Have you ever eaten a dish that seems to be intoxicating?

I’m sure we all can name a dessert or two that would fit into that category, especially if it contains alcohol. Perhaps a cake recipe with beer, an ice cream sundae topped with wine-soaked fruits, dessert cocktails, ice pops made with wine. And even ones without booze, such as Better Than Sex Cake?

Recently, I made a dish that Therese referred to as intoxicating, even though it contained no alcohol and wasn’t a dessert. She said the entree’s combination of sweet and tangy really did it for her. She said it had umami, one of the five basic tastes (together with sweetness, sourness, bitterness and saltiness).

I wouldn’t go quite as far as Therese, but the recipe was appealing, since it contained cabbage, one of my favorite vegetables, as well as carrots, onion, garlic and some ground meat.

And that’s enough to arouse my appetite.

Spicy Beef and Cabbage
1 pound lean ground beef
3 tablespoons olive oil, divided
6 cups cabbage, chopped
5 carrots, peeled and chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 clove garlic, diced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1 teaspoon pepper
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1 teaspoon ground cloves
¾ cup ketchup
2 teaspoons cider vinegar
In a stockpot over medium heat, brown ground meat for 5 to 7 minutes. Drain.
Add 2 tablespoons olive oil; stir in the rest of ingredients except ketchup, vinegar and remaining olive oil. Cook 5 to 7 more minutes, stirring frequently, until vegetables are tender crisp.
Stir together ketchup, vinegar and 1 tablespoon olive oil. Pour over meat and vegetables and cook for 10 more minutes.
Yield: Serves 6.