Speaking of food - I made my favourite gingerbread recipe yesterday - it makes a moist, slightly chewy, very gingery cake. It's my adaptation of an old family recipe - because I really like ginger - which originated in that very Canadian cookbook - The Five Roses Cookbook.

For non-Canadian listsibs, Five Roses is a flour company, and they have been publishing versions of their cookbook since before the First World War - wonderful recipes for breads and baked goods, candy and preserves and the like. The original of this recipe is c. 1930. Enjoy! Virtual calories don't count. Gail

Best Gingerbread
Printer version of this recipe

2 c. flour
2 tsp. baking powder
2-3 tsp. ground ginger
1 tsp. nutmeg
2-3 tsp. cinnamon
peel of 1 lemon, finely shredded
1/2 c. (approx) crystallised ginger, snipped into small pieces
1/2 c. (approx) stem ginger in syrup, snipped into small pieces
1/2 c. (approx) candied lemon or orange peel

Combine these ingredients together and set aside.
1/2 c butter
1c. dark brown sugar
1 c. molasses
1 c. boiling water
1 tsp. baking soda
2 beaten eggs

Cream butter, add brown sugar gradually, beating well between additions.
Add molasses.
Pour boiling water over baking soda, add to creamed mixture.
Blend in dry ingredients.
Add beaten egg and beat well.
Pour batter into greased and floured 9x13 cake pan.
Bake at 325F for 60 minutes.
Serve with whipping cream, whipped with maple syrup.