Creamy Coleslaw

It would be terribly unpatriotic not to have coleslaw at a Fourth of July barbecue. And since I am a true American and I have also been looking for an excuse to use this completely adorable little ceramic cabbage bowl my mom gave me for months now, I made some.

Thanks to my awesome hand-held mandoline by Kyocera (don't they make cell phones or something? I still have not adjusted to the way these multinational corporations produce all sorts of totally incongruous products...), it was a breeze. Never before has cabbage been so thinly sliced with such ease (at least not in my house). It actually made a somewhat tedious task feel fun. At roughly $20 a pop, this little gem of a kitchen tool is well worth the price.

This coleslaw was the simplest, quickest part of my July 4th feast. It took all of 10 minutes to assemble using a mix of paper thin slices of red and green cabbages, onion, and carrots that I dressed in a tasty mixture of apple cider vinegar, mayonnaise, salt and pepper.

I think coleslaw's unique mix of crunchy, creamy, sweet and savory is pretty rad. Plus this bowl is beyond adorable...

I served this with grilled ribs slathered in homemade BBQ sauce, cornbread, sweet and spicy baked beans, and a fresh green salad. I feel certain that William Howard Taft would have been in heaven.

Creamy Coleslaw

Serves 6

Ingredients

* 1/2 head small red cabbage, rinsed with outer leaves and stem removed

* 1/2 head small green cabbage, rinsed with outer leaves and stem removed (or you can just do one whole small head of either red or green cabbage if you prefer)

* 1 large carrot, peeled

* 1 small onion, peeled or 4 scallions, rinsed with tops and roots cut off

* 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

* 1/4 cup mayonnaise

* 1 tsp Dijon mustard

* 1 tsp caraway seeds

* 1 Tbsp sugar or honey

* 1/4-1/2 tsp sea salt

* Several grinds of freshly ground black pepper

Directions 

1. Using a mandoline or a sharp knife, thinly slice the cabbage, carrot and onion or scallions and place in a medium-sized bowl.

2. Mix the remaining ingredients (vinegar, mayo, mustard, caraway, sugar, salt and pepper) together and stir well to make a smooth dressing - you'll want to mix it until you're sure that the sugar and salt are fully dissolved. Toss the veggies with dressing, making sure everything is well-coated, and serve.

You might also like:

• Homemade BBQ Sauce
• Smoky-Spicy-Sweet Barbecue Baked Beans
• Red Cabbage With Lime, Cilantro & Honey Slaw
• Skillet Cornbread
• Barbecued Beef Short Ribs