This recipe will no doubt bring vivid memories to all four of the Farina siblings, Abby, Jon, Sarah, and Emily. While we would agree that our other has been a good mom, there have been times that we wondered about the possibility of her inheriting some recessive sadistic gene. You be the judge.

Every fall, as October 31^st approached, we four would begin to excitedly plan for the big night — Halloween, of course. Costumes were the first to be considered. What would we be this year? A cowboy for Sassy, although I’m not sure if she was more eager to wear the cowboy hat or the holster. Then what Cowboy would be complete without a protagonist, hence Jon as the Indian. Emily was too young to make up her mind (in other words, she could still be bossed around, not like today). She wanted to be “beautiful,” so older sister Abby helped her dress up as a gypsy. And then there was Abby. Not much left in the mud room clothes closet, so she patched a few things together and went as a hobo.

October 31^st draws nigh. We plan our route around the neighborhood, making sure we have the BIG paper bags. We speculate about how scary June Mugford’s house will be and dare each other to see who’ll go in first. Finally the big day arrives. As soon as we get home from school, we scramble around getting our costumes in order. We’re finally ready. We know we can go out as soon as we have supper, so we anxiously wait for Dad to pull in the driveway. At last, we spy his headlights and we all make a bee line for the dinner table.

Now, in the mean time, our mother, no doubt thinking about what’s ‘good’ for us, has been scheming in the kitchen. I’m sure she asked herself, “What shall I make for dinner tonight? It’s Halloween night after all, and I’ve got them under my power…no trick or treating until they’ve finished their meal…every last morsel! I know, I’l surprise them with their FAVORITE food — LIVER AND ONIONS! Ha ha ha ha ha…”

We’re all sure she cackled with glee as she prepared our “special treat.” Imagine our shock as we slid into our seats, only to discover that our supper consisted of that dreaded dish. We could only surmise that our loving mother had been taken over by forces of evil. In fact, as she approached the table with a platter of steaming Liver and Onions, her skin seemed to take on a greenish hue. Perhaps it was just the lighting, but her voice definitely cackled as she admonished, “You can go out to trick or treat as soon as you’ve finished all your liver…”

1 lb calves liver
flour
salt
pepper
1 c sliced onions
bacon

Dredge liver in flour seasoned with salt and pepper. Place liver in a 7×11 baking dish, in a single layer. Cover completely with sliced onions. Put bacon slices on top of onions, as many will fit without overlapping too much. Bake in a 350° oven for about 25-30 minutes, or until liver is cooked through. (It will taste like cardboard, if properly done). Serve on Halloween night. Goes great with cod liver oil.