Once rivals in the kitchen, food writer Tamar Adler and her brother, chef John Adler, found common ground in their love to please the palates of a crowd. When working together in New York, they devised a culinary rule for peace: either Tamar cooked or John did, never both together. In a 2012 magazine feature, Tamar shed light on their semi-bittersweet past when the war of spatulas led to the creation of their now-famous recipe, one they first prepared at a winter gathering held at fashion designer Lela Rose’s Tribeca residence. This dish's forte? It was designed to taste just as delightful when prepared ahead of time and served in big batches, a tip-lick to restaurant serving and home-style cuisines.

Their roasted cabbage has gained acclaim for being both a crowd-pleaser and host-friendly recipe. The roasted wedges can be prepared well in advance. Once they've soaked up all the flavors of the dressing, the cabbage tastes equally delicious served hot or at room temperature.

Roasting the cabbage is a deceptively simple process. The wedges are placed cut-side down with rosemary and garlic in a roasting pan. Initially covered to let them cook to softness, they are then allowed to crisp around the edges while remaining tender on the inside. The final touch comes from the dressing – a fast and flavor-packed concoction. Toasted walnuts fried in butter until they give off a warm, nutty aroma, roasted rosemary needles that crunch just right, and an acidic zap of apple cider and Moscatel vinegars. Right off the stove, the warm medley of flavors is spooned over the ready-to-serve cabbage.

Moscatel vinegar, a key ingredient in this recipe, is a lightly sour and sweet vinegar from Spain, produced from Moscatel or Muscat) grapes. Compelling to the senses with its smooth texture and deep fragrance, it is softer and slightly less tart than ordinary white or red wine vinegar. Its floral and fruity punch makes it a great fit for dressings, an ideal companion for toasted nuts as used in this recipe; and offers a wonderful complement to seafood, white meat braises, poured over fresh fruit desserts, and even mixed into cocktails.

Although Moscatel vinegar can be substituted with white balsamic vinegar, given the former's sweetness and complex flavors - thanks to its fermentation from wine and aging in oak barrels, the latter lacks the same depth of taste. White balsamic vinegar, a concoction of grape must and white wine vinegar, is cooked under pressure at low temperatures to prevent caramelization, rendering a more straightforward and neutral tone. Look out for authentic Moscatel vinegar at specialty food stores and online.

Note for our home cooks: Ingredient amounts in this recipe can be easily adjusted to the number of servings needed while the process and cooking times stay the same. The original recipe serves 18 people and scales perfectly with minor alterations.