Bitten Blog

The NY Times visited a non-goopy version in January 2009. I think I'm going to have to try this recipe.

Moving time

I was just looking at some online recipes. I can't begin to consider a recipe that starts with a 16 oz. bag of coleslaw mix. Come on people! I'm worth more than that.

Moving this week so cabbage salad is on hold for a few days. I am about to get a back yard of a Brooklyn brownstone. I don't think my prospects for growing cabbage are good this year, but watch out Spring 2010. (What a strange year numeral-wise.)

Horse and Hound, Charlottesville

I enjoyed some chopped cabbage and shredded carrot atop a pulled pork sandwich last night.

Horse and Hound, Charlottesville
625 West Main Street
Charlottesviile, VA 22903
(434) 293-3365

Rombauer Enacted

According to the Rombauer recipe I made the dressing and chopped the cabbage. The small green pile is composed of finely chopped chives, dill, and parsley from the porch potted herb garden.These carrots came from the farmer's market. The purple carrot added color.The final product was eaten with a cheeseburger, italian sausages, grilled asparagus, grilled potatos, a glass of red. (My parents don't serve beer.) If anything I will have added a little more dressing next time. Also I rinsed the cabbage after I chopped it which ended up water-logging the coleslaw. Lessons learned.

The Rombauer Recipe

adapted from Rombauer, Irma S., Becker MR, Becker E. The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking. New York, NY: Scribner, 1997 ed.

1. Stir together until well blended 3/4 cup mayo, 1/4 cup white vinegar, and 1 tbsp sugar. The Dressing!

2. Finely chop 1 small head chilled green or red cabbage, cored and out leaves removed.

3. Stir in just enough dressing to moisten the cabbage.

4. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5. If desired add: Dill, caraway, or celery seeds; chopped fresh parsley, chives, or other herb; crumbled crisp bacon; pineapple chunks; grated peeled carrots, coarsely chopped onions, bell peppers, or pickles.

Joy says it serves six. I guess that depends if this is koolsla as salad or koolsla as garnish. A head of cabbage makes a lot of little scoops.

As for step 5, the patio herb garden can provide dill, parsley, and chives. I might try a little onion, but in the past too much of this has ruined an otherwise good slaw.

Koolsla variety

"There are probably as many versions of cole slaw as there are people who make it. The one constant is raw cabbage (the name itself comes from the Dutch koolsla, meaning 'cabbage salad'). After that, all bets are off. The cabbage may be red, white, or green; the dressing may be vinaigrette or have a base of mayonnaise or sour cream; and the salad may contain a vast array of other ingredients, among them bacon, carrots, bell peppers, pineapple, pickles, onions, and herbs. Soaking the shredded cabbage in ice-cold water for an hour before draining and dressing renders it refreshingly crisp."

Rombauer, Irma S., Becker MR, Becker E. The All New All Purpose Joy of Cooking. New York, NY: Scribner, 1997 ed.

Irma died in 1962 but she's still going strong.

Cabbage Sunrise

Cabbage with Steve Keene sunrise.

I'm going to make some slaw tomorrow - not sure what recipe to use yet.