(The following letter is from the archives of This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , Audax's "Master of Feasts.")

"Dear Mr. Sanderson,

I have as you know been given the privilege of working with you to adapt the recipes in The Historic Coryell Ferry Cookbook to the modern domestic kitchen.

In advance of our first meeting, I thought it would be useful to show you the sort of “translation” needed to help modern cooks produce results that are as close as possible to yours. For example, here is your recipe for Mr. Sanderson’s Morning Muffins:

Prepare ye hearth and fire, good and hot. Stir 2 teaspoons pearlash into 10 ounces soft flour. Add 8 ounces butter, well washed and melted, and 8 ounces clabbered cream. Stir it all up and pour into a form. Bake until risen and firm. Serve hot.

The updated version might read:

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Have ready two ungreased miniature muffin tins.

2 cups (10 ounces) self-rising flour
2 sticks (8 ounces) salted butter, melted
8-ounce container crème fraîche (or substitute cultured sour cream)

Combine the ingredients. Drop the batter into the muffin tins. Bake 12-15 minutes. Serve hot. Passing additional butter with these muffins is wasteful and possibly dangerous. Makes 24-36 small muffins, depending on your tins.

Yours truly,

Buffy Sainte-Marie
Test Kitchen Intern"