Aristocratic 'Cole Slaw' and Cappuccino Pound Cake

The Hearth for Friday, April 25, 2025

The Hearth is the Heavy Table’s monthly recipe and home cooking newsletter, published with support from the Eastside Food Co-op. It’s available in full to all of our subscribers at or above the $5/month level.

AN UNCATERED AFFAIR

One of the strangest - and best - cookbooks that I’ve discovered on a year-long quest to read and review pretty much everything under the sun is called An Uncatered Affair: Cooking For Friends.

It turned up on the shelves of a culinary bookshop in Maine and it struck me because, despite being self-published, it was impeccably typeset and read incredibly well. Here’s how the store’s catalog listing described it:

A privately printed cookbook, by one of America's leading patrons of the arts, a Smith College alumna, creator of the Joan W. and Irving B. Harris Theater for Music and Dance, in Chicago's Millennium Park, and recipient of the National Medal of Fine Arts. Fine copy in gilt-stamped red cloth. No dust jacket, as issued. Scarce. [OCLC locates no copies].

This is about as close to a private cookbook as you can find, which is a shame - I’ve made four recipes from it, and they’ve all turned out impeccably well. It should be better known, because it’s terrific.

I’m including one recipe from my original review of the book here, and the two new ones that I just tried recently. They’re all worth making and eating. Just remember to really butter your bundt pan. — James Norton

Eastside is your cooperatively owned grocery store in the heart of Northeast since 2003. We specialize in fresh, local, and organic foods sourced from farmers and producers who care about the health of people and our planet. Eastside Food Co-op is here for good!

A NEW (AND FAR LIGHTER) TAKE ON COLESLAW

Far too often, coleslaw is nothing more than a vehicle for mayonnaise. It’s heavy, it’s fatty, it’s underflavored, and it’s only really a vegetable in the context of sitting next to huge slabs of meat. Compared to an actual vegetable, it’s a bit depressing.

This twist on coleslaw is far, far lighter, relying on citrus juice and rind, scallions, bell peppers, sesame seeds, and raisins for its flavor. It’s a legitimate complement to heavier dishes, and doesn’t get too heavy or too soggy unlike most of its cousins out there. If you’ve been questing for a decent coleslaw (as I have) give this version a try. It’s different - in a good way.