fred Burrill's Uncle Ed Bearce's Griddle Cakes. From Alberta Burrill

I just rummaged around in packed boxes and came up with these, here where my cooking facilities are minimal, so instead of cooking and eating, I will put them in the blog to satisfy my craving.

Sift together:
1 1/2 cups flour
1 t soda
2 t cream of tartar
1 t salt

add:
 1 egg beaten
3 T melted shortening
1 cup milk

Stir only to mix

This should be stirred as little as possible to make it fairly uniform as otherwise gluten will form

Cook on a hot seasoned or buttered pan

This forms a very light and fluffy batter similar to a mousse
1/4 cup measures must be spread around manually in the pan as it will form a mound without doing that.  It makes very light and fluffy pancakes.  Add a little more milk to make a more traditional batter.  Add blueberries or other berries or apples.  Try with chopped nuts like pecans or walnuts.  soak raisins in brandy till they plump and add them with as little liquid as possible.

More Tomato Sauce Italian Style to can or to use immediately

If you go to the islands there are two choices for tomato.  You will find San Marzano or cherry tomato.  In this country you will find cherry tomatoes easier than the San Marzano.  In general the tomatoes are better for company dishes of the elegant variety if they are seeded and skinned.  Just knick the tomato with the tip of a knife and plunge into boiling water for a few moments.  The skin will shrink and split.  Lift them out of the water with a slotted spoon and put in cold water.  Peel with your fingers.  Cut the tomato along the equator of the tomato and give each half a squeeze to release most of the seeds.
All dishes will benefit from this treatment, but I often go without when a country or rustic feel is wanted. The skins will also add to the flavor if used in something that will render them invisible or not chewable such as pureeing through a food mill or a food processor.
So, here is a compromise canned or stored tomato recipe that is very common.  Prepare the tomatoes by seeding them as above first, but do not skin them.
To each two pounds of tomato that has been prepared, add one chopped onion, a half teaspoon of salt and a scant eighth cup of olive oil. 
Start the cooking at a very low temperature till the tomatoes have released their juices.  Raise the temperature to medium and bring to a boil.  Cook till the tomato pulp begins to collapse.  Run the entire batch through a food mill to make a puree.  Can according to your normal custom.
In Italy they use recycled bottles like soda or beer bottles and sometimes wine bottles.  I love these stored in old fashioned Coke bottles which are also used for expensive wine.
You should not use garlic in this recipe or any herbs because you will then be limited in its uses.  You can always add them later.

Rosolio liqueur

Ingredients

• 2 1/4 cups (500 g) of the best wine spirits
• 2 1/4 cups (500 f) powdered sugar -- the kind without vanilla
• 2 1/4 cups (1/2 liter) milk
• A garden lemon, or an organically grown untreated lemon
• A half a vanilla bean
         
                     
                    

Preparation

In Artusi's day many people kept lemon trees in their gardens. Even if yours is not homegrown, make sure its skin is untreated. Grate the lemon rind, peel the lemon, discarding the white, remove the seeds, and mince the pulp. Chop the vanilla bean and mix all the ingredients together in a glass jar. Expect the milk to curdle. Cover the jar, put it in a spot that's not exposed to direct sunlight, and shake it once daily for eight days.

 

Then filter the liquor, first through a cloth and then a paper filter, and bottle it. Let it age for a couple of months and it'll be ready for use.

Mary Burrill's Baked Doughnuts

Boil a scant cup of potato in plain water, mash smoothly as possible and reserve 1/4 cup water.
Scald 1 cup of milk, and melt 3/4 cup shortening, 1/2 cup sugar and 1 teaspoon salt
Dissolve one Tablespoon of yeast in the warm potato water.  Allow to proof.
Combine all ingredients and add two beaten eggs.
(I add 1/2 t mace, nutmeg or cinnamon and 1 t vanilla, but the old recipe does not call for it.)
Add a cup of flour and beat till smooth.
Add more flour until you approach 3 1/2 additional cups maximum, beating it in and later kneading it in.  Use as little flour as possible to be able to handle the dough.
Knead the dough well...10 to 20 minutes.
Place in a covered bowl and allow to rise till at least double.

Roll to 1 inch thick and cut in rounds or doughnuts.
Place on buttered baking sheets not touching.
Allow to rise till double again.
Bake at 425 F till delicately brown...less than 12 minutes, but keep checking.  You know raised doughnut color!
Brush the doughnuts with melted butter and roll in sugar(I mix mace, nutmeg or other spice into the sugar.)

My sister has had this recipe for almost 50 years and this is the first time we tried it, just before I left for overseas.  They are ABSOLUTELY DIVINE!!!
Makes 2 dozen depending on your cutter, and they last well, covered for three days.  Try filling them with sweetened Moscarpone(or mixed with cocoa or liquor), jelly, pudding, lemon curd or cannoli filling.  You could also split them and fill them with VERY SOFT cream cheese mixed with maraschino cherries, whole berries, sweet ham/prosciutto or jams to make sweet sandwiches for a party or shower.  Vary the spices or omit depending on what you are filling them with.
Sorry I do not have a picture.  They are difficult to upload here and also...they were eaten too fast...light as air and a lovely taste.