The best cole slaw I’ve ever eaten was my mother’s.  She kept it simple, and extremely dry–in fact, she’d generally serve it as a dry salad with the dressing on the side.  One thing I can’t stand is cole slaw dripping in dressing so that when you finish your serving there’s a puddle of dressing left on the plate.  That’s why I hardly ever order cole slaw out.  There’s only two place I know that make slaw as good–my wife’s and Joe’s Stone Crab in Miami Beach.  The thing is, I tend to make it drier than anyone I know, because I like it dressed like a salad.  If you haven’t tried cole slaw that way, do so.  Make it like this:

1/2 head  white cabbage, sliced thin

1/4 head red cabbage, sliced thin

1 small yellow onion, grated

2 medium carrots, grated

1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

1 cup low-fat mayonnaise (not Miracle Whip)

2 tablespoons white sugar (then adjust to taste)

2 tablespoons cider vinegar (then adjust to taste

1/4 teaspoon dry mustard

1 teaspoon celery seed

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Toss all the produce ingredients together in a large bowl.  Mix the remaining ingredients to make up the sauce and adjust the sugar and vinegar to your personal preference.

Serve the cole slaw dry in a salad bowl, and the dressing on the side with a ladle (or, if you must, mix the dressing with the produce and toss well.  Just don’t use too much dressing.  This cole slaw recipe is meant to be served on the dry side.