Long ago, people had to lay away food to see them through the winter. Every house in the "old country" had a root cellar in which they stored their winter supply of onions, apples, squash, potatos, carrots, parsley roots and cabbage heads. In the fall you could smell the shredded cabbage fermenting in several large 30 gallon stoneware containers. I remember my father and mother bending over a wooden board that was made to shred cabbage heads. After it was shredded it was packed in layers with salt in large stoneware containers. It was hard work, but that sauerkraut was eaten with gusto and left you with a feeling of well being.

Sauerkraut was not only cheap and plentiful, but it was full of vitamins that warded off illness. It was a mainstay of Austrian-Hungarian winter cuisine.

This dish is an unusual mingling of sauerkraut, tomato, pork, onion and sour cream along with that ever present Hungarian sweet paprika.

Regards, June Meyer.

• 2 lbs. pork cubed
• 1 &1/2 lbs. sauerkraut, rinse and drained
• 2 white onions, chopped
• 2 Tbls. lard or oil (if meat is very lean)
• 2 Tbls. Hungarian sweet paprika (no generic please)
• 1 large can of crushed tomato (or fresh tomatos peeled and crushed)
• 1 Tbls. sugar
• 2 Bay leaves
• 1 cup of water
• 1/2 pint of sour cream (no yogurt please)
• salt and pepper to taste

Brown the meat and onion (in lard or oil if needed) in a pot with lid. Add the paprika to the meat and onion mix, stir to mix in (do not burn). Put in the drained sauerkraut, crushed tomatos, bay leaves and sugar. Mix. Cover pot.

Cook slowly for about one hour, or until meat is tender. Add the sour cream and stir it in. The aroma will make your mouthwater.

Serve in soup plates, with good crusty bread, a meal fit for the Kaiser.

This serves 4 and freezes well.