prepare traditional Irish favorites of Lincoln’s time. The Irish comprised a substantial portion of the Springfield population in the early 1800s.
  • July 7: “Mr. Lincoln’s First Inaugural Ball” – Chef Augie Mrozowski will prepare some of Mr. Lincoln’s favorites served at the ball, including pâté, chicken and veal.
  • July 14: “Mr. Lincoln in New Orleans” – Chef Howard Seidel, known for his New Orleans cuisine, will prepare traditional dishes from the region. As a young man, Lincoln traveled to New Orleans on a flatboat where he witnessed the slave trade.
  • July 21: “Bones Found at the Lincoln Home” – Chef Ty Bergman will provide a cooking demonstration based on animal bones found during an excavation at the Lincoln Home which revealed what the Lincolns ate.
  • July 28: “Mr. Lincoln’s Gingerbread” – Sarah Adams, curator of collections and interpretation at Edwards Place and culinary historian, will prepare a gingerbread recipe. Lincoln spoke about gingerbread during the first Lincoln-Douglas debate, and gingerbread was said to have been served at the Lincoln wedding.
  • Aug. 4: “Mr. Lincoln’s Diverse Neighborhood” – Sangamo Club Sous Chef Marcus Holmes will prepare a sample of what some of Lincoln’s diverse neighbors would have eaten at this time.

LLCC offering new Teen Learning and Culinary Labs

LLCC Community Education will be offering Teen Learning and Culinary Labs, new summer day-camp experiences for students ages 13-16, at its Springfield campus.

Teen Learning Labs provide three-hour, multi-day, hands-on experiences for students to explore career fields, discover new talents and expand their knowledge under the guidance of experienced educators. Students can explore workforce careers in HVAC, welding, auto, aviation, construction, health care and culinary.

Labs being offered include: Introduction to Trades – June 19-22, 1-4 p.m.; Girls in Metal – June 26-29, 1-4 p.m.; Construction Careers – June 26-29, 1-4 p.m.; Health Care Careers – June 26-29, 1-4 p.m.; Hard Hats and Hammers for Girls – July 10-13, 1-4 p.m.; and Bake It Lab! – July 24-27, 1-4 p.m.

LLCC Community Education is offering summer College for Kids for students who have completed grades 1-8, Monday through Thursday, June 12-29. Students may register for one or more of the three weeks. Culinary Camps for students who have completed grades 5-8 and specialty camps are also available in June and July.

Space for classes is limited; early registration is recommended. For a full list of offerings and registration information, visit www.llcc.edu/youth-programs or call 217-786-2432.

In the news

Two members of the LLCC Ag Club, Elizabeth Lee (president) and Alex Sidener, were interviewed during yesterday’s Farmers Share Luncheon by WFMB radio. The annual event highlights the small percentage of an average American’s food dollar that goes to farmers, currently at 14.3%.

Jolene Lamb, culinary coordinator, LLCC Community Education, was interviewed for this story on farmprogress.com about making cooking fun.

Registration now open for Summer College for Kids and more

Photo of a group of children in a college lab, looking upRegistration is open for summer 2023 College for Kids, Teen Learning Labs and specialty camps. New this year, CFK has a morning option, a supervised lunch period and an afternoon option. View a full list of programs.

CFK will explore arts, science, games, writing, music, the environment and graphic novels.

In addition to CFK camps, LLCC Community Education has teamed up with the Workforce Institute to offer Construction Careers, Girls in Metal, Hard Hats and Hammers for Girls and Intro to Trades. The LLCC Library is offering a Book Binding Camp, Health Professions has camps exploring the Human Body, Chemistry and Health Care Careers and the Music program has put together The Beat — electronic music making — and a two-week choir camp. There’s even some Dungeons and Dragons on the calendar.

The Illinois Youth Symphony Orchestra is coming to campus to introduce CFK to stringed instruments and Girls On the Run will be back. And everyone’s favorite, Culinary Camps, are back too! There is so much for kids and teens to do on campus this summer, we hope to see you at camp!

If you have questions about any of our youth programs, please contact Keri Tate at 217-786-4905 or keri.tate@llcc.edu.