In this remarkable work, Rae Katherine Eighmey presents Franklin's
delight and experimentation with food throughout his life. At age
sixteen, he began dabbling in vegetarianism. In his early twenties,
citing the health benefits of water over alcohol, he convinced his
printing-press colleagues to abandon their traditional breakfast of beer
and bread for water gruel, a kind of tasty porridge he enjoyed. Franklin
is known for his scientific discoveries, including electricity and the
lightning rod, and his curiosity and logical mind extended to the
kitchen. He even conducted an electrical experiment to try to cook a
turkey and installed a state-of-the-art oven for his beloved wife
Deborah. Later in life, on his diplomatic missions--he lived fifteen
years in England and nine in France--Franklin ate like a local. Eighmey
discovers the meals served at his London home-away-from-home and
analyzes his account books from Passy, France, for insights to his
farm-to-fork diet there. Yet he also longed for American foods; Deborah,
sent over favorites including cranberries, which amazed his London
kitchen staff. He saw food as key to understanding the developing
culture of the United States, penning essays presenting maize as the
defining grain of America. Stirring the Pot with Benjamin Franklin
conveys all of Franklin's culinary adventures, demonstrating that
Franklin's love of food shaped not only his life but also the character
of the young nation he helped build.
