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Coleslaw

There are lots of recipes for coleslaw, and you might very well adapt some of these to come up with your own favorite. I tend to try new ones from time to time, since there always seems to be room for improvement.

There are two main categories of coleslaw; those with mayonnaise and those without. And they are both good. My own preference is that everything is better with mayonnaise, but my missus is just the opposite. So there you are.

The world's simplest and maybe most popular (maybe because it's simple) is equal parts of milk, vinegar, and sugar. For one medium head of shredded cabbage, three tablespoons of each is about right, but what the heck, do whatever you want. You will probably also want to season the salad with salt; that's up to your personal taste.

Even the simple version, however, can be made more attractive and tasty by adding a few more ingredients. For example, adding some shredded carrots and shredded purple cabbage adds more flavors, and also looks nice. If you have it, a half teaspoon of celery seed is a good addition.

Here's a more complicated, but to me, more yummy recipe using mayonnaise you might like to try for Cole Slaw:

    1/2 cup mayonnaise
    1/4 cup sour cream (optional)
    1 teaspoon honey
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/2 teaspoon pepper
    1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
    1/2 teaspoon prepared horseradish sauce
    1/4 teaspoon celery seed
    1 carrot, peeled and grated
    2 tablespoons of finely chopped green onions, including tops, or brown onions
    1 tablespoon vinegar
    1 head of cabbage, shredded

Mix all that together and see what you think. Next time you might want to increase or decrease or even eliminate some of the ingredients. Or, heck, add some diced jalapeños. If you're going to learn to be a cook, you've got to experiment. That's part of the fun. Although I did have to throw a chicken away once and find something else for dinner.....

Speaking of jalapeños, and if you like Asian food, take a look at this Asian Cole Slaw:

    1 head of cabbage
    2 small bell peppers, preferably one green, one red
    1 medium onion
    2 or 3 tablespoons chopped jalapeños
    4 tablespoons chunky peanut butter
    1 tablespoon grated ginger
    2 cloves of garlic, chopped fine
    2 teaspoons sugar
    1 tablespoon lime juice
    1 teaspoon soy sauce
    water
    salt
    1/4 cup roasted peanuts

Mix the peanut butter, ginger, garlic, sugar, lime juice, and soy sauce. Add a little water until the mixture is similar in texture to mayonnaise. Then add this dressing to all the other chopped stuff and let it sit for 20 minutes or so, tossing once in a while. Taste it and add more lime juice, salt, or soy sauce if you want. Serve it garnished with the peanuts. You'll go nuts over this...

OK, here's one more -- this is supposed to be Tony Roma's Cole Slaw recipe:

    1 head of cabbage, shredded
    1 large carrot, shredded or grated
    1/2 tablespoon minced parsley
    1 tablespoon lemon juice
    1 teaspoon minced onions
    1/4 teaspoon celery seed
    1/4 teaspoon white pepper
    1 cup mayonnaise
    1/2 tablespoon white vinegar
    1/2 teaspoon salt
    1/4 cup sugar

Mix all but the first two ingredients together to make the dressing. Then add to the cabbage and carrot, mixing well. Let sit for an hour or two, if you have the time, to let the flavors meld together. Stir often and when serving.

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