I'll bet you, and most farmers, didn't know this: an acre of cabbage will yield more food than any other plant. This cousin to broccoli, cauliflower and brussels sprouts doesn't get its due. Other than using it for cole slaw, many people don't know what to do with it.

Foodies might swear that cabbage originated in Ireland. It's known cabbage is more popular in Europe than in the U.S. so it makes sense. But the truth is cabbage--just like the Mallory family, is not from Ireland. (My ancestry is French, where the name was Mal Rei, and later anglocized to Mallrey and then Mallory.) It was the Celts who brought cabbage to Europe from Asia around 600 B.C. The Asians had been growing and eating cabbage at least since 2000 B.C.

So how to cook cabbage, and make it a presentable side dish, possibly even something children will eat? I modified some Polish, African-American and Amish recipes to develop this, and added beer instead of water. If you're making it for kids, it's perfectly fine to use water in place of beer (yes, the alcohol cooks out, but let's stay legal here). The result is delicious, not sharp-tasting, and not limp in any way.

Braised Red Cabbage

• 1/2 lb. bacon, chopped
• 3 lbs. cabbage
• 1/2 cup beer
• 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
• 1 tablespoon salt
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper

In a 4- or 5-quart saucepan, cook bacon till done. Remove bacon strips from pan and set aside. Chop cabbage into approximately inch-cube size pieces and cook in bacon drippings until lightly browned, about 3 minutes. Cabbage cubes will fall apart but this is fine; do not overstir. Add beer, balsamic vinegar and stir. Add remaining ingredients and cook until cabbage softens, about 5 minutes. Crumble bacon and sprinkle bacon pieces on top. Serve immediately.

In winter in many parts of the U.S., we need comfort. Heavy snow can immobilize us. Biting winds cut at us. Long, gray days and long, dark nights can dampen our energy. We bind ourselves with thick coats and the trappings of hats, gloves, and scarves. Colds and flus make us sick and weak. That's why winter calls for comfort food.

Ask 100 people their "comfort food," and you'll get a host of different answers: hot soup, chili, meatloaf, mac and cheese, homemade bread, and even things like sugar cookies and potato chips. Most of them aren't vegetable-oriented. You don't hear a lot of people say their favorite "comfort food" is steamed broccoli, carrot sticks and dip, cucumber slices, or a big salad.

The standard for most comfort food is warmth. So I think a good spinach casserole can be fairly healthy, yet give you the melted cheese, butter and eggs you need.

Comfort Spinach Casserole

• 1/3 cup finely diced onion
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 2 cups ricotta cheese
• 2 10-ounce packages frozen chopped spinach, thawed and drained
• 1/2 cup shredded fontina cheese
• 3 beaten eggs
• 1/4 cup butter, softened
• 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon pepper
• 2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Heat olive oil in skillet, then add onion and sauté about 5 minutes, till soft. Press thawed and drained spinach in a clean towel or paper towels, eliminating almost all moisture. In a large bowl, combine ricotta cheese, spinach, fontina cheese, eggs, butter, flour and pepper. Add sautéed onion and transfer to a greased 1.5 quart casserole.

Bake, uncovered in a 350 oven for 45 minutes. Check center for doneness. It should spring back; a food thermometer (or meat thermometer) inserted in the center should read 165 degrees. Cook for an additional 5-10 minutes if necessary. Sprinkle parmesan cheese over the top and serve warm. Approximately 6-8 servings.

Now a confession. I love savory food the most, and when people ask what my favorite dish is, I can only reply "side dishes." Thus this blog. I enjoy creative ways to transform common side dishes, especially vegetables. But my favorite comfort food is none other than doughnuts. In a pinch, a Pop-Tart will do.