Ina Garten's Key Ingredient For Tasty Coleslaw

Ina Garten solidified her name in the culinary world with her popular cooking show "Barefoot Contessa," a long-running staple on the Food Network. In her show, Garten has always challenged cooks to try new things and revamp classic recipes. She's previously offered Christmas dinner recipes that were both familiar and striking, and her Thanksgiving fare is nothing short of delightful.

These days, Garten is taking on some more traditional summer menu items. Many people focus heavily on holiday foods, but the Contessa seems to want our picnics and cookouts to have as much nuance, gravitas, and pure tongue titillation as we whip up during the winter months. Luckily, the seasoned chef isn't trying to reinvent the hot dog. Instead, she's merely offering some simple changes to make to classic recipes in order to create new flavors. Her goal is to make things different, while not adding any time in the kitchen during the summer months when you'd much rather be outside frolicking than inside stirring up a whole batch of ravioli and homemade sauce from scratch. The current item that Garten is daring everyone to upgrade is their coleslaw.

Coleslaw is one of those dishes that can be made many ways. For example, you can go with a classic slaw or make a spicy coleslaw variation for some kick. The ability to make coleslaw your own comes from the fact it's nothing more than shredded cabbage with other select vegetables, all thrown together in a simple sauce. Cooks can change the sauce, add more cream, toss in some fruits and nuts to add some sweetness and crunch, or simply go bare-bones basic. This creates an easy base that has an innumerable number of variations, though many people still make loads of coleslaw mistakes. 

What Garten has recommended in her newest coleslaw variety is the use of bleu cheese, the bold feta alternative. It's vital to note that she doesn't use bleu cheese dressing, though that might be worth a try. Instead, what the celebrity chef says via Food Network, is to "Pour enough mayonnaise dressing over the grated vegetables and toss to moisten well. Add crumbled blue cheese and parsley and toss together." This way, you'll be getting the cheese addition in slight hints and wisps, which will keep those who normally eschew bleu cheese from tossing the bowl out the window. Yet, it will still add a striking amount of flavor to the mix. It's certainly a new take on an old favorite that is sure to create a debate among coleslaw lovers.