Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw

Let me start out by saying, I know coleslaw is a personal decision.  Some folks like the creamy kind made with mayo or sour cream or whatever it is that makes it creamy.  I can actually go for a nice bowl of creamy coleslaw every once in while, especially if it has those little caraway seeds in it.  Yum.

However, most of the time I am in the non-creamy coleslaw camp.  I like the kind that is a little bit vinegary-sharp, a little bit sweet, and with just the right balance of cabbage and carrots.   And the Southern husband...well, don't even TRY to sneak any creamy coleslaw by him.  He's definitely a tangy coleslaw guy.  It might be the boots...who knows.

Side note: this picture is not mine...it was shot by the teenager.  She had a photography assignment where she had to shoot people's feet in some way that represented who they are.  She wanted to shoot her dad in his boots, which I thought was very appropriate.  Then she got to me.

She also photographed my in my sneakers next to a laundry basket.  Hmm.

Anyway, back to the coleslaw.  I never seem to make coleslaw in the winter...I must have some subconscious rule in my head that coleslaw can only be made when it is above 70 degrees outside.  And every year when coleslaw season rolls around,  I have managed to lose whatever recipe I found the year before for non-creamy coleslaw.  This year I found it again, and figured if I just put it up on the blog, at least next year the search would be a little faster.  

This recipe is from the always fabulous folks at Cooks Illustrated, and as always the recipe itself makes you scratch your head a little when you first read it (put the cabbage in the microwave?  Really??) but as always, it comes out perfectly.  Trust me.  So here it is...the only coleslaw recipe you will need all summer.  And if you come back in a couple of days for my next post, I'll be showing you something pretty dang good that you can do with it.

Sweet and Tangy Coleslaw, from Cooks Illustrated

• 1/4 cup cider vinegar , plus extra for seasoning
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 1/4 teaspoon celery seed
• 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
• 1/2 large green cabbage (about 1 pound), cored and shredded fine (about 6 cups)
• 1/4 cup sugar , plus extra for seasoning
• Table salt
• 1 large carrot , peeled and grated
• 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley leaves

1. Combine 1/4 cup vinegar, oil, celery seed, and pepper in medium glass or metal bowl. Place bowl in freezer until vinegar mixture is well chilled, at least 15 minutes and up to 30 minutes.
2. While mixture chills, toss cabbage with ¼ cup sugar and 1 teaspoon salt in large microwave-safe bowl. Cover with large plate and microwave on high power for 1 minute. Stir briefly, re-cover, and continue to microwave on high power until cabbage is partially wilted and has reduced in volume by one-third, 30 to 60 seconds longer.
3. Transfer cabbage to salad spinner and spin cabbage until excess water is removed, 10 to 20 seconds. Remove bowl from freezer, add cabbage, carrot, and parsley to cold vinegar mixture, and toss to combine. If desired, adjust flavor with sugar or vinegar. Season with salt to taste. Refrigerate until chilled, about 15 minutes. Toss again before serving.

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Pad Thai

This is most definitely the suburban New Jersey version of pad thai, and I say that with pride. Let me explain.

A couple of weeks ago the New York Times ran an article, complete with recipe, for pad thai. My friend S sent it to me first, followed by about a thousand or so other folks. Who knew pad thai was so popular? I've had it a couple of times in the past and had always figured it fell into the chicken-fried steak rule (click here for an explanation of that weird little reference), but I am a girl who loves a challenge, and so I put it on the menu for last week.

And then I looked at the ingredients.

Tamarind paste?

Mom!!!

(Between my mother and Fairway, I really don't have a decent excuse for not coming up with the accurate ingredients for things.)

Tamarind paste, for those of you who are wondering, is a thick, smooth paste that looks a lot like a solidified version of soy sauce, and it's definitely key to the flavor of this dish, so if you are going to mess with the ingredient list of this recipe as much as I did, just make sure you stay true to the tamarind paste. If your supermarket doesn't have it, you can look in an Indian speciality grocery, and if you don't have one of those around, there is always Amazon. Click here. Yep, in addition to TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD, they also sell tamarind paste. Or you can call me -- I now have a giant jar of it.

So while I did use tamarind paste I took, um, liberties with the rest of it, starting with the noodles. You are SUPPOSED to use something called rice stick noodles, and I'm sure Amazon carries those too, but I have an endless supply of fettecine in my pantry, and it tasted just fine. Then we have the issue of the cilantro. I was relieved to read this article, also in the Times, saying that the reason that certain people (me!) have an aversion to cilantro is because of their specific neurological make-up. As soon as they figure out the same thing for eggplant, mushrooms and lima beans my mother and I are going to have a nice little conversation. ("Try them. If you eat them enough, you will like them!) So I took my usual approach to cilantro, which is to mix up a combo of chopped mint and chopped flat-leaf parsley. Transgression #2.

The third thing was not exactly my fault, and kind of stayed within the boundaries of the recipe. It called for shrimp or tofu, and I did ask the southern husband to defrost some of my wonderful Costco shrimp that morning, but he has a lot on his mind and I came home to non-defrosted shrimp. Oops. But I did have some grilled chicken in the fridge and that worked just fine.

So as I said -- suburban NJ Pad Thai, and I am sure I have broken a whole variety of pad thai rules, but it sure tasted good!

Pad Thai, adapted from The New York Tmes

4 ounces fettuccine-width rice stick noodles (or fettecine!)
1/4 cup peanut oil
2 to 4 tablespoons tamarind paste
1/4 cup fish sauce (nam pla)
1/3 cup honey
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
1/4 cup chopped scallions
1 garlic clove, minced
2 eggs
1 small head Napa cabbage, shredded (about 4 cups)
1 cup mung bean sprouts
1/2 pound peeled shrimp, pressed tofu (or shredded cooked chicken!)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, chopped
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro (or chopped mint and flat leaf parsley!)
2 limes, quartered.

1. Put noodles in a large bowl and add boiling water to cover. Let sit until noodles are just tender; check every 5 minutes or so to make sure they do not get too soft. (Or if using fettecine, cook according to package directions.) Drain, drizzle with one tablespoon peanut oil to keep from sticking and set aside. Meanwhile, put tamarind paste, fish sauce, honey and vinegar in a small saucepan over medium-low heat and bring just to a simmer. Stir in red pepper flakes and set aside.

2. Put remaining 3 tablespoons oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat; when oil shimmers, add scallions and garlic and cook for about a minute. Add eggs to pan; once they begin to set, scramble them until just done. Add cabbage and bean sprouts and continue to cook until cabbage begins to wilt, then add shrimp or tofu (or chicken).

3. When shrimp begin to turn pink and tofu begins to brown (or chicken is heated through), add drained noodles to pan along with sauce. Toss everything together to coat with tamarind sauce and combine well. When noodles are warmed through, serve, sprinkling each dish with peanuts and garnishing with cilantro (or parsley/mint) and lime wedges.

Click here for printable recipe