Discovering Sauerkraut

Janet Arnett is the former campus manager of adult education at Ontario’s Georgian College. She is the author of Antiques and Collectibles: Starting Small, The Grange at Knock, and 673 Ways to Save Money.

It’s the mid-European countries—Germany, Poland, Ukraine—that
claim sauerkraut as part of their national heritage, although it
probably originated in Asia. In Canada, this salty, preserved cabbage is
part of the culinary traditions of Nova Scotia, Montreal, and the
Prairies.

Wolczuk’s comprehensive collection of recipes draws heavily from the
Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish influences evident in Prairie kitchens,
supplemented with favorites from many other European countries. Readers
who know sauerkraut only as the mushy stuff served with Oktoberfest
sausage will be stunned by the number and variety of sauerkraut recipes
presented. Not only does Wolczuk tell us how to make sauerkraut at home,
she walks us through its uses in dainty appetizers, casseroles and
one-dish dinners, sandwiches, salads, pasta dishes, soups, and even
chocolate cake.

There’s an interesting section of filled buns, with more than 20
variations on the fillings. Perogies and other dumplings, sauerkraut
pie, at least a dozen different Reuben sandwiches, a whole section on
cabbage rolls, and another on nalysnyky (crкpes) are among the pleasant
surprises to be discovered by the cook willing to approach sauerkraut
with an open mind.

The book represents considerable research and is the product of an
obvious love of sauerkraut and the cultures that make good use of it. It
is logically organized, and the recipes are quite easy to follow. Its
greatest drawback is a lack of photos: readers are much more likely to
try a new recipe if they have an idea what the result should look like.