Stuffed Cabbage with Mushrooms & Beef: A Piece of Cake #60
I don’t need to tell anyone reading about the situation in Ukraine. And as you may have noticed, I hadn’t referenced it yet in this newsletter. This is a recipe newsletter, I thought, and people with knowledge of and connection to Ukraine are saying everything that needs to be said. But the violence is nowhere near over. And as I saw the relief efforts being organized by people I do have connections to, I realized that I could use this edition of the newsletter to help amplify their work. I am so grateful for the ways that these people and organizations have stepped up.
Smitten Kitchen
Like many of you, I am a longtime fan of Deb Perelman’s Smitten Kitchen. Her post fundraising for World Central Kitchen went live six days ago. Deb’s post hoped to raise $10,000 to support the efforts of World Central Kitchen feeding people on the ground in Ukraine and the surrounding region. But when I saw the fundraiser post, about an hour after it had gone up, the Smitten Kitchen community had already donated about $18,000. To date, the post has raised a staggering $214,972. Please consider joining in with those of us who have already donated.
Dacha 46
I’ve had the pleasure of knowing Trina and Jess, the geniuses behind Dacha 46, for a few years now. And if you haven’t had the pleasure of enjoying their food in Brooklyn at one of their many pop-ups and preorders, then you’ve probably seen me hype them up in this newsletter. They joined in with the Cook for Ukraine movement, spearheaded by Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina, by putting together a fundraising pastry box. I watched them meet their goal very quickly, and then immediately share screenshots of the donations reaching their respective relief organizations. It was so cool to see that kind of transparency without anyone asking for it.
Veselka
On my best days, on my worst days, I find myself drawn to Veselka. I don’t have any connection to the food other than that I love it, and I’ve had it so many times. It’s where I’ve capped off a great night out, and where I’ve eaten alone in silence when I needed to heal myself. And so it was no surprise when I read that New Yorkers were flocking to the beloved restaurant as the violence in Ukraine began, seeking comfort and offering support. I wrote and shot this stuffed cabbage recipe weeks ago, inspired by my most recent visit to Veselka. And now I’m sharing it with all of you, in hopes that you’ll find comfort, and find a way to offer your support.
Ways to Give:
GoFundMe “Support Black people fleeing Ukraine” Patricia Daley, Tokunbo Koiki, Korrine Sky organized this fundraising effort to aid Black students, who are facing discrimination while trying to flee Ukraine. Koiki told SELF the funds are being used “for accommodation and flights when [the students] get to Poland or to even get to some of the other cities in Ukraine that are currently [considered] safe.”
Cook for Ukraine Olia Hercules and Alissa Timoshkina launched this global movement of chefs using their talents to help Ukrainians fleeing violence. All proceeds go “to UNICEF UK’s Ukraine appeal, supporting children and families.”
World Central Kitchen WCK is chef José Andrés’ passion, supplying hot meals to people in crisis all over the world. Currently, they are feeding thousands of meals to people fleeing Ukraine, and those who have remained in the country.
Stuffed Cabbage with Mushrooms & Beef
For the sauce
2 tablespoons tomato paste
½ teaspoon Aleppo pepper
1 teaspoon paprika
⅛ teaspoon allspice
1 24 ounce can of crushed tomatoes
1 tablespoon sugar
6 teaspoons Diamond Crystal kosher salt, divided
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into small pieces
For the cabbage
1 pound crimini mushrooms
1 large head of green or Savoy cabbage
1 medium onion
1 medium carrot
4 cloves garlic
1 ¼ pound ground meat, I used a blend of pork and beef
1 cup cooked rice
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1 egg, beaten
Zest of half a lemon
Remove the mushroom stems and reserve for stock. Place the mushroom caps on a foil-lined baking sheet, drizzle with oil and season with salt and pepper. Roast at 400 for 15-20 minutes or until tender. Set aside to cool.
Remove the core from the head of cabbage and gently tease whole leaves off the head. Try to get at least 12 leaves, but don’t stress; you can piece together smaller chunks.
Bring a large pot of well-salted water to a boil and prepare an ice bath in a large bowl on the counter. Working in batches, blanch the cabbage leaves until bright green and tender. Immediately transfer to the ice bath and then onto a wire rack to drain. Cut out any thick or tough center veins from the cabbage leaves.
Peel and roughly chop the onion and carrot, then place in the bowl of a food processor with the garlic. Process until finely chopped.
In a large Dutch oven, heat a couple tablespoons of oil. Add the onion and carrot mixture. Cook until they begin to soften. Remove half of the cooked mixture to a large bowl.
To the remaining half of the onion and carrot mixture in the Dutch oven, add the paprika, Aleppo pepper, and allspice. Cook until fragrant. Add the tomato paste and cook for a couple more minutes to caramelize.
Add the crushed tomatoes, sugar and 3 teaspoons of salt. Simmer on low while making the filling.
Transfer the cooked mushrooms to the bowl of the food processor and pulse until finely chopped. Add to the onion and carrot mixture in the large bowl.
Add the rice, parsley, and lemon zest to the rest of the filling in the large bowl. Season with 3 teaspoons of salt and a generous amount of black pepper. Combine thoroughly with your hands.
Transfer 2 cups of the tomato sauce to the bottom of a 13x9 pan, spread evenly.
Fill the blanched leaves with the filling; between ¼-½ cup per leaf, depending on the size. Tuck the sides in and roll up as tidily as possible. If necessary, you can use two pieces of cabbage leaf, overlapping. Place the stuffed cabbage on top of the sauce in the baking pan as you go. They should be touching, and you should have roughly 12-14.
Top the cabbage with the remaining sauce and cover with foil. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Remove the foil. Dot the top of the cabbages with the butter and return to the oven for another 25 minutes.
Serve with sour cream and a generous amount of chopped dill.
A Piece of Cake is written by Bill Clark and edited by Andrew Spena. Photography by Hunter Abrams. Logo design by Brett LaBauve.
Hi! I am blind...at what stage do you add the beef?