Buttermilk Coleslaw

A recent book on coleslaw (always one word in the South) informs us that no less than 61 percent of all coleslaw recipes in the United States are Southern; that 41 percent of the population prepare coleslaw year round; and that the salad is most often eaten with barbecue and fried chicken or fish. Without question, the major ingredient in most Southern coleslaw is shredded (not chopped, not grated) green cabbage, and the key dressings are based either on mayonnaise or vinegar. After that, t