Piedmontese Style Salamini and Cabbage	recipe

A snapshot of the Hub-UK menu in December 2000

Back then the internet was a very different place with much more of an amateur feel to it. In a lot of ways it was a pleasanter and more friendly place to hang out. For those of us interested in food and cooking it was a great opportunity to chat and share ideas with people living in other parts of the world.

It was also a time when everyone involved in cooking, whether they were just a keen amateur, a busy mum, a grandmother with a lifetime of kitchen experience or a professional chef just starting a career in the kitchen or one who was an old hand working at the stove, was happy to share recipes so others could enjoy them.

This recipe was contributed by Shirley Cline.

Shirley was a great inspiration when I first started working on the idea of creating a recipe and cooking web site. Not only did she encourage me but she also supplied a great many recipes and other pieces which are featured throughout the site. Her great achievement was to teach me to cook risotto over the internet!

Although I never had the chance to meet Shirley, or even talk to her, I regarded her as a good friend. It was with great sadness that I learnt that she passed away in Autumn 2004 and that there would be no more emails. I think she will be sadly missed by a lot of people like me to whom she gave such pleasure with the sharing or her recipes. The pleasure my children have had from her recipe for Strawberries with Balsamic Vinegar and Mint - not to mention the fights for seconds - has been a joy to behold.

Ingredients

3 1/2 - 4 lbs of the best sweet Italian sausage you can find
Olive Oil
12 large cloves of garlic, minced
1 large or 2 small heads of cabbage (cut into bite size pieces)

Method

• Cut sausage into three pieces each. Brown in a "Dutch Oven" or heavy pot with tight lid in olive oil (start with 1 1/2 Tblsp.). Add more if you use more sausage. Using a fairly high heat, constantly stir the sausage, making sure all pieces are good and browned (will look like they are going to burn but you want them well browned). Stir with a wooden spoon, scraping up the pieces from the bottom. It is OK if they stick a bit to the bottom, just keep stirring well.

• When the sausage is well browned, turn down the heat to a simmer and add the garlic (chopped fine with knife - do not use garlic press). 

• Add the cabbage, stir well. 

• Add black pepper (enough to give it a little peppery bite).

• Do not add salt until you taste because sometimes the sausage will be salty enough.

• After stirring well, breaking up the pieces on the bottom, put the lid on tight and simmer on low. Keep checking approximately every 10 minutes and stir well each time. (When you lift the lid, make sure you do not let the water from the lid go into the pot - throw that excess water away).

• The cabbage makes juice so you do not want additional water. Let simmer until all of the cabbage has absorbed the juices from the sausage and garlic. The whole cooking process should only take about 30 minutes. Do not overcook.

• Taste now, and adjust seasonings, adding salt and more pepper, only if needed.

• This is very rich so I serve it with a green salad and French bread.

Shirley Cline

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