My Best Memory: Gram’s Sweet and Sour Cabbage

My fondest memories are always sparked by the familiar aroma of various foods. As a child, I was fortunate to have a Polish/Lithuanian grandmother that lovingly allowed me to take part in her cooking and meal preparation duties.  One of my earliest memories is the day she gave me permission to explore her cupboards and “cook” with whatever I discovered there. I used crackers, peanut butter, and other assorted ingredients to make a pretend dinner for her and my grandfather.  Her patience knew no end, even when I spilled crumbs and milk on her speckled linoleum floor.  Because of her love for me, she allowed me to be creative and comfortable in her kitchen domain. And she taught me how to cook cabbage.

When I visited Gram in her Cicero, Illinois home, I could smell her familiar cooking from the moment my feet touched the threshold of her door.  If there is a distinct aroma that makes me feel close to her, it would be her sweet and sour cabbage.  It had a homey aroma that assured me that she was home watching the pot and stirring it ever so often as it bubbled and squeaked on her white porcelain stovetop.  I knew if I smelled sweet and sour cabbage she was never far away – it was very much a smell of comfort and security for me.

After I married, Gram would often visit me with an offering of her sweet and sour cabbage in its familiar white casserole dish.  When I gave birth to my children it was time for another batch of her comforting cabbage that grew tastier every day it sat in the fridge. Now Gram is gone, and my husband has mastered the “cabbage tasks” in our home.  He carefully slides and chops and insists it takes 4-5 hours of good simmering to caramelize and coax the cabbage into its intense and sweet, rich flavor.  He has truly become the “cabbage king” of the house and upholds our family’s food tradition.

Today, as soon as their feet touch the threshold of our home, my own children reminisce about their great grandma and their dad cooking cabbage.  The savory scent means that “someone is home for you.”  This is really what life is all about: creating rituals for our loved ones and savoring memories from the past, and food traditions are an integral part of this.  Recently, one of my grown children called me to find out the ingredients for Gram’s recipe.  Our food traditions will pass down through the generations – and this is the way it is supposed to be.

Get the recipe for Gram’s Sweet and Sour Cabbage in the Sustainable Kitchen!

-Karen Hudson

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