ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI: EATING OUTLAW PRETTY BOY FLOYD BUTTERMILK BISCUITS

On a recent trip my husband, Larry Joe and I, were meandering across Oklahoma, where we found ourselves in Sallisaw, a small community nestled in the edge of the Cookson's Hills on I-40, a hop-and-a-skip from Ft. Smith, Ark.

Sallisaw has several claims to fame. For many Cherokee, the "Trail of Tears" ended here, and the home of Sequoyah, the famous Cherokee educator, can still be seen today. John Steinbeck's "The Grapes of Wrath," used Sallisaw as the starting point for "Okies" fleeing to California to escape the "dust bowl" days. And, it was the boyhood home of Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, notorious outlaw, who used the rugged and inaccessible Cookson Hills of the 1930s to hide from the law.

Floyd was well liked by the locals as was his law abiding family. Many of today's town folk can remember him, and a wealth of folk stories abound. "Pretty Boy's brother, E.W., served as sheriff from 1949 until his death in 1920 in the Sallisaw area. Their graves can be found along side of their parents int he serene Akins Cemetery.

Sallisaw and nearby Lake Kerr eateries teased your taste buds with menu offerings highlighted by locally grown Black Angus steaks and fresh catfish with big bowls of cowboy brown beans and a homemade chunky green tomato relish. But, my favorite was the lofty golden brown biscuits, that when filled with creamy frontier butter, were sinfully delicious. Jokingly, I started calling them "Pretty Boy Floyd Biscuits."

Pretty Boy Floyd Biscuits

2 cups self-rising flour

8 tablespoon softened butter

3/4 cup buttermilk

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

1. Rub shortening into flour with finger tips or pastry blender until coarsely textured.

2. Pour buttermilk slowly into mixture, while stirring with a fork, until it forms a soft ball.

3. Knead dough lightly on floured surface three or four times. Roll 1/4 to 1/2-inch thick. Cut with biscuit cutter.

4. Place biscuits on a greased baking sheet. Brush biscuit tops with butter, then bake at 450 degrees for 15 minutes or until golden brown.

Yield: about 12 biscuits.

Angie Holtzhouser is author of Drop Dumplin's and Pan-Fried Memories ... Along the Mississippi. Her cookbook is available at local bookstores. In addition, it can be purchased through the mail at: Drop Dumplin's, P.O. Box 10, Lilbourn, Mo. 63862. The price is $19.95, including tax and shipping.