At the table with
Ulysses S. Grant.

THE HISTORICAL TABLE

The gingerbread that helped a cook get hired

Lucy Latimer’s hot gingerbread made an impression on Ulysses and Julia Grant. National Park Service research connects their decision to employ her with tasting that cake; she became part of the household’s cooking story and later its White House years.

The important name at this table is the cook’s. Dark molasses, ginger and a warm slice make the connection understandable without inventing a conversation. Our cake adapts that gingerbread tradition for a modern oven. Rice pudding adds another simple dish associated with Grant in later culinary histories.