Can we talk Cabbage?

[joesfolk]

If I am going to be using raw cabbage, I always salt it lightly, and then press it to get the moisture out of it. Cabbage stays crisp that way. Even for slaw.

I discovered that secret several years ago and now I won't make them any other way...well at least until a better way comes along!

 

[Greg Who Cooks]

Just for the record, I'm totally opposed to soggy cabbage (unless it's tender). I'm totally for crispy cabbage (unless it's not tender).

The best egg rolls I ever had were when I was a kid and my dad would pick up Chinese take-out every Friday night on the way home from work, to treat our family and spare my mom from cooking dinner in the final day of the week. Those egg rolls were totally loaded with cabbage!

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Trentino Alto Adige, Italy and Austrian Frontier

@ Historic Foodie,

Firstly, your red cabbage recipe is a highly regarded tradition in Spain during Christmas time, as well as in Trentino Alto Adige on the Austrian border, by the Adige River which flows from the Alpine, Tyrolean at Austria´s border.

They also prepare a thick thick Barley Minnestrone with cabbage onion, celery, beef stock, smoked Kieblasa sausage, carrot, barley, parsley, marjoram, rosemary and potatoes in these villages and towns in this vicinity.

We shall have to try it when we return from Porto.

Kindest.
Margi.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Red Cabbage Soup - Christmas in Spain

@ Historic Foodie,

It is interesting, that one of the traditional first courses of Spaniards is almost the same recipe as yours, the red cabbage soup with apple infusion.

It is also quite popular in Russia and the former Soviet states, and Austria and the Italian frontier of Trentino Alto Ridge on the Tyrolean Alps and in Slovenia.

Nice Sunday wishes.
Margi.

 

[Claire]

In Hawaii a traditional dish (that is, when I lived there) was Portuguese Bean Soup. (Actually, then, Portuguese was pronounced Port-A-Gee, hard "G"). Its base was Portagee sausage (a smoked version, something I can't get here but Polish smoked sausage will do), onions, cabbage. Seems to me there was tomatoes and some people put in sourkraut (Hawaii can be very eclectic when it comes to food combinations!).

How funny. I just googled it and there are many versions of Hawaiian Portagee bean soup out there. Don't remember ever using pasta in it, but they all look good!

 

[HistoricFoodie]

It is interesting, that one of the traditional first courses of Spaniards is almost the same recipe as yours, the red cabbage soup with apple infusion.

I reckon there's a similar recipe to mine in most cuisines. Outside the US, red cabbage is much more popular than it is here. Mostly, in the US, it's used by folks with a central European background.

Similarly, savoyed-leaf cabbages are much more popular in Europe than they are here. Americans have been trained to believe that "cabbage" means smooth, green leaves. A real shame, when there are so many other great options.

 

[Claire]

OK, you guys have me going. WHen my husband wakes, he will be delighted to know dinner is Portagee Bean Soup!

 

[HistoricFoodie]

Claire, if you add a bunch of paprika (preferably smoked) you'll get closer to the flavor imparted by the linguica used in the original.

 

[Claire]

Claire, if you add a bunch of paprika (preferably smoked) you'll get closer to the flavor imparted by the linguica used in the original.

Gee, are we twins separated at birth. That was my plan! I don't have smoked paprika at the moment, but the sausage I'm using is smoked, so all should be well.

 

[HistoricFoodie]

Gee, are we twins separated at birth

Probably not---you're much better looking then me. :>) But we might be displaced neighbors. Spent the ten longest years of my life living in McHenry, and used to hunt in your part of the world.

 

[Claire]

Oh, gee. I'd like to be flattered, but you've never seen me. I'll take it as a compliment anyway!

 

[Margi Cintrano]

@ Claire: Mexican Grocers in Chicago

@ Claire,

I do not know how far you are from Chicago, however, most Mexican grocers in the USA carry Spanish " La Vera " Smoked Paprika, from La Vera, EXtremadura, Spain in either a sweet ( dulce ) or piquant form ( picante ). PIMENTÓN DULCE o PIMENTÓN PICANTE in Spanish.

This would be awesome in Portuguese or Spanish or Galician Bean Soups.
Galicia is the Northwestern corner, north of Portugal.

Happy Valentine´s.
Margi Cintrano

 

[HistoricFoodie]

Marji, Galena is the other side of the state from Chicago, on the Mississippi River. In terms of big towns the Quad Cities are closer. But, either way, it would be quite a drive.

 

[Claire]

Historic foodie, thank you for helping me let people know that I live in rural Illinois, not Chicago. I could (and have) gone to the QC or Madison for certain ingredients. But it isn't something I can do when I wake in the morning and decide to go grocery shopping. And nowadays I can (and have) bought stuff on the internet. We aren't a back-water,, and Dubuque (the nearest city) isn't too bad now (was horrible 10 years ago when I moved here). I also count as friends a spice merchant and a gourmet store owner (it's a tourist town), so can get what I want.

But NO! Not everyone in Illinois lives in Chicago or a place near enough to go there for grocery shopping. Californians can suffer that belief as well (yes, I lived in rural California in my life). This is one huge country that many people don't even get the gist of. Now we're lucky enough to be able to buy stuff on-line. A real boon to my life.

 

[Claire]

Oh, by the way, we do have a Mexican grocer in town, small though we are. I don't think he carries much in the way of spices, though.

 

[HistoricFoodie]

This is one huge country that many people don't even get the gist of.

Especially when it comes to cookery.

I'm always amused when a celebrity chef says something like, "available in stores everywhere...." Sure. So long as you define "everywhere" as New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.

Most people, especially urbanites, not only do not realize how big this country is, they haven't a clue how empty it can be, once you're even a short way out of the city.

I live within the SMSA of the second largest city in Kentucky. But my nearest neighbor is about a half mile away.

Rural living certainly has its advantages---that's why I chose it. But for a cook it is not exactly ingredients-central. We shop in Lexington (30 miles away) because even the supermarkets here in town do not carry much of what we need. Even so, we visit as many as 8 stores in Lexington, each week, and still have to order many things on line.

There is, in the whole region, one real butcher---who has high prices and small selection; one fishmonger---but you wouldn't want to buy anything there, cause the place smells so bad; and zero, nada, no bake shops worth the name.

I don't want to imply that it's all bad. If you take the time to ferret them out, there are small ethnic and specialty stores. Unfortunately, they go in and out of business so often it's hard to keep up. And there's a water mill only 45 miles away, where I buy my flours. Not being confined to a suburban backyard, my gardens could be the size of Rhode Island if I so wished. Alternatively, during the growing season, if I throw a rock in any direction I'll hit a farmers market or farmstand. And in a pinch, both Louisville and Cincinnate are about 85 miles away.

 

[Addie]

And in the same theme, in Texas, Oklahoma and cattle states, the families of ranches usually own a plane and have a small landing strip. Their nearest neighbor is within flying distance. Not driving. To drive to your neighbors, could take as much as three or four hours. America is big and we don't like to be crowded.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

An Italian Deli

Historic Foodie and Claire,

Good Afternoon.

I would flip out literally if I did not live near an Italian Deli ... afterall, imagine an Italian without Bufala Mozzarella or Pecorino or Parmesano ?
Sort of hard to imagine, yes ? Lucky, I can make my own Egg Fettuccini, Canelloni Sheets and Tagliatelli ...

I am pretty good on the geography; however, I did not look on an Illinois map. Thank H.F. for explaining the details.

I like Chicago, and enjoyed the food scene when I was last there. Superior Italian American cuisine ... I also had gone to a wonderful Tapas Bar called Ba Ba Ree Ba which is on Northside of River. It was truly enjoyable and then, the Greek Ouzería (Tavern) which we also liked enormously.

Ask the Latin Grocer, most carry LA VERA PIMENTÓN DULCE O PICANTE from La Vera, Spain ... this shall make a difference in ur Portuguese cassolas ... ( bean stews )

Have a lovely Valentine´s
Margi.

 

[Margi Cintrano]

Born and bred Urbanite ... pavement & skyscrapers ...

@ Addie,

Happy Valentine´s.

I am a Urban woman ... Would flip if I had to drive to an Italian Deli for my pecorino or Bufala d´Mozzarella ... I walk to the corner !

Yes, I know how rural the USA and Canada can be. The Mediterranean hamlets can be fairly rural and remote too ...

Lovely San Valentine´s to all,
M.C.

 

[Addie]

@ Addie,

Happy Valentine´s.

I am a Urban woman ... Would flip if I had to drive to an Italian Deli for my pecorino or Bufala d´Mozzarella ... I walk to the corner !

Yes, I know how rural the USA and Canada can be. The Mediterranean hamlets can be fairly rural and remote too ...

Lovely San Valentine´s to all,
M.C.

Last night I was watching Andrew Zimmerman. He is a fella that travels around the world eating strange foods. He visited Boston and one of the places he visited was Boston's North End. Visions of my childhood came flooding back. He went into a typical Italian store. Piles of wheels of cheeses from all over Italy. The aromas of that store came right off the TV screen to me. When I was a child there were two Italian neighborhoods in Boston. One in the North End and the other in East Boston where I grew up. We had pushcarts that made the rounds every day with their fresh produce. After the man would return to his little store and you could go there to get what you needed for the days cooking. There were several stores where you could get your cheeses by the chunk. Now my little town is in transition. The Italians are slowly dying off and the next generation has moved to the suburbs. And a new groups of immigrants are moving in. But that is as it should be. If I ever get a hanking for my childhood, I just have to go across the harbor to the North End.