Saturday, December 10, 2016

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.

Saturday, December 3, 2016

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.

Friday, December 2, 2016

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.