Coleslaw

[Elissa]

Though never a fan of the deli-style coleslaw that swims in mayo and drowns in sugar, I have enjoyed slaws when both sweet and acid, cool and hot at once and and not least because they can look great. Chilis and chili sauces add a dimension or two, as do different vinegars, apple cider and rice among them. What are your favorite slaws? And more importantly what is coleslaw's etymolology?

Kind thanks.

[Elissa]

the Best Recipe/ Cook.s Ill folks recommend shreading cabbage, then salting it, letting it stand for 1-4 hours, rising and drying. Ever tried that? Seems kind of absurd to me as one miracle of slaw is how simple it is to make.

[Bux]

As far as I know, the etymology is simply "cabbage salad." I was never a fan of coleslaw as a kid and my early love for French food led me to dismiss coleslaw, but I've come to appreciate it more and more of late. Nevertheless, I have no good indepth knowledge, except to agree that the worst are made with sweet commercial "salad dressing" that passes as imitation mayo. It certainly doesn't pass as real mayonnaise, not would I even glorify it as real imitation mayo.

[Bux]

the Best Recipe/ Cook.s Ill folks recommend shreading cabbage, then salting it, letting it stand for 1-4 hours, rising and drying. Ever tried that? Seems kind of absurd to me as one miracle of slaw is how simple it is to make.

As much of the commercial coleslaw is also soggy, I suspect the advice and instructions may be on to something.

[guajolote]

It's Dutch

Edit: If you type coleslaw into google the first link is for Coleslaw Wrestling

This is interesting too, if you want your coleslaw to last

Edited April 10, 2003 by guajolote (log)

[vengroff]

the Best Recipe/ Cook.s Ill folks recommend shreading cabbage, then salting it, letting it stand for 1-4 hours, rising and drying. Ever tried that?

I think salting is key. It draws a lot of the excess moisture out of the cabbage, leaving it crisp, but tender.

I like a slaw of shaved brussel sprouts and julienned radishes with a little home made mayo.

[Elissa]

Okay: I'll try salting. Is that more advised if you intend to keep the slaw around for a few days? or just for stock crispsyness right off the cutting board? Mine was very good last night unsalted, but i suppose if you want it to last, then it's best without water. Used a bit of Vietnamese chili garlic sauce too.

[Elissa]

It's Dutch

Edit: If you type coleslaw into google the first link is for Coleslaw Wrestling

This is interesting too, if you want your coleslaw to last

Excellent site Gua~Slaw Wrestling must be more fun than peanut butter, jello or or or..

But what's Dutch?

And Bux: you know i thought you were taking the easy route with your etymology: but my dictionary says cloeslaw is American English for - yes!- cabbage salad. On the other hand, -cole means inhabiting, as in colony and agricole.Also akin to the Old Norse kal, whence kale.

[tommy]

i've never met a coleslaw that i didn't like. i like all forms of coleslaw. from the mayo-y stuff, to the vinegary-y stuff.

i'm not sure if "cole" suggests "cabbage," but it's certainly important to realize that you can slaw so many things. fennel, vegetables of all sorts, etc. they are beautiful dishes, and always a big hit at summer cookouts.

yummy.

Edited April 10, 2003 by tommy (log)

[Bux]

(alteration of coldslaw - by folk  etymology from Dutch koolsla, meaning "cool cabbage", from kool  cabbage and sla salad)

This is from "An Integrated Approach to Improving Quality Retention and Extending Shelf-Life of a Cabbage-Carrot Coleslaw with Dressing" apparently part of a coleslaw project by a Ph.D. candidate and from guajolote's second link. I just wanted to make sure you didn't miss the salient parts. I remain a little confused about how we get "cool cabbage" from two words meaning "cabbage" and "salad," but it seems this site was not the final Ph.D. work.

The coleslaw wrestling is less academic. Yes, it's much like jello or mud wrestling, but tastier. This year's competition at Sopotnick's Cabbage Patch just occurred a month ago and you'll have to wait for next year, if you're interested. It too has it's salient points as does any good old biker's convention entertainment. Guajolote deserves some sort of merit award for presenting links to the ridiculous and the sublime in the same post. We only need a committee to determine which site is sublime.

Shaved brussel sprouts and julienned radishes sounds really elegant.

[Bux]

Bux: you know i thought you were taking the easy route with your etymology: but my dictionary says cloeslaw is American English for - yes!- cabbage salad.

I assumed everyone knew I usually take the easy route, but only when it's the correct one. (Why is there not a wink smiley that looks like a wink?)

[Jinmyo]

I make slaws from different kinds of cabbage, alone or mixed, usually with shaved onion.

I make slaws from rutabaga (Swede) and celery root.

I make slaws with shaved peppers and chiles, with or without cabbage, rutabaga, or celery root.

I use a mayonaisse and lime dressing. I also use a ngoc mam, siraccha, and lime dressing. I also use a mayonaiise, Dijon, and champagne vinegar dressing. I also use a...

[LBNoble]

I did not appreciate coleslaw when I was younger, found most of them too sweet (& as a transplant to the South, did not 'get' coleslaw on top of bbq on a hamburger bun).

I like mine w/ handchopped cabbage, green onions, grated carrot (that's enough sweetness for me), dressed w/ mayo, rice vinegar, salt, pepper, & Pickapeppa sauce, heavy on the vinegar (I like it very tangy). It's usually got a lot of liquid after a while, but I just drain some off. Now I just love coleslaw, epecially with cold salmon dressed with lots of lime.

[Andrew Fenton]

And Bux: you know i thought you were taking the easy route with your etymology: but my dictionary says cloeslaw is American English for - yes!- cabbage salad. On the other hand, -cole means inhabiting, as in colony and agricole.Also akin to the Old Norse kal, whence kale.

And don't forget Germany's former Chancellor, Helmut Cabbage.

Anyway, I'm a big fan of jicama in slaw. Crunchy crunch crunch.

I had a really good bahn mi the other day that was topped with a sort of slaw: raw vegetables mixed with vinegar. Anybody have a good recipe for Vietnamese slaw?

[Bux]

I did not appreciate coleslaw when I was younger, found most of them too sweet (& as a transplant to the South, did not 'get' coleslaw on top of bbq on a hamburger bun).

As a born and raised New Yorker, I never got coleslaw on a sandwich like a Rubens, but it's an interesting parallel now that I think of it.

[Suzanne F]

Cole slaw on a Reuben? Oh, no; gotta be sauerkraut. Not that I eat them.

However: cole slaw with turkey and swiss on rye (+ Russian dressing),

[Bux]

Well, not liking coleslaw on a sandwich qualifies me as a non expert anyway. Turkey and Swiss on rye with coleslaw? Does it have a name? I could have sworn it was a sandwich with a name.

[cew]

in l.a. we have a famous old deli called langers. some say it has the best pastrami in the country. (personally, i like katz's.) anyway, one of the most popular sandwiches at langers is pastrami or corned beef with coleslaw and russian dressing.

[torakris]

I follow the Cook's Illustrated guys idea of salting the cabbage and think it works well, especially when making it for a party when it would ususally end up as a soggy mess. When making it for immediate consumption I don't always bother.

I vary my dressing depending on the other ingredients and my mood at the moment, sometimes mayo and celery seed (like mom used to make), sometimes rice vinegar and sesame oil (for an Asain touch) and then every variation in between.

By the way, I didn't care for any of the coleslaw recipes in the Best Recipe, found them quite awful actually.

[Jim Dixon]

My cole slaw grew out of the need to get something green on the table quickly when all the boys were home. It's simple, and I've occasionally added other stuff, but still like this basic approach best.

I dissolve some sugar and salt in the vinegar, add olive oil and stir to make an emulsion (vaguely remembering something about colloids and suspended particles here), then add hand-cut cabbage. I prefer the cabbage not too finely chopped.

I'll sometimes add a bit of mayo for the creamy camp, but creme fraiche or even plain cream also work well.

Jim

[Timo]

anyone have a recipe for coleslaw made with jicama? coleslaw is one of those foods that i don't even like to see other people eat. . . in fact i don't like pork bbq because of the association there... (in virginia this is much too big a deal btw...)

BUT.. i love jicama slaw. it does not qualify as colesalw for me, it is something more ethereal....

[JAZ]

Here's my recipe for an Asian-style cabbage and pepper salad.

Asian style coleslaw

[hjshorter]

Well, not liking coleslaw on a sandwich qualifies me as a non expert anyway.    Turkey and Swiss on rye with coleslaw? Does it have a name? I could have sworn it was a sandwich with a name.

My friends in central New Jersey call it a Sloppy Joe. Sloppy joes are made with ground beef and a tomatoey sauce where I'm from. Both are equally sloppy.

[hjshorter]

Here's my recipe for an Asian-style cabbage and pepper salad.

Asian style coleslaw

This is similar to my coleslaw, except my dressing is a lot less complex - usually just rice vinegar and canola oil, with a little sesame oil for flavor. Yours looks much better; I'll try the next time I make slaw.

[JAZ]

Here's my recipe for an Asian-style cabbage and pepper salad.

Asian style coleslaw

This is similar to my coleslaw, except my dressing is a lot less complex - usually just rice vinegar and canola oil, with a little sesame oil for flavor. Yours looks much better; I'll try the next time I make slaw.

Well, that's the official version. If I don't have all the ingredients, I use what I have. The hoisin is essential, though, I think.