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Subject: Re: Woolworth’s lunch counter cabbage rolls
From: Lorie
Date: 11/4/2018 2:45 PM
To: phaedrus@hungrybrowser.com
On 11/4/2018 10:56 AM, Lorie wrote:
My mom in the 50/60’s loved the cabbage rolls in the Scittsbluff NE woolworths!
Wondering if you could dig up the recipe for me! Thanks
Lorie
Hi Lorie,
I have a scanned copy of the actual stuffed cabbage rolls recipe from the Woolworth's
Recipe Manual. Woolworth's had a company recipe manual, but local stores sometimes
adjusted the recipe to suit themselves, so it may not be exactly the same as your
local Woolworth's served.
This is a food service recipe, and it makes 18 cabbage rolls. Perhaps you can figure
out how to cut it down. If not, you can make the whole 18 and freeze whatever you
don't eat right away.
Food Service recipes can be a bit difficult to figure out sometimes. Read the recipe
completely before you begin and make sure you understand each step.
I have no idea which brand of shortening or which brand or sauerkraut or tomato sauce
Woolworth's used. It would be safe only to assume that they used Food Service brands.
A steamtable pan is the stainless steel pan containing the food that you could see
behind the serving counter in a cafeteria.
One thing that seemed a bit puzzling to me is that in Step #1 ingredients are listed
"Large head of cabbage (approximately 4 lbs)" then "cooked cabbage - 1 lb 14 oz."
That 1 lb 14 oz of cooked cabbage is not mentioned again, anywhere in the recipe.
(a)Is that the net weight of the 4 pound head of cabbage after it is cored and cooked?
(b)Is it the cabbage taken out from coring the head of cabbage? (It is cored before
cooking, so that would be leftover raw cabbage, wouldn't it?)
(c)Is it the cabbage that's left after removing the 18 leaves for stuffing?
If it's either of the last two, is it used in this dish at all? How? Is it minced with
the onion and celery to go in the stuffing? Or is it set aside for other uses, as in the
final note? (If that's it, why is it listed as an ingredient?) The final Note is not clear
as to what it is means by "cabbage that is left". You may understand this recipe better
than I do. It's a bit murky to me.
Phaed
Woolworth's Stuffed Cabbage
White cabbage is best for this item. It is firm and does not tear in handling.
For 18 portions
Ingredients - Amount
-----------------------------------------
Step #1
Large head of cabbage - 1 (approx. 4 lbs)
Cooked cabbage - 1 lb 14 oz. (?)
Water - 3 quarts
Salt - 1/2 oz.
Core cabbage to an inch in depth. Place the cored cabbage in boiling salted
water. Bring back to boil. Simmer in covered pot 10 to 12 minutes. Remove
cabbage from water. Cool. Carefully remove 18 whole cabbage leaves from head.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Step #2
Shortening for frying - 2 oz.
Onion - 6 oz.
Celery - 4 oz.
Mince vegetables fine. Saute in melted shortening until straw colored - about
20 minutes.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Step #3
Raw rice - 12 oz.
Ground beef - 2 lbs 8 oz.
Black pepper - 1 tsp.
Salt - 1 - 1/2 oz.
Eggs - 2
Cold water - 6 oz.
Wash and drain rice. Combine all ingredients with sauteed vegetables. Blend until
uniform. Fill cabbage leaves with 3 - 3/4 oz meat mixture. Hold core end of leaf
toward you. Shape 3 - 3/4 oz. of filling into a 3" length and place filling at
base of leaf. Roll leaf up. Tuck ends deeply into side with thumb and forefinger.
Place rolls in large steamtable pan #7420-2
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Step#4
Sauerkraut - 1 lb 2 oz.
Evenly distribute sauerkraut over the 18 rolls.
------------------------------------------------
Step #5
Tomato sauce 1 qt
Pour tomato sauce over all. Bake in 350° Oven - 1 - 1/2 to 2 hours.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
Step #6
Tomato sauce 1 qt
Pour another quart hot tomato sauce over cabbage rolls. (1 qt tomato sauce to each
steamtable pan) before sending to steamtable.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE: The cabbage that is left can be returned to the boiling salted water; cooked
until tender, seasoned and used as a vegetable at steamtable.
=================================================================
The correct answer in the Woolworth cabbage puzzle is -- sound the trumpet -- "C".
They used a heavy cabbage for the big outside leaves. The inside leaves would have
been too small and their shape is not suitable for wrapping.. Rather than throw it
away after using the leaves they returned it to the stove and made a side vegetable
to serve with other dishes. Waste in a commercial kitchen is a profit killer.
Good recipe!
JAMES
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