topic Re: Cole Slaw in Kitchen

Cole Slaw

PickyPicky3 — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 19:40:55 GMT

There's no bagged cole slaw available, probably due to the listeria recalls. I don't own a food processor, but it seems with the right knife a cabbage head could be shredded easily.

Any tips?

Re: Cole Slaw

D Kay — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 20:24:19 GMT

You might try a grater on the side with the larger holes. Some graters have horizontal slits that would slice cabbage instead of using the holes. Depends on what size pieces of cabbage you want. Would be easier for me than with a knife.

Re: Cole Slaw

Carmie — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 20:43:55 GMT

My family owned a restaurant. My mother made the best Cole slaw ever. She always used a knife to thinly cut a head of cabbage. You need to cut the cabbage in half first, then in half again in quarters...remove the core. Lay cabbage quarter on the flat side, then cut slices into long thin pieces like ribbons.

I always use fresh cabbage too. The taste is so much better than the bagged variety.

Re: Cole Slaw

Etoile308 — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 21:23:51 GMT

I bought bagged cole slaw last night. I find I often have to search more than one store to buy everything I want.

Re: Cole Slaw

ECBG — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 21:38:24 GMT

When making slaw before the bagged varieties, I used the large sides of a grater for dinner. For my WW Cabbage soup, needing large amounts, I chopped it with a French chef's knife. I can do a large head of cabbage in a few minutes.

Re: Cole Slaw

meem120 — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 21:39:26 GMT

I wouldnt buy anything bagged right now. Two weeks ago I got terribly sick after eating the bagged sweet kale salad. Not fun. Of course I didnt realize what it was until last week. There are over 400 items recalled between Fresh Express and Dole. As i read the CDC list I also found store brands from Shoprite, Giant and Kroger. Also the clamshell lettuces from Natures Promise. Nothing seems safe.

Re: Cole Slaw

KKWA — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 22:15:15 GMT

@PickyPicky3 I hope I don't sound like a snob, but I don't buy packaged anything. How hard is it to chop up a little lettice. If you like cabbage, I do, I'd invest in a mandolin. K50008 is a little pricy, you should be able to get a shredder/chopper at a groc store cheeper. If not, a good knife will do. It is worth the effort. Cabbage is good for you. Those bags are not fresh and have unwanted chemicals. Try this; shred cabbage, make dressing from Kraft Best Foods Real Mayo and sugar, and sliced bananas. Kind of a cross between coleslaw and fruit salad. A family favorite.

Re: Cole Slaw

Sooner — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 22:22:10 GMT

I have pretty much eliminated raw greens from my life. Especially the bagged stuff.

I will use raw cabbage taking off outer leaves and washing carefully, and occasionally iceberg lettuce.

I cook greens now--collards, chard, spinach, kale. . .

Re: Cole Slaw

ECBG — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 22:23:48 GMT

@KKWA wrote:
@PickyPicky3 I hope I don't sound like a snob, but I don't buy packaged anything. How hard is it to chop up a little lettice. If you like cabbage, I do, I'd invest in a mandolin. K50008 is a little pricy, you should be able to get a shredder/chopper at a groc store cheeper. If not, a good knife will do. It is worth the effort. Cabbage is good for you. Those bags are not fresh and have unwanted chemicals. Try this; shred cabbage, make dressing from Kraft Best Foods Real Mayo and sugar, and sliced bananas. Kind of a cross between coleslaw and fruit salad. A family favorite.

@KKWA

You don't sound like a snob at all.

I quit pre made salad mix when I smelled one going bad and "google" was barely started, so we couldn't research why.

I got a salad spinner and still tear romaine!

Re: Cole Slaw

aroc3435 — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 22:53:17 GMT

@PickyPicky3 Do you have a blender. Long, long ago--in the 1970s, Joy of Cooking had directions for blender cole slaw. Simply core and quarter your cabbage and pullsee in batches that half fill the container. For each batch fill with some cold water to withinn an inch of the topand pulse away to chop it very gradually into the size pieces you want and then continue with your recipe after drying the cabbage thoroughly by sieving it and then wring out any remaining moisture with a clean tea/kitchen towel.

A mezzaluna and a wooden chopping board also will work. As will "ribboning" the cabbage quarters and then chopping more with a sharp chef's knife to get the size pieces you prefer.

I like the Kentucky Fried Chicken type of texture which is a very fine texture.

Best of luck!

aroc3435

Washington, DC

Re: Cole Slaw

bmorechick — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 22:53:28 GMT

A head of Savoy cabbage can be chopped in minutes. I use the shredded carrots in a bag and a small head of red cabbage which can be sliced and chopped quickly too.

Re: Cole Slaw

Mindy D — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 23:02:35 GMT

@PickyPicky3 You can use a grater.

Re: Cole Slaw

Mindy D — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 23:03:01 GMT

Re: Cole Slaw

webbgarner1 — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 23:11:04 GMT

@PickyPicky3 I always used a box grater.

Re: Cole Slaw

Desertdi — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 23:33:40 GMT

I use a Sabatier butcher knife I've had for over 50 years...makes fast work shredding a cabbage

Re: Cole Slaw

PickyPicky3 — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 23:50:20 GMT

@KKWA Actually, your question "How hard is it to chop up a little lettuce?" sounds a bit condescending.

My post had nothing to do with difficulty or laziness. Many of us live alone and because of the pandemic have had to completely change how we food shop. Bagged salads allow me to have a wider variety of ingredients in smaller quantities. I'm not having guests over like I used to, so my grocery needs are very small. I do curbside and can't just run out for a few items. You have to wait for a curbside slot with dollar minimums for an order. Sometimes an order of 30 items ends up at 18 because things were out of stock and there were no substitutions.

Of course fresh greens taste better and are better for you. But if that were all I used, too much of it would end up in the garbage.

Re: Cole Slaw

Sooner — Tue, 28 Dec 2021 23:51:05 GMT

Sort of off topic I guess, but I prefer shredded cabbage to chopped or grated. I like the crunch.

I you are serving slaw with a very spicy heavy flavored food like bbq, my favorite is a creamy but not heavy dressing, slightly sweet but with a little vinegar taste, and very very basic slaw. No carrot shreds, no seeds, just salt and pepper. And serve it ice cold!

The contrast of the sweet, cool, crisp slightly acid cabbage and the hot spicy jucy bbq or ribs is heaven on earth to me!

Re: Cole Slaw

walkingal — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 01:17:29 GMT

I'm lazy I guess. Two grocery stores in my area have have delicious cole slaw, potato salad, and macaroni salad in their deli section. That's what I buy.

Re: Cole Slaw

PickyPicky3 — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 04:37:36 GMT

Thank you all. So many helpful responses to a kind of mundane topic.

Re: Cole Slaw

SurferWife — Wed, 29 Dec 2021 04:42:29 GMT

@PickyPicky3

Whatever you decide, may I recommend adding raisins to it? When I first heard of that I though yuk! However, after trying it I refuse to eat Cole Slaw without raisins!