I have to pay an homage to mayonnaise. We go through quite a bit of mayonnaise in my household, and I’m not sure if it’s a good or bad thing, but there you have it.
Really, it’s not as terrible as it is made out to be. It consists of egg yolk, oil, an acid such as vinegar or lemon juice, and a little seasoning. What is so bad about that? You can make mayonnaise fairly easily. Here’s a recipe from the Food Network’s Alton Brown. Seems pretty simple, though I haven’t tried it myself.
This year marks the 105th anniversary of commercial mayonnaise in the U.S. But it actually dates back internationally to 1756, where it most likely originated in Spain. It was known as salsa mahonesa. The name we call it today, mayonnaise, was introduced by the French. The French version is derived from the old French word moyeu, meaning “yolk of egg.”
The French also make a wonderful rendition called aioli, which is essentially a homemade garlic mayonnaise. It has a wide range of applications, including cold chicken, crudités, and “pommes frites” (french fries). There’s even a whole store in Brooklyn, N.Y. (where else?), the Empire Mayonnaise Co., that sells lots of different varities of mayo, from bacon to red chili to preserved lemon. Yum!
One of my favorite uses of mayonnaise is a BLT with perfectly ripened avocado on toasted whole-grain bread. There is just something about the salty crunchiness of bacon paired with the creamy nuttiness of the avocado and the rich, smooth mayonnaise.
OK, now I'm hungry…
Adam
02:41:38 PM on Tue Jun 12 2012
There was a great article on easy home made mayo in the New York Times on May 22. It had a video, as well!
Daniela
11:47:31 AM on Fri Jun 15 2012
What's so bad about egg yolk in mayonnaise? More than 250 million egg-laying hens in the US spend their lives intensively confined inside barren wire cages. I call that animal abuse. Thankfully, there are vegan alternatives with real mayonnaise taste that are much lower in saturated fat and don't harm the hens. THAT I can feel good about!