The Darling Dahlias and the Silver Dollar Bush

? teaspoon dried thyme


1 teaspoon rosemary, minced Salt and pepper to taste

2 apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1-inch slices 2 tablespoons unsalted butter ? pound calf’s liver, sliced into 2-inch strips ? cup white wine (Raylene says whiskey is good, too) To caramelize onion: Heat two tablespoons olive oil in a large frying pan. Reduce heat to low and add sliced onion, garlic, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper. Cook, uncovered, for 40–45 minutes, until onion is tender and almost caramelized. Do not let it burn. While onion is cooking, sauté apples in butter until lightly brown, set aside and keep warm. Remove onion from frying pan and keep warm. Add remaining olive oil and sauté liver quickly on both sides, about three minutes altogether, until the outside is browned, the inside pink. Add wine and over high heat scrape up cooking juices. Put liver onto a serving dish with warm onions and apple. Serve immediately.

Ophelia’s Mother’s Whiskey Cake

1 cup flour

? teaspoon baking powder

? teaspoon ground cinnamon ? teaspoon salt

? teaspoon baking soda

? cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened ? cup brown sugar

? cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

? cup milk

? cup honey

? cup whiskey

1 cup raisins

Sour cream or vanilla ice cream for serving Preheat oven to 350°F. In a bowl, mix flour, baking powder, cinnamon, salt, and baking soda. In a large bowl, beat butter until creamy; gradually add brown and granulated sugars and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, beating well. Then beat in flour mixture, ? at a time, alternately with milk, dry ingredients last. Mix in honey, then whiskey and raisins. Pour batter into a greased, parchment-paper-lined 10-inch cake pan and bake for 30–35 minutes. Cool. Serve the cake with sour cream or vanilla ice cream.

Raylene’s Buttermilk Whiskey Pie

1? cups granulated sugar

3 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1 cup buttermilk, divided

3 eggs, slightly beaten

? cup melted butter

1 tablespoon whiskey

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 unbaked 9-inch piecrust

Preheat oven to 425°F. In a large bowl, combine sugar, flour, and ? cup buttermilk. Add beaten eggs and remaining ? cup buttermilk; mix well. Mix in melted butter, whiskey, and vanilla. Pour into prepared piecrust. Bake for 10 minutes, then reduce heat to 350°F and bake approximately 25–30 minutes, until the top is lightly brown and the center is just set. Pie will become more firm as it cools.