What Would Grandma Think?
Coleslaw Quest
Mission: Create a Coleslaw Recipe as Good as Grandma’s
My paternal grandmother Kate Friedman was a fantastic cook and among other things, such as mandel bread, which is like a biscotti, but my Jewish tradition calls it this. In a future article I’ll talk about it — I did become adept at making it. But, other than kreplach soup, brisket, and other food I cannot remember, I loved Grandma’s coleslaw.
Being a divorced woman with grown children I decided to do my best to recreate Grandma’s coleslaw. This was certainly a mission of discovery, trial and error, and the best part is, that even if I failed I was able to eat it. That’s the kind of experimenting I like.
As far as I’m concerned, there are two basic varieties of coleslaw: Creamy and Vinegary. I don’t like it too creamy with a lot of liquid, I don’t like it too sweet, and I don’t like the vinegar type that is too sharp.
I’d like to hear from you out there — what’s your choice? Creamy or Vinegary?
Well, I like it somewhere in between, with not a lot of liquid, but still with a proper amount of moisture. I have encountered it too dry. Can you imagine?
That’s how I fondly remember Grandma’s. And my mother never made it. She only bought was already prepared.
There are many kinds of “slaw”, based with a variety of cut-up, chopped, or shreaded vegetables that do not fall apart when sliced. The most common is cabbage, which is what Grandma and I use(d).
So, that is the base. Cabbage is relatively inexpensive most of the time, it lasts quite a while in the refrigerator, it makes a lot of cut pieces, it is a cruciferous vegetable, which means healthy, unless you have a sensitivity to it. I eat a lot of cruciferous veggies, such as broccoli, cauliflower, kale, brussels sprouts, and a few others, usually raw, but I will steam, sauté, or use them in soup. As far as I know, I don’t need to get organic varieties because they seem not to absorb the pesticides used to grow them. Also, cruciferous vegetables are thought to prevent some types of cancers. Food as medicine and I love that.
Anyway, I have a couple of different chopping gadgets, but stopped using them — just use a sharp knife. It’s easier and quicker to clean and I can control sizes of the pieces.
I am one of those home chefs who usually doesn’t follow a recipe. I might get ideas from recipes, but unless I’m making a cake, which I haven’t for some time, I don’t bother. Over the years and with a lot of baking for the children, especially Sunday morning special breakfasts, I came to understand muffins and quiches, which are forgiving. I did use a recipe basically for popovers and became quite good at them, but mostly stay away from gluten these days.
Back to the matter at hand! Coleslaw.
I chop up the cabbage with my knife into medium and small pieces enough to fill a large stainless steel bowl. I use one that has a plastic cover that was with a set. I usually do not finish the coleslaw the same day I have chopped the cabbage. I might add at any time some chopped carrots and celery (organic, of course), if I have any. Beets from my garden if any, a good deal of onions, right now from my garden (what is life without onions!), and some other vegetables available from my garden, including edible weeds such as mallow and purslane. Also right now I’m getting moringa leaves and flowers from my trees and the purslane is starting to come back for the summer. I also might add tangerine zest — from my tree. Of course, then I eat the fruit and share some with my parrots.
I might also put in some small pieces of broccoli and cauliflower, and whatever else I might have available, including parsley. A colorful varitey is great. I never measure. How does it look? That’s what I go by.
You may guess by now that I like interesting.
I learn from and get ideas from everywhere and if I like them I try to incorporate them in the healthiest way possible.
My daughter Leila and I used to go to events put on by Rosie On The House, a local Phoenix outfit that does home remodeling and has Saturday morning radio show to which I’ve been listening for over 30 years. There is a website with podcasts of the shows and vetted referral partners. It can be found at, where else, Rosieonthehouse.com and can be listened to live at KTAR.com. I get the weekly newsletter, have used some of the services, and the free calendar for the last few years.
Anyway, the events used to be catered by Rosie Romero’s mother when she owned Baby Kay’s Cajun Kitchen. The family moved to Phoenix in the 1960’s from Louisiana, hence the Cajun influence. The food was great — the turkey, dirty rice, and especially the coleslaw. That’s where I got the idea to add pimento-filled green olives which I cut into quarters.
So I have been adding the olives. It makes it taste great — don’t worry, I’ll get to the dressing!
But to me, there was something else I wanted to try. Fresh Ginger. I always have fresh ginger on hand for sauces, sauté, and soup.
One time I tried it, and, WOW. I do my best not to leave it out. The one time I forgot recently I really noticed the difference. So that is my contribution to the progression of making coleslaw.
Since I like the flavor and not a lot of runniness, I mix the dressing in a 1 Cup pyrex measuring cup. I use some squirts of organic Apple Cider Vinegar with “the Mother”, and it doesn’t seem to matter which brand. Then I add some alternative mayonnaise, which is my choice, as I’m careful as to ingredients I use — I am a label-reader. To that I add some pepper, some dry spices, which varies, dill for certain, and a few drops of stevia or other healthy sweetener, and it could even be granular monkfruit, or xylitol alternative. I taste the mixture with a bit on my finger to see if it needs to be adjusted. It may need more vinegar or mayonnaise. Then I add finely chopped fresh ginger. And I just eye-ball it. I can take the bit of “kick”.
It doesn’t take more than 1/3 to 1/2 cup of this dressing for the big bowl, mix, and voilá! Not my Grandma’s coleslaw anymore.
It can be eaten right away, but better if refrigerated first to let all the flavors mingle. It lasts in my refrigerator for a long time. Weeks, for me, but that depends on how quickly I eat it. I mix it with other salad ingredients and perhaps some protein for a one-dish salad.
Whoo hoo! I love this stuff! Well, I just like to eat and I like flavor.
You can certainly put in other ingredients, such as green or red peppers, but I’m off nightshades for the most part. Jicima could be a good additive or just on the side — a nice, crunchy, sweet root vegetable, great if you’re trying to lose weight. Actually, the way I eat, I need to make sure I keep my weight up.
So, Grandma, what do you think? Did I surpass your coleslaw? I think so, but I would have liked Grandma to try it and see what she thought.
And Grandma, thanks for all the wonderful memories. I miss you.
Your loving granddaughter in life and after, Wendy
P.S. This is the first in what I expect to be the FRUGAL KITCHEN WARRIOR series. Stay tuned.
