Cole slaw ideas?

[Bada Bing]

I seldom make cole slaws, but am thinking it might be a good thing to bring to a neighbor's pool and fireworks party this weekend. Maybe just from the catchy name, I recall people on this site liking Epicurious's "Super Slaw":

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/foo...

Before I commit, I'd be interested in any further suggestions for favorite slaws that can sit around in Summer outdoor temps for an hour or two, maybe nested in a larger bowl of ice, if need be.

[dingey]

I love this "asian fusion slaw." It looks good, ti tastes fantastic: bright, gingery, with a kick of heat. It's been a huge hit with a surprising cross-section of eaters at various picnics and potlucks. I swap out the raisins for dried cranberries, and wait to toss the nuts in until each serving time, so they don't soften up...
http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/1464...

[HillJ]

It's after the 4th at this point but have you ever tried Pea Slaw? Sub fresh peas (frozen, defrosted will work too) for the chopped cabbage and follow the rest of your ingredient list/dressing as usual. Very different and an unexpected hit at our summer bbq's.

http://events.nytimes.com/recipes/331...

And, if you want to take pea slaw up a notch this recipe is a keeper!

[valerie]

I can't actually comment on the Super Slaw yet, but it is on my menu for tomorrow. I have the salad prepared and the dressing made...tomorrow I will assemble and serve. And I will report back.

[eclecticsynergy]

Bacon-Curry Cole Slaw
Yes, it has mayo, but it is truly excellent- drawing rave reviews since the 60s.

2/3 cup mayonnaise
4 Tb cider vinegar
2 t salt
½ t pepper
½ t curry powder
2 Tb sugar
8 cups shredded cabbage
8 slices bacon, cooked crisp

Mix sauce; pour over cabbage.
Crumble bacon & mix lightly.
Serve immediately or cover & refrigerate

[eclecticsynergy]

PS: Have been bringing the Bacon-Curry Cole Slaw to picnics & cookouts for decades; never had a problem. Wouldn't leave it in the sun all day, but it's fine for an hour or two. Tends to vanish fairly quickly anyway.

[wonderwoman]

yeah -- hard to get the search parameters just right. anyway, i know i've posted this before. no mayo.

toss together in a big bowl: 1/2 head red cabbage and 1/2 bulb fennel, coarsely shredded, 3 chopped scallions, 1/2 c chopped, toasted hazelnuts, finely grated fresh ginger ( i use a good inch and grate with a microplane).

for the dressing, mix together with a blender, food processor or immersion blender: 1/2 granny smith apple (peeled, cored and roughly chopped), 1 tablespoon dijon mustard, 2 tablespoons vinegar (cider, sherry or muscat), 3 tablespoons olive oil, s&p,

[CindyJ]

Recipes aside, I'd like to share a tip I learned from a "Best Recipe" cookbook from America's Test Kitchen. After the cabbage has been shredded, place it in a colander and toss it with about a tablespoon of coarse salt. Let the cabbage sit from 1 to 4 hours as the excess water drains. Rinse the cabbage well in a large bowl of cold water, drain, and blot dry with paper towels. Then proceed with your recipe. This will prevent an accumulation of excess water in the dressing after the coleslaw is prepared.

[LorenM]

With all due respect to America's Test Kitchen (and I have gotten some great ideas from them), they attempt to appeal to the lowest common denominator of foods and mass-opinions. Never do they do anything that is considered "cutting-edge". Thus, I think recipes get muddled into what have mass-appeal for most middle-class white America.

[CindyJ]

That may be true, but in this case, the tip is helpful and contributes to a far better end result. It's the same as the reasoning behind salting eggplant before cooking. This step isn't "cutting edge"; it's common sense.

[smtucker]

+1

This method of preparing the cabbage is a wonderful addition to any home cook's mental database, and produces cabbage that makes a wonderful salad. Especially if you want to enjoy the leftovers.

[LorenM]

One of my favorite experiments/ inventions was cole slaw with apple cider vinegar, and then I added kind of typical apple pie spices- a little cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice, brown sugar, a touch of ground cloves and then some cayenne, white pepper, bit of salt and some shredded sweet onion. I also add a bit of mayo for some body. It receives rave reviews from all who tried and has been my go-to ever since. A good mix of sweet, tangy, spicy, etc. I'll bet a little shredded apple or jicama would be tasty in it too! Sorry, don't have measurements- it's just something I kind of taste and adjust as I make it. Come to think of it, it possibly may have been invented before but for me it was pure inspiration and was an accidental creation while raiding my spice rack.

[Jeebs]

I'm a big fan of non-mayo slaws, especially for summer parties. This weekend I'm making jicama slaw based on a Bobby Flay recipe I found.

[Bada Bing]

I've done jicama salads before a few times, though it's been a while. Mine originated, I think, in a Cooks Illustrated recipe. It involved chunks of orange, a sweet marinade with some diced fresh hot chiles, lime juice, cilantro... Delicious!

[smtucker]

We just a fairly long discussion about non-mayo cole slaws, which is all I would recommend if you will have them outside for an hour. Some really nice ideas that you might find useful.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/792383

[Bada Bing]

Thanks for the replies so far, both of you.

I do recall that no-mayo slaw thread but hadn't bookmarked it. It didn't come up prominently when I did a website search for slaw and cole slaw. Clearly, there has to be a better way to search than whatever I do, because my searches never seem to capture the most relevant threads!

[smtucker]

The search is broken. Not you. :-)
Enjoy!

[goodhealthgourmet]

apparently the CH search engine only cooperates for me :) and i'm not being snarky when i say that - it happens every time! others come up empty, i find 'em all.

FYI, mayo actually isn't really a concern in terms of outdoors/warm temperatures, so since we've got the non-mayo thing covered i pulled up other slaw threads for you - some for traditional preparations, some that take it in more unique directions...
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/415330
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/788684
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/731637
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/732269
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/721413
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/718424
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/418782
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/283522
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/570936
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/548949
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/318720
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/278219
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/289811
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/608191
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/497911
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/356064
http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/305193

[Bada Bing]

Wow, that's impressive. And I have noticed that you are often ready with numerous links to previous threads on topics related to new queries. Thanks!

While this gets off topic, I want to say that this search issue made me curious, and I think I've found one factor. I don't normally use the Advanced Search window, but I now see that my search results are apparently restricted to the last 12 months by default. Searching coleslaw or slaw in the Home Cooking board gets me threads on "Cilantro Slaw," "Mustard Slaw," and only one or two threads of a more general nature.

So now I'll try to be mindful of whether the last 12 months is the optimal time frame for a given search. It certainly is not for this one.

[smtucker]

I actually have better luck finding what I am looking for searching with google. I do something like "chow cole slaw" and they pop up.

To keep this about food, if you can pick up a bottle of 365 apple cider vinegar, Whole Foods store brand, your cole slaw will have a less astringent flavor. The difference between that and the standard Heinz variety is huge.

[Val]

+1 for searching on google--smtucker, I've had very good results your way...I just put in "eggplant chowhound" in the search, it brings up a ton....but am open to trying this other method, too!

[katecm]

I've done a similar slaw to that, but not adding oil - peanut butter has enough on its own! I also usually add sliced peas, red pepper, cilantro, red onion, etc.

Also, a honey mustard slaw is good. Mix honey, mustard, mayo and a bit of vinegar. Very easy but a nice change.