Cole Slaw

Cole slaw is complicated. People argue over it. Should it be sweet or tangy? Should it be creamy or vinegary? If it's creamy, do you use mayo or sour cream? Yogurt? What vegetables go in? Should you put in purple cabbage along with the green? Do you need carrots? What about onions? What spices go in? Mustard? Horseradish?

I don't wish to enter the fray. I haven't yet figured out how to replicate my two favorite cole slaws (the one from KFC, which I obviously haven't had in years, and the one from Noah's bagels, which disappeared from the menu when they became Einstein Bros. . . . sad sauce).

Anyway, my plan is simple. The version I show here is ova-vegetarian, but it can be made vegan quite easily. Here is what you will need:

That's a head of cabbage, half an onion, half an apple (Gala, I think), apple cider vinegar, Grey Poupon, and regular mayo (this works just fine with Vegannaise as well). You'll also need sugar and perhaps salt and pepper. I normally do this with a whole apple and a whole onion, so the proportions are a bit off.

First, grate the apple and the onion into a bowl. If you're sensitive to onion fumes, do this under the vent hood or on your patio.

Add a good blob of mustard (there's probably 1.5 T there) and a nice big schlorp of mayo. I'm guessing that's somewhere around 1/2 c.

Stir it up. It will be thick. Add about two tablespoons of sugar and stir it in. Then, begin adding apple cider vinegar. Start with 2 T., but you will almost certainly need more. You want this quite wet.

At this point, you probably have the right texture and volume. Give it a taste. Salt? Pepper? Sugar? Vinegar? Set it aside to relax.

Shred your cabbage as finely as you can manage with your knife. I like to have the longer pieces, so I don't grate.

Dump the sauce over the cabbage and mix it in until everything is completely coated. If you take a bite now, it will be yummy have quite a bite to it. It mellows and develops covered in the fridge.