Crane's Corner: 6-23-21 Salad Days

Crane's Corner

For those of you who might be listening outside of The People’s Republic of California, this Podcast is a reimagined radio feature which ran from 2008-2020 on 3 different radio stations.Mostly it was my take on current events, some times a tribute to someone who had passed on or on occasion satire which some humor impaired listeners took for my real opinion. A podcast which when you get down to it is radio for people who never worked in broadcasting. But unlike radio, where I had a 2 minute limit to make sense of whatever I was writing that day, with a podcast, you can take off the seat belt, stretch your legs and speak at a respectable pace, I can take 5 minutes to make my point, take an interview 30 to 35 minutes and not worry about e mails from the Program Director that if the 2 minute warning is good enough for the NFL, it’s all the time I need. It never was. I always had to voice it like it was my final exam from the Evelyn Wood Speed Reading Course, So not only can I take my time, I’m expanding the menu. News of the day, something I found funny or worth discussing always takes prominence, but once in a while, like today we change the format and talk about things I’m passionate about, Food. Wine. good books or my constant fear that some afternoon I’ll be hauled off the links and charged with impersonating a golfer.

Today, we’re sharing a couple of salad recipes that won’t put the Julia Child cookbook out of print, but are easy to make, maybe better than previous versions you’ve tried and handy to have in California where it’s often north of 100 degrees. Will dispense with the climate change the precursor to the Prius, moved people around and opening multiple windows passed for air conditioning, The saving grace is that we have little humidity and it cools down to decent sleeping weather after sunset. Unless half the state is on fire, which is a seasonal reality as the drought continues.

Back on long island where I grew up, every town had at least one, in some of them, several old world delicatessen’ originally operated by German Americans...some still are, others have been sold with the old world recipes to Americans of various ethnic groups, the shops are known for their generous meat sandwiches--which islanders call heros, they don’t do well in water, so the name sub doesn’t fit.and in some places, they’re called hoagies. The only hoagie I ever heard of was Hoagie Carmichael--and I guess if you called Ben Hogan hoagie he might answer--but since he’s dead he’s a hero to golfers who’ve seen his swing.

Delicious salads, American and German potato salad, macaroni salad and cole slaw, the big three. My slaw is based on the old world recipe with a twist. I add some sour cream for body, chopped onion for added flavor, sugar and cider vinegar for a little zing.. Pretty basic but better than anything you’ll find this side of the Adelphi deli in Garden City NY..

Simplicity unto itself.

Start with a bag of pre-packaged shredded coleslaw mix. It usually has green cabbage. A bit of red cabbage and shredded carrots. Toss the mix in a big bowl, add a teaspoon of sugar, a table spoon of cider vinegar and one third cup of milk. Then add one quarter cup sour cream, half a cup of mayonnaise, Best Foods or Hellman’s preferred, one quarter cup finely chopped red or yellow onion, salt to taste, toss it together, chill for an hour and taste for seasoning. Odds are you will want to throw in a little more mayo. If too tart, a little sugar may help. I like to add a teaspoon of caraway seeds, but some folks say the little seeds get caught in your teeth. I go with the seeds and floss after dinner. This creamy salad is a must for grilled ribs, burgers and hot dogs and goes well with any good sandwich, except maybe peanut butter and jelly. Keeps for about 4-5 days. MORE... you'll find the rest of the content, and the recipe, on the website by visiting www.edcranescorner.com/blog-page