Showing posts with label Cabbage. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cabbage. Show all posts

Monday, October 31, 2011

A Justly Earned Reputation for Grossness

I'm a bit fascinated by the idea of "indigestibility", which back in the day typically referred to fat content or greasiness.

For example, Aunt Jenny's cookbook contains numerous claims about how much more digestible Spry is than other shortenings on the market. Take the following passages:
"Fried foods crispier, tastier, and so digestible: But say, when it comes to fryin, I could tell as much as any of 'em! Since I been fryin' with Spry, you should see all the doughnuts, French fries, and fried chicken my husband, Calvin, stows away! And never a twinge of indigestion!"

"Mebbe I mentioned it before, but I want to say over again, so that everybody gets it, how easy to digest foods cooked with Spry are. Grandpa Briggs at the Old Soldiers' Home eats pies and doughnuts and fried foods aplenty. Mrs. Thompson, the matron, uses Spry for everythin'."

"And you'll notice such a difference with fried foods! Why folks are eatin' all they want since Spry came to town. Sleepin' like tops and feelin' real chipper, too. Fact is, foods fried proper in Spry are as digestible as if baked or boiled. Why even a child can eat 'em."
Apparently devoted hubby Calvin, old man Briggs, and even little Tommy are putting away fried stuff like there's no tomorrow. With nary a twinge.

Obviously, the concern about fried foods had more to do with what it does to the tum tum than what it puts around it.

But back to the Bacon and Cabbage.

In this recipe, I'm confused. Looks like you still cook the cabbage in the grease-saturated pot liquor, so it's not like the leaves walk away unbeglistened. In this recipe, you drain off as much of the stuff as you can, so maybe it was the pool of liquor floating with fat globules that turned the author off. If you drain it, merely a gleaming whiff of pork fat would remain on the leaves, which could perhaps be disregarded as you dig in to the bacon.

OR

(And herein lies the mystery.)

Is it the cabbage itself that produces results described as indigestibility, the symptoms of which could be reduced by changing out the cooking water?

My solution, and undoubtedly Aunt Jenny's: do yourself a favor and just fry the cabbage in Spry. You'll justly earn a reputation for refinement.

Tuesday, July 5, 2011

Spanish Cabbage Frankfurter Rolls


Nothing says the 4th of July like the smell of cabbage in the morning.

This recipe is it's very own melting pot of nationalities, and is sure to bring a smile to your yankee doodle faces.

Cabbage Frankfurter Rolls

Core a head of cabbage. Boil cabbage, remove leaves, put a frankfurter in the center of each leaf. Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese. Prepare packaged Spanish rice, top with cabbage rolls, bake at 350 degrees F about 15 minutes.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Cabbage and Frank Jubilee

The 1960s may have been the hot dog recipe heyday. Here's a fine example, along with a snappy illustration of a sailor on shore leave.

By all means, feed that man some cabbage!

Cabbage and Frank Jubilee

8 cups coarsely shredded cabbage
2 cups Medium White Sauce
2 tbsp. prepared mustard
1 lb. weiners, cut diagonally in 1 1/2" pieces
1 cup grated Cheddar cheese
2 tbsp. fine bread crumbs

Heat oven to 350 degrees (mod.). Cook cabbage covered in 1/2 to 1" boiling salted water, 5 min.; drain. Prepare White Sauce. Add mustard and mix thoroughly. Place half the cabbage in bottom of greased 2-qt. baking dish. Arrange half the winer pieces on top of the cabbage. Pour over half of the mustard sauce. Repeat layers. Top with cheese and fine bread crumbs. Cover and bake 35 to 40 min. 5 to 6 servings.