I love red cabbage and I made some of this to accompany the Corinne Griffith’s duck that we had at Mr R’s place over the festive season (recipe of the month January 2015 if you fancy trying it…)

rsz_img_1443The day I decided to make it I saw a post over at My Custard Pie about making a similar dish in the slow cooker and this is just what I did – yum yum. Like Sally, I don’t like my cabbage to be too spiced up (I am clove-averse) so I liked Roddy’s simple recipe. I left it to cook overnight and next morning it was perfect. I popped it in the freezer for a few days and it was jolly good with the duck although my photo is pants.

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Roddy McDowall’s Red Cabbage

1 medium head red cabbage

Shred. Wash with running water. Drain

3 tablespoons butter or bacon drippings

2 tablespoons onion, finely chopped

Melt butter in a skillet or Dutch oven. Add onions. Cook for a short time. Add cabbage. Cover. Cook for 10 minutes.

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

2 tablespoons vinegar

1 tablespoon sugar

1 apple, thinly sliced and cored

Add. Cover and cook slowly for 20 minutes, or until cabbage is tender.

Serves 4.

In other news, my tidying fiesta has begun. 2015 is the year I get on top of my junk, as I have turned into someone you see on American Pickers where you have to crawl through a tunnels of clothes, books and 78rpm records in order to get to the frying pan. 

I am following the KonMari plan and tackling categories in order, rather than picking around the edges and never getting anywhere. So yesterday was dedicated to my books. Technique is to get every book in the house and put them on the floor.

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Then look at each one and ask yourself – does this spark joy? It may sound daft but when you have spent years collecting, amassing and just generally living amongst piles and piles of books it is as good a way as any to examine what to keep.  I was very pleased with myself after two and a half hours. I have all my film star related cookbooks in one place in the kitchen double stacked but none lying on top…

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All my non-film star related cookbooks are on a bookshelf beside the bed (all the better for looking at before sleep) and all other books are in my big bookshelf.

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Seventy-seven books will be on their way to the charity shop later today. I was VERY pleased with myself.  And here was an added bonus, inside a book I’d totally forgotten I had: “No Nice Girl Swears”…

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Bingo!  Once I’d finished I sat contentedly on the sofa planning to check my emails. The very first email I opened was something truly wonderful. An invitation to be a judge for the Guild of Food Writers annual Book of the Year category. What an HONOUR. I am so incredibly chuffed.

They will send me around 25 books to consider which I get to keep.   Ha ha!   Is that called kismet?!

roddy mcdowall

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