The Creativity Borne from Boredom

The southern coleslaw salad that comes out of our soul food kitchen is one on our most popular dishes. Go figure. And like most anything I do with frequent repetition in the kitchen — as much as I love this dish — it is now boring to make. Also go figure. Where’s the fire exit?

I concocted the version of coleslaw that is now a mainstay on our menu largely because I hated coleslaw as a kid: too wet, too drippy, too much mayonnaise by a long shot, no particular color or taste to it at all as far as I could tell, mostly an afterthought to a poorly thought-out main and three sides diner offering. And so the coleslaw we created was bold on colors (purple and green cabbage, red onions, bright orange carrots, red/white radishes, celery), light on the mayonnaise dressing (strong emphasis on a blend of sumac, honey, and habanero-infused apple cider), and garnished with toasted black sesame seeds.

Irit loves it. So much so that I always have to make up extra when preparing for a guest. And me? After spending time with this dish in our test kitchen, spending time tweaking this and tweaking that, after serving a boatload of this salad to friends, what can I say? I’m bored. Let’s face it:

The problem comes when you are trying to fix a problem that really doesn’t need fixing in the first place, except in your own head. Irit doesn’t want me to change a thing. Nor do my guests. I finally find a niche in the fact that my classic coleslaw is not vegan (mayonnaise) and the vegan version I have been doing uses this ersatz mayonnaise that does not make me happy. And there you have it: opportunity.

The first breakthrough was using this vegan labane I had created recently in lieu of the mayonnaise. The second breakthrough was thinking about my vegan son’s need for protein — hence the layering with toasted spicy cashews. And voila (or as a good friend of mine likes to say, “viola”) a whole new dish.

I’m happy. Irit’s happy. My vegan guests are happy. On to the next boredom.