Red Cabbage

I do my best to channel my mom's cooking skills in all that I do. Well, my mom's and my brother's, that is. I usually do pretty decently: The results aren't spectacular but, in most cases, respectable. This I am okay with. I like that there is room for growth, it gives me something to work towards. It just might be that I have met my match in red cabbage, though. It's an old family recipe that someone somewhere said would bring good luck if consumed on New Year's Day. My mom used to make it every year and, when I was a kid, my grandmother would serve it at the stroke of midnight on New Year Eve.

I'd been looking forward to making it for our first year as marrieds. Alas, things didn't quite go my way. To begin with, I started the process about 24 hours too late. My mom always slow cooked her's for hours, if not days. Fail 1. The four hours I simmered mine didn't quite measure up. It also helps when you have the right ingredients. Remembering that the stores were closing early for the holiday, I ran to Shaw's (Russo's was already closed, sigh...) on my way home. I did my best to mentally rundown the recipe, but ended up with apple cider instead of apple cider vinegar. Fail 2. By the time I realized the mistake, everything was already closed. I used a combination of white vinegar and apple cider and then tossed in the requisite "handfuls" of brown sugar and cloves (I love the way my mom wrote recipes!). The substitution seemed to work fairly well and a familiar aroma began to waft through our cozy apartment.

I set the timer for half-hour increments to remind me to stir the cabbage as it simmered on LOW and curled up on the couch with my work. Apparently cabbage requires more attention than I thought. It made sure I knew about it and fast. By the time I noticed the smell overpowering the air, the entire bottom layer of cabbage was charred black. Fail 3. If this were baseball, I'd be out. Honestly, I'm surprised that our fire alarms didn't go off. The pot is still soaking in our sink and I'm not entirely sure it will ever look the same.  Luckily, I was able to salvage most of it and try again in a separate pot, stirring it faithfully every five minutes. Eventually it cooked down to something resembling my family's dish, but it just wasn't the same.  Nonetheless, we served it for dinner along with my mom's mashed potatoes (hello, condensed milk!), brussels sprouts, filet mignon for Konrad, and some prosecco to toast.

It was a nice start to a new family tradition, even with all the blunders. My mom used to laugh when I putzed around the kitchen, like the year I baked her a mother's day cake that didn't rise. It 'tickled' her, she said. I'm sure where ever she is, she was laughing last night and that makes me smile too. And who knows? Maybe there's hope for me and the red cabbage next year. 

Mum’s Red Cabbage 

1 medium red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
1 medium onion, diced
1 cup apple vinegar
4 cloves
2 “handfuls” of brown sugar, which I equate to a 1/4 cup
2 tablespoons butter 

Heat butter in base of tall pan over medium heat. Sauté onion. Add vinegar, cloves and sugar. Slowly add cabbage.  Reduce heat to low. Cook for several hours. Stir often (my addition!)