the microwave. Once you've mastered the basics, you'll want to try the many side dish and

main dish recipes that feature this economical and nutritious food. Start by selecting a

fresh head of cabbage. The most common variety in American markets is round green cabbage.

Look for a head that's heavy for its size, brightly colored, and free of brown spots

or withered leaves. Remove the loose outer leaves and rinse the cabbage with water. Use

a chef's knife to slice the cabbage in half through its core. Slice each half into quarters

then use the knife to remove the core from the wedges. You can cook the cabbage in wedges

or coarsely chop it. To chop the cabbage, place a wedge flat side down and cut it crosswise

into 1 quarter inch pieces. You'll get about 6 cups of chopped cabbage from 1 medium-sized

head. To boil cabbage, add it to a pan of boiling water and cook it uncovered for 2

minutes. This dissipates some of the smelling gases. Now cover the pan and continue to cook

the cabbage until it's crisp, tender. Allow 3 to 5 minutes for chopped or sliced cabbage

and 6 to 8 minutes for wedges. Drain the cabbage in a colander. To steam cabbage, insert a

steamer basket into a saucepan above boiling water to a level just below the bottom of

the basket. Cut the cabbage into wedges and add them to the steamer basket. Cover the

pan and steam until the cabbage is crisp tender. This will take 10 to 12 minutes. To microwave

cabbage, place cabbage wedges or chopped cabbage in a microwave-safe bowl. Add 2 tablespoons

of water and cover the bowl with waxed paper and microwave it on high until it's crisp

tender. Allow 9 to 11 minutes for cabbage wedges and 4 to 6 minutes for chopped cabbage.

You'll need to rotate or stir the cabbage halfway through the cooking time. Lightly

season it as you like. To saute cabbage, heat 2 to 3 tablespoons of cooking oil in a large

skillet over medium high heat. Add your desired amount of chopped cabbage to the pan and reduce

the heat to medium. Cook and stir until the cabbage is crisp tender. This takes 4 to 6

minutes. Once you learn how easy it is to cook cabbage, you'll wonder why you haven't

tried it before.