The cookery section, part 1 of ?

I think I'm taking the whole "feed a cold, starve a fever" thing a bit too literally. It's not even a proper cold - I have the sniffles and a sore throat - but the old wives' tale dictates that I have carte blanche to eat lots if I'm feeling peaky, so I am. It's not like I've ever needed an excuse to break out the comfort food. Hangover? Bacon sandwich. PMS? Macaroni cheese with bacon bits (you can see where this is headed, can't you). Sort-of cold? Bacon & cabbage, 21st-century style i.e. not mushy and flavourless, oh no. This recipe was pieced together from various descriptions of my uncle's take on the dish and about five text messages from my family on Sunday afternoon.

(Unbelievably moreish) bacon & cabbage

Serves 4-6 "normal" portions or 2-3 gluttonous ones

1 green Savoy cabbage
1 onion
about 15 pieces streaky bacon (smoked if you can get it, I'm limited to Dutch breakfast bacon which isn't bad but the pieces are tiny)
a handful of pine nuts
salt & pepper
a knob of butter
quarter pint chicken stock

So. First to the cabbage. Rinse it in some icy cold water and then chop roughly.

Bring the chicken stock to the boil in a largeish pot and throw in the cabbage. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes until the cabbage is soft but you don't want it to fall apart completely. Make sure it doesn't boil dry & add a tiny bit of water if needed.

While the cabbage is simmering away, chop your onion finely & fry off in the butter until it's golden brown. Remove the onion from the pan but leave all the buttery oniony juices in - you'll need these for frying off the bacon.

Fry the bacon in the onion juices (yum!) and remove when done. Leave to cool for a few minutes then chop roughly or just grab a scissors and snip the bacon into bits.

Next toss the pine nuts in the still warm onion & bacon juices for a couple of seconds. Remove and put with the onion & bacon bits.

When the cabbage is done, drain all the water off. Return to the pot and chuck in the pine nuts, onion and bacon bits. Season generously and mix through. Serve immediately!

Delicious on its own, or with a pile of creamy mashed potato, and maybe some sausages. And if you're me in my current state, follow with a half packet of chocolate biscuits and two cups of tea while bawling through the Grey's Anatomy Season 2 finale even though you've seen it before.