Advertisement That well could be the theme for this week. It seems there are a number of recipes floating around out there billing themselves as the authentic New Villa Restaurant coleslaw recipe. There are a few common ingredients, but each one seems to have its own little signature: one calls for REAL buttermilk, not low-fat versions; another says NOT to use mayonnaise; there are a couple of recipes with vinegar and/or oil in place of salad dressing; one with horseradish; and one that doesn’t purport to be a New Villa recipe at all, just a frozen alternative to the creamy kind. I would not hazard a guess as to which of them is the actual recipe, but they all look good enough to try.
One of the contributors was Jannet Betz, who worked at the New Villa. It is an industrial-size recipe (4 gallons of buttermilk dressing; 4 gallons of salad dressing, etc.) so I tried to take it down to a reasonable size for home use. Jan Beitlich says her recipe is better if made several hours ahead and refrigerated. That makes sense on two levels: the flavors have time to blend a bit and you are not slaving away while your guests amuse themselves. Linda Maringer of Onalaska, Wis., wrote, “This is a hand-me-down recipe from an aunt who had a friend working in the New Villa kitchen — top secret stuff back then.” A couple of anonymous friends shared their versions, and Carol Rusnak of Tomah, Wis., sent the frozen slaw, which she thinks is “for summer because there is no mayo to worry about. Much safer for picnics, etc.”
Responses have been so abundant lately that I’m not going to introduce any new requests this week. For the next couple of weeks, we’ll be trying to finish up salads, paella and Tuscany tomato soup.
Send requests and recipes
to Alice P. Clark at: Reader Exchange, c/o La Crosse Tribune, 401 N. Third St.,
La Crosse, WI 54601; e-mail: exchange@lacrossetribune.com or send a fax to (608) 782-9723.
New Villa Coleslaw 1
4 gallons buttermilk dressing — 64 cups — 1 1/2 cups
4 gallons salad dressing (not mayonnaise, not miracle whip) use a name brand — 64 cups — 1 1/2 cups
9 cups sugar — 144 tablespoons — 1/4 cup
3 quarts buttermilk — 192 tablespoons — 1/4 cup
1 large package ranch dressing mix — 1/2 to 1 package ranch dressing mix
Optional ingredients (to taste):
Sour cream
Bacon
Vidalia onion
Combine all ingredients; pour over commercial mix or homemade slaw. (Shared by Jannet Betz)
New Villa Coleslaw 2
1 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/8 cup sugar (more if you like it sweeter).
Combine ingredients; add to your shredded cabbage and carrots.
(Shared by Jan Beitlich, Onalaska)
Creamy Coleslaw Dressing (from the New Villa) 3
1 cup salad dressing
2 cups half-and-half
1/2 cup vinegar
1/2 cup sugar
1 teaspoon horseradish
1/2 teaspoon celery seed
Combine ingredients; beat well with electric mixer. Chill. Pour over shredded cabbage and carrot mixture just before serving. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Makes a big batch.
(Shared by Linda Maringer, Onalaska)
New Villa Coleslaw 4
1 cup buttermilk
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 cup mayonnaise
Mix thoroughly. (Shared by an anonymous friend, La Crosse)
New Villa Coleslaw 5
1 cup mayo
2/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup oil
2 tablespoons vinegar
Salt and pepper
Combine ingredients. One batch is good for one bag of pre-cut coleslaw mix. (Shared by an anonymous friend)
Frozen Cabbage Slaw
1 medium head cabbage, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
3 ribs celery, chopped
1/2 cup green pepper, chopped
1 small onion, finely chopped
1 carrot, chopped
Dressing:
1/2 cup water
1 cup white vinegar
2 cups sugar
1 teaspoon celery seed
Mix salt and cabbage; let stand 1 hour or more. Drain; add remaining vegetables. In saucepan, bring water, vinegar and sugar to a boil; boil 1 minute. Cool. Combine with cabbage mixture; keep in refrigerator up to 2 weeks, or freeze.
(Shared by Carol Rusnak, Tomah)
