The column this week is coming to you from Odessa, Texas. My friend Margaret Mullikin and I hit the road for a weekend trip to visit my daughter Sarah and her family.

It was quite a trip south, through mostly thick fog and rain. The time went so quickly — talking constantly helps pass the time. When we started, I said it would be like Thelma and Louise, except we would not knock off any unknowns on the way. But, doing harm to each other is another story.

The only harm we did was overeat at every turn in the road. We had a wonderful visit and I still miss them all terribly.

Another friend, Betty Nopwasky, of Joplin, commented on the cabbage rolls mentioned last week. She said a friend of hers said she always uses female cabbage for her fabulous rolls. I looked it up on the Internet and checked with produce people, and I think Betty’s friend was pulling her leg. The comment sure made me stop and think, though.

Turning to Sarah’s kitchen for recipes this week, I found “More Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives” by Guy Fieri of the Food Network. It’s a pretty interesting book in that it’s just like you are talking to him about food from all across the nation.

It seems the only food he will never eat is liver. Too bad: It isn’t a food I want to eat every week, but fixed correctly, I find it quite tasty.

If you are a liver fan, be sure the liver is fresh, preferably put out the day it’s purchased and cooked that same day. Calf’s liver will be pale and pinkish in color while beef liver is darker and has a stronger taste.

All liver should be bright in color and moist but not slimy. I personally think the slimy part should go for all your food.

Cook the liver quickly over high heat. Overcooking will toughen the liver, so if you like it with onions, saute the onions in a little butter separately from the liver.

I remember my mother fixing liver every so often and it was very good. She dredged the liver in lots of flour and there ended up being a sort of gravy in the pan. I always had to make sure there was a helping of gravy on every bite.

Nowadays, there’s a lot said against eating liver, mainly because of the cholesterol. But, this beef organ is so high in vitamins and minerals, we can look at it as we should all our food: with moderation. Too much of anything is not good for you, so use your common sense.

Dancing with the Joplin Stars update: I keep thinking about the movie Dirty Dancing, where one of the characters says, “This is your dance space and this is my dance space.” With only four weeks to go, my head is spinning faster than my feet. I’m excited to get my costumes this week, though.

First up from Guy’s cookbook is the chipped beef recipe. It’s probably been 30 years since I have eaten chipped beef. I forgot all about it but remember how good it was. The recipe calls for serving with home fries or toast, but I remember eating it over biscuits.

Then, there is more cabbage in the haluski, followed by the fried potato salad. There’s a note with this salad that it should be served immediately if possible, because it does not hold well for long periods.

Have a wonderful week and happy eating!



Chipped beef

2 quarts (8 cups) milk

1 pound dried beef

8 ounces (2 sticks) plus 2 tablespoons unsalted butter, at cool room temperature

1 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

Home fries or white or rye toast for serving

Heat milk in large saucepan over medium heat. When almost hot, add half the dried beef. Do not boil. Heat large frying pan over medium-high heat. Press 8 ounces of the butter and the rest of the beef into the pan with a spatula, melting the butter quickly. When the butter is bubbling, add the flour; cook, stirring, until the flour is toasted and the roux starts to bubble, about 4 minutes. Stir the mixture into the steaming milk. Cook, stirring, until the mixture bubbles and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove the chipped beef from the heat and let rest 5 minutes. Stir again and add the remaining 2 tablespoons of butter and the pepper. Serve hot.



Haluski

1 head green cabbage, core removed and leaves separated

1 stick unsalted butter

2 large Spanish onions, julienned

1 tablespoon garlic salt, divided

1 pound sliced bacon, cooked, drained, and crumbled

5 cups wide egg noodles, cooked al dente and rinsed in cold water

1 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 cup grated Romano cheese

Add cabbage leaves to large pot of boiling water and cook until crisp and tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and julienne. Melt the butter in a larger skillet over medium heat. Add the onions, sprinkle on half the garlic salt; let the onions sweat for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Stir in the cabbage and cook, stirring constantly, until the onions and cabbage begin to caramelize, about 10 minutes. Stir in the crumbled bacon, noodles, remaining garlic salt and the pepper; let cook for 5 more minutes. Serve topped with Romano cheese.



Fried potato salad

2 large baking potatoes

3/4 cup mayonnaise

1/3 cup yellow mustard

Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Canola oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees. Bake the potatoes until tender, about 1 hour. Cool and cut into 3/4-inch squares. Mix the remaining ingredients in a bowl. Heat about 1-inch of oil in a deep skillet to 325 degrees. Fry the potatoes until golden brown and crisp, about 3 to 5 minutes. Drain on paper towels. Combine the potatoes with the mayonnaise mixture. Serve warm.