Growing up in a migrant family in Australian suburbia in the 1960s had its challenges. We were 'different' you see. For starters, we were relatively poor... my parents had survived the war in Europe and fled Hungary after the Russian uprising in 1956, arriving in Australia with a couple of suitcases and three children. We spoke Hungarian at home and, when speaking in English, my parents had quite marked (but rather delightful) accents. Although a baker made his morning rounds delivering sliced white bread to people's doorsteps, we ate crusty 'Continental' bread which we dipped into a kind of milky Café au lait that mum cooked on the stove every morning. Our bedding comprised goose down feather doonas and large square pillows that my mother bought from a European door-to-door salesman who had a stash of such bedding in his Kombi van. Meanwhile, our neighbours had (itchy) woollen blankets and fluffy bedspreads. And whilst local families had takeaway chicken and chips from time to time, my mother sometimes cooked delicious meals with cabbage, both red and the green savoy, the smell of which none of my little Aussie 'friends' seemed to like... they would even wrinkle their noses in disgust! Call me unfortunate if you wish, but I have always loved cabbage, especially the braised red cabbage with apple and cloves and the stuffed cabbage rolls that my mother made. Cabbage has both good and bad points, I suppose. Food historian and poet, Eric Rolls, reminds us in A Celebration of Food and Wine that 'cabbage has to overcome memories of the strange, powerful, sulphurous smell as it cooked too long to be served... ' but then he points out that 'the ancient Egyptians raised altars to red cabbage and made it the first dish at dinners' ... and rightfully so, methinks. And just as feather doonas are the trendiest form of bedding nowadays, crusty 'Continental' bread is très chic, and braised red cabbage features on the menus of many fine restaurants across Australia. So I'm sharing with you here my mother's recipe for braised red cabbage with apples. But first, an old photograph I found tucked away in a shoebox just recently... my parents, my sister and I at the green Laminex and chrome table in our humble but happy home, circa 1961 or so. One of my two older brothers would have taken the shot. BRAISED RED CABBAGE WITH APPLE - MY MOTHER'S RECIPE 1/2 head of red cabbage, sliced into shreds 2 small onions, finely chopped 2 tablespoons oil 1 teaspoon salt 2 tablespoons sugar 6 cloves 3 bay leaves 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar 2 green apples, peeled and thinly sliced Heat the oil and quickly sauté the cabbage and onion until they soften - do not brown. Add the salt, sugar, cloves, bay leaves, vinegar and apples. Cover, lower the heat and simmer gently for 40 minutes or until the cabbage is tender. If needed, sprinkle a little water over the cabbage to prevent catching, or use a simmer mat. This recipe makes four hearty serves and sits beautifully with creamy mashed potatoes and pork chops, or schnitzel. Cabbage can be seen as a beautiful thing...The process in pictures...Párolt vörös káposzta, nagyon finom!You might also enjoy... Tell me, have you ever tried braised red cabbage in this way? And was your family seen as being 'different' in any way?
Lizzy
13/7/2013 10:15:51 pm
Thank you, Fiona... shows my age, eh? It is an acquired taste... I guess. But it is soooooo good... especially with pork and schnitzel! Perfect winter comfort food.
Annie
13/7/2013 09:20:28 pm
I'm sure I had this at the Waldorf last week and thought YUM! Now I can do it myself. I love cabbage of all kinds despite hating it as a kid as it was boiled till the lovely green cabbage turned whitish pink :( but when I learned to lightly braise it in butter with bacon the love affair was on. Thanks Lizzy x
Lizzy
13/7/2013 10:16:22 pm
Annie, you are most welcome! Happy cooking my friend xo I spent my youth in suburbia in the late 60's early 70's and remember playing at friends places whose parents were immigrants. The different foods and their aromas have stayed with me ever since. With regards to cabbage, love it! Even lightly steamed with celery and teamed with a roast dinner, very delicious. My son regularity eats cabbage unbeknown to him as I generally add cabbage to stir frys, noodle soup and vegetable burritos. Thanks for the recipe.
Lizzy
14/7/2013 11:26:06 am
Hi Serena, did you grow up in the Canberra region? We may have met. I am so pleased to find a fellow cabbage fancier! Lightly steamed with celery sounds lovely! Thank you for stopping by, love your blog BTW. 14/7/2013 01:32:51 am
Your childhood sounds rich in culture and warmth Lizzy! :D And thank you for sharing this lovely recipe with us :D
Lizzy
14/7/2013 11:26:39 am
Thank you Lorraine, it was indeed and I feel blessed to this day. Thank you for stopping by and for your kind words : ) 14/7/2013 08:49:55 am
What a sweet photo that is - great memories.
Lizzy
14/7/2013 11:27:16 am
Thanks so much, Maureen.... it is pretty.... but even more, it's delicious... especially with good mash! Thanks for popping in : ) 14/7/2013 10:31:32 am
Preserving family recipes is so wonderful! I like cabbage though I've never tried it braised, such a lovely color!
Lizzy
14/7/2013 11:27:59 am
Thanks Laura, I feel it's wonderful and important to preserve these old family recipes. And yes, it is a lovely colour. Thanks for visiting.
Lizzy
14/7/2013 11:28:34 am
Thanks Muppy, I love your description, have added that to my post : ) 14/7/2013 12:36:41 pm
I love that picture of you with your sister and parents! And I love this recipe. I've made braised red cabbage before, but it's been eons. I love something like this with duck, or better yet, goose. Goose is another of those dishes that I haven't made for eons. Maybe it's time again! Anyway, I love your photos, and the recipe is really good. The weather isn't right for me to cook this right now, but in a few months it will be - I definitely should do this. Thanks so much.
Lizzy
14/7/2013 12:45:56 pm
Thank you, John! So very kind. I hadn't made this dish for a while either... it's not my Peter's cup of tea (but my first husband loved it, as do my children). Yes, it struck me that it would sit well with duck. I am not sure that I've tasted goose, but you are right, it would be good to cut the fat. Cheers for now and thanks for visiting. 14/7/2013 01:25:38 pm
Oh Lizzy, what a charming family photo!
Lizzy
15/7/2013 09:49:17 am
Hi Amanda, thank you.... interesting to read the experiences of others.... food is so significant with school kids, isn't it. Australia would be very ordinary without the wonderful diversity that migrants have brought with them to this country. 14/7/2013 01:33:51 pm
i'm printing this recipe out for my mum, as she loves braising red cabbage with lots of flavours - this may be a new one for her. i'm definitely a cabbage lover, especialy crinkly dark freen savoy.
Lizzy
15/7/2013 09:49:55 am
Thanks so much... I do hope your mum will enjoy this recipe... the time is perfect for such comfort food. : ) 14/7/2013 01:37:21 pm
Such lovely memories Lizzy! I do love my red cabbage both cooked and raw but wouldn't have touched it as a child :D
Lizzy
15/7/2013 09:50:30 am
Thanks JJ. I didn't like creamed spinach when I was a child... always made me gag. I enjoy it now : ) 14/7/2013 03:37:00 pm
What a wonderful recipe, the ones passed down are always the best. I too adore cabbage and braised cabbage may seem like poor mans food but I love it. Will be definitley giving this a go. I ate it once with rolled beef and mash and it was cooked by a German housemate I had once. YUmm
Lizzy
15/7/2013 09:51:31 am
Thanks Lizzie... this braised cabbage goes wonderfully with mash and I think it would have been delicious with rolled beef. Thanks for stopping by. 14/7/2013 04:38:24 pm
What delicious memories indeed Lizzy! My dad was Irish stock and we grew up on fried cabbage, but with boiled potato and garlic thrown in. I much prefer the subtle sweetness you would get by braising the cabbage with apples and onions. Lovely photo and a memory of simpler times indeed :)
Lizzy
15/7/2013 09:52:24 am
Thank you Bec... ah, fried cabbage with boiled potato and garlic, simple and delicious fare. I hope you will try this one. : )
Eha
14/7/2013 06:56:55 pm
Lizzy, I hardly have to tell you that it was SO the same in my family, even if just a few years earlier and even more complex!! I remember my poor Mom so innocently going to the local butcher and asking for calves liver and kidneys, proper white veal schnitzel and sweetbreads; a real crazy lady, it seemed!! Red cabbage: of course, tho' have to add more cloves when I cook it it seems! What a delightful journey into the past - thank you :) !
Lizzy
15/7/2013 09:53:44 am
I am hearing you... I remember that the cuts of meat that my parents asked for were usually discarded by the butcher... pig's trotters for brawn, chicken giblets etc. Thank you for your kind words. : )
Lizzy
15/7/2013 09:53:58 am
Thank you, Tandy : )
sue
14/7/2013 11:34:02 pm
Lizzy - yes I grew up in a different family having a Hungarian father and an Australian mother. Unfortunately my mother always overcooked the cabbage and never did it as nicely as your recipe! She did pretty mean cabbage rolls in the end (I think dad taught her that though)... we did however have a pickled cabbage salad in big jars that was called cholomady (I've spelt it phonetically as I don't know the Hungarian word for it...) I can't for the life of me find a recipe for it though - do you know of it?
Lizzy
15/7/2013 09:59:17 am
Hi Sue... I hope you might try this recipe... no need to overcook the cabbage. Do you make the cabbage rolls nowadays? I haven't cooked those for years. Must do that! Your 'cholomady' has me stumped... mum used to pickle cabbage from time to time too, although that was one thing I wasn't too fond of. Mum used canned sauerkraut in her cabbage rolls recipe most of the time. Does this recipe sound familiar?
Sue
18/8/2013 08:23:00 pm
Hi Lizzy - thanks for your response I haven't yet tried your cabbage recipe but I will. I haven't made cabbage rolls for a long time but should do so again. I have discovered buried deep in my computer a recipe for Csalamade after all that! I did check out a pickled cabbage recipe similar to the sbs one and then added vinegar to it so knew I was on the right track. The difference for Csalamade is that you start the pickling process, then cover the vegies with vinegar and top up with water - so the flavours are different to sauerkraut and are closer to a pickle. Now I've found this recipe I'll give it another go and see if that tastes more like I remember it. 15/7/2013 01:35:23 am
I love cabbage, especially red cabbage. I haven't braised it for ages, having reverted to a ten minute recipe with raspberry vinegar and cloves, but as soon as it gets to autumn this recipe will definitely be cooked.
Lizzy
15/7/2013 09:59:57 am
Hi Anne... raspberry vinegar would be a lovely addition too! Thank you for visiting. : )
Lizzy
15/7/2013 01:41:15 pm
Thank you, Amanda. Funny how many readers have memories of the cabbage being boiled to death! Yes, this is a perennial favourite. I am delighted that it's now featured on eatery menus. 15/7/2013 04:35:52 pm
What a delightful post! I love seeing old black and white photos, observing the fashions and hearing the stories.
Lizzy
15/7/2013 06:18:05 pm
Thanks Lisa... I do too. Thank you for visiting... I'm glad you enjoy cabbage too : ) 16/7/2013 02:03:37 am
My parents also fled Hungary in 1956 but they ended up in Canada. Surprisingly my parents met in Toronto and not Budapest, although they lived only a couple of kilometres apart! My Mom's older sister introduced them. It's funny how fate works out — my Mom had only intended on escorting her sister to Austria (yes, crawling on their bellies over the highly guarded borders in the cloak of darkness) but when she got to Vienna she though, what the heck. It was a few years later that she was introduced to my Dad.
Lizzy
16/7/2013 05:05:51 pm
Eva, what a beautiful and touching story you have shared with us from your family. Can you imagine what our parents went through, escaping their homeland in that way? My parents were 'found' on a couple of occasions and returned, but finally made it past the Russians in the snow. Kids do learn fast... I don't actually recall being 'taught' English. I just picked it up somehow, but I don't have an accent as such... though I have been told I have a lilt. Your red cabbage slow sounds fantastic! Thank you for stopping by xo 16/7/2013 01:59:33 pm
Hi Liz, I have thoroughly enjoyed reading your post and the wonderful comments at the end. My husband's Uncle came from the then Yugoslavia and married Geoff's aunty. This was frowned upon by both families and proved quite difficult in the early days, but they had a long and wonderful marriage. They made delicious cabbage rolls, which, like you, I really must have another go at. I love your family photo ~ such a sweet thing then and now! The laminex table would also be trendy and retro now I'd say! Your red cabbage recipe looks delicious too. Cheers Jane
Lizzy
16/7/2013 05:06:47 pm
Hi Jane.... another success story... sounds like a match made in heaven! And thank you for your very kind words. Cheers xo 17/7/2013 12:36:42 am
I loved reading this story. My family is from France, but 3 generations ago. I would love to identify with a European country more and know the stories of what brought them here to the U.S. We are what is known as "cajun". Everyone was poor. But my grandfather, with his 4 brothers became quite successful through sheer determination. He became a doctor, his brother the pharmacist, another a farm equipment store owner, and the last became the town "undertaker". How wonderful to be so in touch with your heritage, although the circumstances that made your parents flee is so sad. Absorb all the stories you can.
Lizzy
17/7/2013 03:57:13 pm
Thank you so much, Sarah. Your family story is fascinating in itself... I think it would be wonderful for you to research and learn more.... and then share through your beautiful blog. Sadly, my mother passed away in 1997, my father in 2001, so I am relying on my memories of all the wonderful stories they told me throughout their lives. Yes, it was hard for them, my mother left her mother behind and never saw her again... my father left many siblings behind too. Hence I am keen to share all that I can here. Thank you for stopping by. 17/7/2013 09:42:44 am
We only ever ate red cabbage pickled in my childhood home, so thanks for the inspiration to go the extra mile!
Lizzy
17/7/2013 03:58:12 pm
Welcome back Rachel! I've been watching your European adventures on FB... I hope you might try this recipe, perhaps now in winter. It's perfect. I'm off to visit your blog now : ) 17/7/2013 03:54:28 pm
Hi Lizzy, thanks for your visit to my blog. Don't know if you recall but I met you very briefly at Eat Drink Blog in Adelaide last year. I have two halves of red cabbage sitting in the crisper at the moment so must give this recipe a try. It looks delicious and lovely photos.
Lizzy
18/7/2013 05:30:17 pm
Hello there Catherine, we did meet very briefly, didn't we! Love your blog and I'm delighted that you have paid a visit here. Happy cooking, thank you for your kind words and please keep in touch : ) 18/7/2013 03:38:11 am
I love red cabbage and apples. I usually top it with sausages...delicious!
Lizzy
18/7/2013 05:19:42 pm
Sounds wonderful, Karen and so good to meet another cabbage aficionado! Thank you for stopping by : ) What a wonderful photo. You look exactly the same! You really do. I understand only too well the concept of being a migrant and "different" and truly enjoyed the slice of life story you shared. As for cabbage ... hmmm, if it's good enough for you and the Egyptians, I must consider paying cabbage its due attention coming forward. I'll bookmark your mom's recipe for when I'm ready to start my cabbage-loving journey.
Lizzy
18/7/2013 05:29:32 pm
Azita, you made me smile! Thank you for your kind words. So many of us were different in one way or another, whether it was due to being migrants, including from England, or vegetarians perhaps, or simply for having red hair! Yes, please do bookmark and enjoy this adventure into the cabbage world : ) Lizzy you do know that the original Hungarian braised purple cabbage contains only cabbage, salt, caraway seeds, oil or lard and sugar and vinegar. But good cooks can never leave it alone... :-) I thought I was terribly adventurous and somewhat of a rebel to sometimes add fruit to mine, haha.
Lizzy
19/7/2013 09:29:20 am
Hi Zsuzsa, yes, I do.... actually my mother made it that way in the beginning, and continued to cook savoy cabbage like that sans the vinegar. I have never really liked caraway, oddly enough for a Hungarian girl, so perhaps mum amended the recipe.... I must tell you too that my paternal grandmother was Swabian, hence perhaps my father, who also loved to cook, may have added the German touches. 19/7/2013 06:57:59 am
You gave us such a clear and evocative image of your early days in Oz. It must have been such a culture shock to your parents but I bet they embraced the beautiful array of Australian produce in no time. Quicker than the language ;D But it is wonderful to have such fantastic nostalgic dishes as this pretty cabbage one that make us smile and remember our childhood. Beautiful, Liz.
Lizzy
19/7/2013 09:30:34 am
Hi Kellie, thank you..... it was indeed a culture shock for the family.... and the worse thing was the food. Australian produce has come into its own over the years and I'm sure is better now in terms of variety than back then. Thank you for your lovely words.... :) 22/7/2013 12:14:34 am
Lovely post, this is why I love food blogs - the sharing of food stories. I love cabbage too so I'll have to make this.
Lizzy
22/7/2013 11:36:50 am
Thank you so much, Elizabeth, very kind of you. 23/7/2013 12:04:50 am
Our blood is made of red cabbage no? This is a dish that I have been missing a lots since I rarely get the possibility to buy red cabbage here. I had brought back seeds form Austria but that didn't work out well in the tropical climate. ^.^
Lizzy
23/7/2013 09:25:30 am
Love that thought, Helene... yes, I think our blood is made of red cabbage! : D Oh, such a pity you cannot source red cabbage in your part of the world.... thank you for your very kind words... xo 24/7/2013 02:08:04 pm
What a delightful photo and recipe too Lizzy!
Lizzy
27/7/2013 06:03:01 pm
Thanks so much Joanne, they are indeed : )
kazari
30/7/2013 04:04:06 pm
Lovely photos! I make that dish quite regularly, but I put carraway seeds or dill, not cloves.
Lizzy
30/7/2013 10:53:43 pm
Thanks so much! Cloves add another dimension and sit really nicely with the apple... and are especially good with pork! Thank you for stopping by ; )
Lizzy
18/8/2013 09:41:32 pm
Sue, csalamade sounds wonderful... my mother may have made it sometimes... it rings a bell. Hi Lizzy, thank you for sharing this... My family came to Australia in the 60s also, and we enjoyed thick continental doonas while friends had scratchy woollen blankets and sheets, and ate their dinner as 'tea' at 5pm, which we found so strange. I grew up on goulash and sauerkraut - Czech and Austrian parents, but forgot about this dish. So again, thank you! I love this site😊
Lizzy
19/10/2015 09:50:32 pm
Lily, thank you so much! x
Heather
25/8/2015 03:53:21 pm
I am making this right now, for my husband. He misses his Hungarian father so much. George left in 1956 and went to Canada. . Loved the photo of your family. Do you have any recipes for pogaca? I have tried several and still looking for one that works well. I am in Montana, USA.
Lizzy
25/8/2015 05:18:02 pm
Hello there Heather, how lovely to hear from you. I do hope your husband enjoys this and my other Magyar recipes too! There are more to come, as we've just spent time in Budapest recently! For pogacsa, see my friend Zsuzsa's recept... http://zsuzsaisinthekitchen.blogspot.com.au/2011/01/sour-cream-scones-tejfolos-pogacsa.html
Aniko
10/1/2016 07:26:52 pm
Nagymama used to make her pogácsa with töpörtyü (crackling, homemade in this case). I miss her cooking! Comments are closed.
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Welcome...Üdvözölöm
Cooking and writing have been a lifelong passion. Join me as I share with you my favourite recipes; postcards and morsels from my travels; conversations with cookery writers and chefs; and news on food, cookbooks and cooking. - Liz Posmyk
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NB: I use Australian standard measuring cups and spoons in my recipes.
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