That would typically be called an “appetizer” or, more properly, a “first course”, which describes an order of presentation and is distinct from “salad” which is a specific kind of food. In my experience, though, a salad served before dinner is simply “salad”, and soup thus served is “soup”, while anything else is a first or second course, as the case may be. But if the first or second course is, in fact, a salad, then we are at an impasse – it may be called either.
I’ll also add that on the subject of food terminology, I find the term “appetizer” rather counterintuitive. If you’re hungry, then you’re ready to dive right in to the main course. If you’re not hungry, then stuffing your face with food isn’t going to make you so. “First course” is a more appropriate term, IMHO, to describe a pre-dinner treat.
Please note that the above are my personal opinions and mostly in jest. I don’t really care what you call anything!
Is coleslaw a salad? Let’s look at the parameters.
Is it mixed garden vegetables? Yes.
Is it dressed with some kind of dressing? Yes.
Is it typically served cold? Yes.
Having fulfilled the requirements, then cole slaw is a salad.
I know that a mayo-based dressing is popular when it comes to cole slaw, but you should also give the oil and vinegar based cole slaws a chance. A deli in Toronto did such a good one that it branched out into selling it at supermarkets.
I like the idea above about adding oil and vinegar, or Italian, dressing to a supermarket “cole slaw” of shredded cabbage and carrots. That deli may be long gone, but I may be able to re-create their cole slaw if I try the same. Thanks for the idea!
It’s absolutely a salad, regardless of the dressing. I’m not familiar with the deli coleslaw you mention, but a local supermarket sells a very nice creamy coleslaw in their deli section. The tangy creamy dressing completely reversed my idea – probably from long-ago days of crappy KFC coleslaw – that it was some inedible concoction of raw cabbage, to appreciating it as a very tasty salad in its own right. The difference is that leafy salads are typically served as a separate course, while non-leafy ones like potato salad and coleslaw make great sides for many meals.
I have a recipe for a slaw with a decided Asian influence. It’s become one of my favorites, especially to accompany rich, fatty meats such as barbecued ribs. The dressing is made with rice vinegar, peanut butter, garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil among other things, and the salad is full of very flavorful vegetables: Red and green cabbage, matchstick carrots, red peppers, green onions and cilantro.
I’m sure you remember Shopsy’s. They had about three or four restaurant locations in the GTA, and they sold their cold cuts, and their oil and vinegar cole slaw in supermarkets.
I always looked forward to visiting when I was in Toronto, but sadly, they went out of business. My fallback was Yitz’s, but it appears that now, they are out of business too. Are there any good delis like that still in Toronto?
@Aspenglow , that sounds delicious! Maybe I should consider an early lunch …
I don’t personally know of any great standalone delis, but I’m sure they exist. There are probably some in the Jewish section of North York. I no longer live in the city anyway.
But if someone were to ask me for a great deli suggestion, I would point them to the inimitable Pusateri’s. I have no idea where they get their deli items, but they have tons of stuff you won’t find anywhere else, along with a superb meat counter, and a fish shop that features the best smoked salmon I’ve ever had in my life!
When I make red slaw, I mix BBQ sauce with mayo (about 2:1), then add a little sugar and vinegar to taste. I pile it on pulled pork sandwiches, and the slaw that doesn’t fit on the sandwiches goes on the side.
