"Cole slaw, honey. It's all about Cole slaw..."
By Cynthia Bowan
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Regardless of what my family might say, I do NOT eat, drink, or sleep food and cooking.
Just because I love collecting and sharing recipes, cookbooks, how-to in the kitchen and so on doesn't mean it runs my life.
Just because I have about 3,000 cookbooks and only God knows how many years of food magazines, clippings etc. in our downstairs family room/office, that doesn't count. Never mind that my kitchen cabinets are packed with spices Penzey's might envy or that a pastry chef might be jealous that my baking cabinet is filled with such goodies as a large selection of baking chips, dried fruits, and more.
Nah, I'm not a foodie, am I?
Ah, as our children are wont to say: "Denial is not a river in Egypt."
One of the things that recently brought me to admit my obsession happened a couple days ago, when my DH Merrill woke me up (- a rare occurrence, since my fibromyalgia/arthritis condition tends to only allow me 3-4 hr. of sleep per night). As I tried to fight my way to a fully awakened pre-coffee state of mind, I turned to him and said "Cole Slaw, honey. It's all about Cole slaw."
To which, my beloved laughing said "Cole Slaw? What about Cole Slaw?"
I had one of those incredible, vivid dreams - not just in color,
but I could even TASTE the Cole Slaw…the dream was about searching for a very specific Cole slaw recipe. This one was vinegary, with tiny pieces of red pepper in it…and none of the recipes I'd found were anywhere near it.
I do love Cole Slaw. My Momma used to make the very best Cole Slaw. In face, she was well known for her church dinners of roast beef, mashed potatoes with gravy, Cole slaw, and green beans. I could never quite get mine to taste like hers until one day we compared ingredients. Momma use Miracle Whip (shudder), a little vinegar and sugar - added to shredded cabbage, carrots, chopped celery and green peppers with a little diced onion.
I had been using Hellman's and no onion. I added the onion and it did taste better, but I refused to use the other white stuff. So my own Cole slaw was okay, but still not quite as good as hers. Then one day, I discovered Marzetti's dressing in the vegetable aisle cooler. It was just like Momma used to make.
I have never read the ingredient list because I simply do NOT want to know what is in it. I just know that I love it. Oh, and BTW, I do one of Momma's variations - adding a small can of drained crushed pineapple to the salad. This is my hubby's favorite version.
Well, whether you make your Cole
slaw from scratch or a package of shredded ingredients, there are wonderful recipes you can Enjoy!
So today, this foodie-person is going to share some TNT ones for you to try. I hope you will find one that will be your favorite - and as always, CYH - consider yourself hugged!
Note: Coleslaw is all about crunchy texture. For crisp cabbage, rinse it in very cold water; let it sit for a few minutes, then spin it dry with a salad spinner. I've been making this recipe now for oh...about 35 yr. or so, ever since I got it from my friend Ann, who moved back to Oregon with her hubby Earl and kids...
Cole Slaw Columbia
6 T. mayonnaise
2 T. mustard
2 T. sugar
2 T. honey
2 T. cider vinegar
4 T. cream
4 tsp. caraway seed
1/2 tsp. horseradish
1 small head cabbage, about 1 lb.
Shred the cabbage fine. Combine remaining ingredients, and blend all together.
Refrigerate at least 1 hr. to bring out the flavors.
Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw
1 medium head cabbage (about 4 cups shredded)
1 medium onion, grated
1 cup cider vinegar
2 tablespoons celery seed
1 diced green bell pepper
3/4 to 1 cup sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
salt and pepper to taste
Core and remove outer leaves from cabbage. Shred cabbage and soak in ice water for 20 minutes. Drain well, patting dry with towels. Place shredded cabbage in a large bowl. Add remaining ingredients; mix well. Serves 8.
Warm Coleslaw
3 cups shredded cabbage
1/4 cup finely chopped onion, optional
3 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons bacon drippings or vegetable oil
In a mixing bowl, toss cabbage with onion. In saucepan, combine vinegar, water, sugar, salt, and pepper and bacon drippings. Bring just to a simmer; pour over cabbage. Toss well. Garnish with green pepper rings, if desired. Serve warm. Warm coleslaw serves 4.
Freezer Cole Slaw
1 medium head cabbage
salt
1/2 cup vinegar
1/3 cup cold water
1/3 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
1/2 teaspoon mustard seed
1/2 teaspoon lemon pepper
1/2 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 small carrot grated
1/2 green pepper, grated
1/2 small onion, grated
Cut cabbage into wedges and sprinkle with salt; let stand for 1 hour.
Combine vinegar, cold water, sugar, celery seed, mustard seed, lemon pepper and seasoned salt; bring to a boil.
Let cool.
Grate carrot, green pepper, onion, and cabbage. Mix with cooled vinegar mixture, mixing well. Freeze coleslaw in individual containers.
Country Cabbage Slaw
1 cup light sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon celery seed
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
5 cups shredded green cabbage, about 1 1/2 pounds
4 cups shredded red cabbage, about 1 pound
4 medium stalks celery, thinly sliced diagonally
2 medium carrots, coarsely grated
In large bowl, combine first 7 ingredients; mix well. Add remaining ingredients; toss until well coated. Serves 12 to 14.
Lemon Coleslaw with Caraway Seeds
1/4 medium red cabbage, shredded,
1/4 medium green cabbage, shredded
1/2 cup sliced green onion
1 tablespoon caraway seeds
2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
In large bowl, combine red cabbage, green cabbage and green onion; toss. Add caraway seeds, lemon peel, lemon juice, salt, cayenne pepper and white pepper; toss. Add oil; toss. (Salad can be prepared up to 12 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.) (Cabbage will lose volume when dressed.) 4 (1-cup) servings.
Zippy Cole Slaw
3 ½ C shredded cabbage
½ C chopped green pepper
¼ C chopped parsley
¼ C chopped celery
½ C chopped onion
Dressing:
3 T vegetable oil
3 T vinegar
1 tsp mustard
1 T sugar
1 tsp salt
½ tsp celery seed
black pepper
Mix vegetables together and chill for several hours. Mix dressing ingredients in a small bowl, mix and pour over the vegetables.
Amish Cole Slaw
1 head cabbage, shredded
2 med. onions, finely chopped
1 green pepper, finely chopped
1 c. sugar
Dressing:
1 c. vinegar
1/2 c. salad oil
1/4 c. water
1 tsp. prepared mustard (yellow type)
1 tsp. celery seed
1 tsp. sugar
1 1/2 tsp. salt
Mix vegetables and sugar together. Mix dressing ingredients in saucepan; bring to a boil and boil 3 minutes. Add to cabbage mixture, and stir well.
The longer this stands, the better it is. You may let it stand overnight or several days. (Refrigerate tightly covered.)
Italian Coleslaw
Serves about 10 or more
1 cup sugar
1 cup cider vinegar
1 packet dry Italian dressing mix
1/2 cup oil
1 large head cabbage, shredded
2 small carrots, shredded
Mix together sugar and vinegar until sugar is dissolved. Add Italian dressing mix and then oil. Shred cabbage and carrot and combine in a bowl. Pour dressing over cabbage and mix well. Make this the day before and refrigerate overnight so the flavors can blend well.
By Cynthia Bowan
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Cole Slaw Columbia | Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw | Warm Coleslaw
Freezer Cole Slaw | Country Cabbage Slaw | Lemon Coleslaw
Zippy Cole Slaw | Amish Cole Slaw | Italian Coleslaw
