Cook of the Week
by Nathan Straus

Donald Thomas

On an 800-acre ranch 11 miles southwest of Brownsboro lives Donald Thomas and his wife for 25 of his 44 years on earth, Debbie. The two work the DeFord ranch, tending to the cattle, fixing fences, mowing, and all the things that usually go into maintaining a ranch.

Their three kids have left the nest; Bruce, the oldest, is a teacher at Brownsboro High School, Jacob is in the Marine Corps and Laura is enrolled at Trinity Valley Community College, aspiring to become a nurse.

"It's been 25 good years," Donald said. He and Debbie celebrated their anniversary in June.

Donald is the pastor at Opelika Missionary Baptist Church, and has been for five years.

"Faith is an every day thing for me," Thomas said, "it's something everybody needs."

Having gone to church all his life, Donald said he surrendered his life to preaching when he turned 17.

Donald has lived on the ranch for three years, and one of his favorite hobbies to embark on complements his cooking abilities; hunting.

"My biggest catch was an eight point buck," Donald said. "I also like to hog hunt."

When the venison is served on the table, Donald said, he enjoys seeing everyone enjoy what he has prepared.

"I tell everyone I didn't get fat off my wife's cooking," Thomas said.

The feeling Donald gets when he sees friends and family come together for fellowship is a great one, he said. Thomas knows other men who like cooking, though he added some are forced into it.

But chefs can do a lot worse than being forced to make one of Donald's dishes. He started with an appetizer designed for both fighting hunger pangs and fighting bad luck.

"Some people believe eating cabbage on New Year's Day will bring good luck," Donald said.

Cabbage Rolls 12 Cabbage leaves 1 Tsp Salt (for the leaves) 2 Cups Rice 1 Large onion

‰ Tsp Black pepper

2 Cans (5 oz each) Tomato sauce

1 Cup Boiling water 2 Lb Ground beef 1 Large egg ¾ Tsp salt (for the mixture)

1 Large can of tomatoes

Cook and salt the leaves until they are limp, drain and set aside. Put chopped onions, beef, salt, rice pepper, tomatoes and one can of the tomato sauce in a bowl and mix. Add half a cup of the mixture to each leaf and roll one at a time. Pour the second sauce can over the rolls and cover with foil. Bake at 350 Degrees for an hour.

On to the main course
Venison Chili
2 ‰ Lb Venison
2 Cans (16 oz each) Stewed
tomatoes
3-4 Tbsp Chili powder (to
taste)
2 Tbsp Olive oil/cooking oil
2 Onions (finely chopped)
1 Tsp Garlic powder
1 Cup Water
1 Tbsp Instant Beef Bouillon

… Tsp Cayenne Pepper
‰ Tsp Paprika
2 Cans (15.5 oz each) Kidney
beans (optional, chili enthusiasts
can deal with the
beans as desired)
Remove fat from venison and discard, then cut the meat into bite-size or smaller cubes. Heat the oil in a skillet and brown the meat. Add the rest of the ingredients and boil, lower the heat, cover and let simmer for 2-3 hours or until the meat is tender. Add water as needed and stir occasionally. Consistency should be as thick soup. Serves eight.

And finally, the dessert
Banana Split Cake
1 Stick Margarine
2 ‰ Cup Graham Cracker
crumbs
‰ Cup Sugar
Mix and place in the bot- tom of an oblong cake pan and bake for five minutes at 350 Degrees. Next comes the cream:
16 Oz Cream cheese
2 Cup Sugar

Spread over the crumbs. Now for the main ingredient:

4 Large bananas (cut up over the dessert)

1 Large Can pineapple (crushed, over the bananas)

1 Large Tub Cool Whip (spread over the fruit)

Sprinkle with chopped nuts and cherries. Refrigerate and cover with plastic wrap. It keeps for 2-3 days, though most don't need to be told to make a dessert disappear in short order.