This One's for Grant-O

I was making cole slaw the other day, and thinking of Grant, who said, "Grandma, I love your cole slaw." Now that he's too far away to sit at our table, I'm posting the method I use, in case he wants to make some himself.

Start with a napa cabbage, also called Chinese cabbage. That's the elongated one with wide ribs and crinkly leaves. It has a nice crunchy texture.

Cut the cabbage in half longitudinally.

Starting at the leafy top, thinly shave off slices.

When you've finished shaving in this direction, chop the shreds in the opposite direction.

Now, make the dressing. These are the dressing ingredients I use. Being a Southern cook, I prefer Miracle Whip to mayonnaise, but mayo would be acceptable if you Yankees want to substitute.

Sorry I can't give exact measurements, but begin with a blob of Miracle Whip. Add a little sugar and stir together. Now add a squirt of good old yellow mustard, a shot or two of Worchestershire sauce, a dribble of cider vinegar (I used a capful) and a few grinds of pepper. Want it zingier? Add more mustard and vinegar. Sweeter? More sugar. Here's the dressing I made for this small batch of slaw before I stirred it up.

Cole slaw, in my opinion, should have just enough dressing to lightly coat the shreds of cabbage. Here's the slaw with dressing poured over it.

And here it is after stirring in the dressing.

So, there you are, Grant. If you can buy Miracle Whip in Flagstaff, you're all set to go.

By the way, I learned this basic recipe from Jo Elliott, who was your dad's baby sitter when I was teaching high school English in Lathrop, Missouri. All I've changed is the type of cabbage.

Love,

Grandma