Stuffed Cabbage Rolls on Make-up Saturday

It’s incredible to me how the universe can simply realign itself in a matter of a few days.  If you read my previous post you know that at the beginning of this week I was on the verge of a breakdown. Okay, maybe not a breakdown but I was definitely dealing with some issues. Somehow over the course of the week things seemed to have just clicked back into place and I am now faced with the exact opposite scenarios as I was earlier this week.

I am about 98.5% sure that I’ve landed a culinary externship at the Austin Hyatt Regency Hotel. I applied for the job on Tuesday morning, the HR lady called me Wednesday, I had a lovely phone conversation with Chef Javier Ortiz on Thursday, then on Friday I went in to tour his kitchens. The hotel is beautiful and the kitchens are fantastic. They are very clean and organized, and Chef Ortiz stressed that communication is the key to working efficiently; a sentiment with which I agree completely. They actually have a big dry erase board in the banquet kitchen that is updated daily that says what is needed from each person; it even indicates what size and shape chafer should be used. They have a separate kitchen for the hotel restaurant so that line cooks aren’t running over banquet cooks while they have a rush.

I say that I am 98.5% sure I have the job because on Friday I filled out a few papers, supplied them with 3 references, and was fitted for my uniform! They need at least two positive references and I see no problem with that, but I’m concerned that getting my former employers and managers at Star Nine on the phone might prove to be problematic for them because they are so busy. I hope that it works out though because I’m very excited to work at the Hyatt. That and working at Ventana at school is going to kick my butt for six weeks, but it will be an incredible and valuable experience.

In addition to this incredible job opportunity that seems to have almost fallen into my lap, the funding for the wedding is quite possibly back on track. In my last post I mentioned that my relative would be able to purchase my family heirloom for much less that I want for it. We talked today and he will now be able to give the full price if I choose to sell. I now have reservations about selling; I really just don’t know what to do. However, he told me that he is able to wait while I decide. Now the option of having a wedding with about 100 guests or so is there, or not if I so choose. I don’t want to make any rash decisions that I might regret in years to come, so I’m going to back-burner the wedding while I’m doing my externship and try to focus on one thing at a time.

This morning I went to make up Saturday at school to make up the two days I missed when I was sick at the beginning of the international cuisine block. The two dishes I made were Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberry jam (a.k.a. Plättar) and Stuffed Cabbage Rolls (a.k.a. Golabki), and I’ve decided to share the Cabbage Rolls with you. These chubby little rolls of deliciousness remind me of my grandmother. They were my favorite of her many dishes and I was afraid that I would never find a recipe, but happily the recipe from class seems to be exactly that. I always thought this was an Italian dish because Grandmaw Marry was 100% Italian, but as it turns out it’s Russian. Who knew? It’s probably not traditional, but I eat mine with grated parmesan cheese on top. I hope you enjoy these because they are one of my favorite things from child hood along with my dog, Rita, and the movie Aladdin.

Stuffed Cabbage Rolls a.k.a. Golabki

• 1lb. ground beef
• 1/2 lb. ground pork
• 4-5 slices  bacon
• 1 yellow onion, ciseler (fine chopped)
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 whole egg
• 2 heads green cabbage
• 1 1/2 C Long Grain white rice dry
• 1 1/2 C water
• 15oz can tomato sauce
• as needed Kosher salt
• as needed black pepper

optional:

• 1/2 tsp. fresh grated nutmeg
• 1/2 tsp. paprika

1. preheat oven 325°
2. Place the rice and water on to boil. Reduce heat and steep for 10 minutes to par-cook rice.
3. Meanwhile, cut out cabbage core using a pairing knife; in a large pot of boiling water blanch each head until leaves are pliable enough to roll. Shock immediately in ice water. pull off leaves and cut a triangle shape to remove thickest part of the center rib, but keeping the leaf in tact. Note: if the center leaves are not pliable put them back into the boiling wanter to blanch then shock again.
4. Combine in a mixing bowl the beef, pork, onion, garlic, egg and par cooked rice. Season with salt and pepper and optional nutmeg and paprika (I did not use these because they aren’t in the original recipe from school, but they would add a nice background flavor.) Mix well.  Saute a small amount of filling to test seasoning; adjust if needed.
5. Set up a 9X13 baking dish with the slices of bacon in the bottom running the length of the pan. They don’t need to overlap, they are simply for additional flavor and a little extra fat. Place 1-2 oz meat mixture on one cabbage leaf just above the triangle cut. Roll up the two bottom pieces overlapping them, fold in the sides and finish rolling. set on top of the bacon with seam side down so they don’t come unrolled. When you’ve placed all of your cabbage rolls in the dish cover with tomato sauce. If there are any leaves that are too small to roll or torn lay them on top.
6. Cover with foil and bake 2 hours at 325°.