I found a small hand bound cookbook at the library book sale entitled Gourmets for Mc Govern. It is full of charming illustrations. The colophon reads "This cookbook has been peacefully and lovingly put together by volunteers for McGovern." The recipes do have attribution though the illustrations and author do not. And yes, I am into the politics of food.
This is the perfect Banana Cake recipe because it tells you exactly how much banana to use. I hate when a recipe says "two bananas." Bananas come in all shapes and sizes. You can mess with quantity in ordinary cooking. Baking needs more precision than that. I give you the recipe verbatim.
Ms. Joan Cantor's Banana Cake
Cream together:
1 cup Sugar
1/2 cup Shortening
Add:
2 Eggs
4 tablespoons Sour Cream
1 teaspoon Baking Soda
Beat well.
Add:
1 cup Banana pulp
1 and 1/2 cups Flour
1/4 teaspoon Salt
1 teaspoon Vanilla
Bake at 350 degrees for 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour. Cake will shrink away from the sides of the pan when done.