the "extra mayo" club

are you a member?

 

Here I go again with the egg. It is so basic, yet so power packed with nutrition and versatility. I got lucky this week too. My cupcake slinging friend bought me a dozen from the farmer's market. If there is one thing in life you should judge by it's color, it's the egg. The paler it is, the lower the quality. Pale wall paint, good. Pale egg? Not so great. Think about if your face goes pale, well then you aren't feeling so hot. When I see a pale yellow yolk, I question the chicken's livelihood. I really do. But if it is a rich golden yellow, be reassured, a healthy chicken laid that egg.  

And once the shell is broken, that is when miracles happen.  One happened in my kitchen recently, well okay, in my parent's kitchen. If you haven't noticed, or heard, yes, I am 27 years old and I am living at my parent's house. And I just got braces. 

Both of which were also true in 1995. But hands down, the 2010 version of the story is so much better. As for the braces, I only have six, I have fruit flavored wax, and from here on out, I will never take eating and my teeth for granted again. And as for my rents, I have my own room, my own bathroom, my step mom is one of my best friends, and the kitchen is filled with appliances that not only do I know how to use, but I use the ever living heck out of them.

The food processor is my favorite, because it does all the work for me. How else would I have made a miracle, not miracle whip, but real mayonnaise, ready to spread, in less than 5 minutes. I am one of those that truly thinks the world is a better place with mayonnaise in it. I know I am not alone. So I am creating the "extra mayo" club. There are only two requirements. One you don't believe it will make you fat. And two, you have been known to bother your server to go back for more, and sometimes still, yes it isn't quite enough, but noone wants to pester a hard working server, so it will do.

I don't even want to discuss the "light" version, so I won't. But if you can't raise your hand to admit you are in the club, I know you use mayo, even if it is sparingly. Because we all eat a sandwich from time to time, and unless you are hardcore and just use mustard, I bet you spread a very thin thin layer of mayonnaise on one half of the bread. If not just on the bread, what about what is in between. Aside from deli meat, chicken salad, tuna salad, egg salad, and pimento cheese all require a spoonful mayo.

And because of the homemade girl I have become, for reasons of living on a living wage and I'd say a bit of passion, that on my last visit to the grocery store, I merely glanced over the jar of mayo, and committed to making it on my own. I will warn you...

Homemade is catching, as all good things should be.

I made the mayonnaise, and with it I made pimento cheese. And with that I made my lunch. 

Today, I conveniently learned that pimento cheese topped with sprouts and avocado, on a tortilla wrap, gone a little soggy from being in the fridge, is very suitable for an incredibly sore metal mouth. And yes, I did spread a thick layer of mayo beneath it all. And I enjoyed it one nibble at a time.

To receive a one-time only lifetime membership to the "extra mayo" club, just follow the recipe to make your own homemade mayo. And if you don't have a food processor, use a blender. If you don't have a blender, just whisk the heck out of it.

Ingredients:

1 garlic clove

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 t. lemon juice

1/2 t. mustard

1/4 t. honey

1/2 t. salt

3/4 cup canola oil, divided

Method: 

In the food processor first pulse garlic clove til minced. Next add egg yolk, lemon juice, mustard, honey, and salt. Pulse to blend together. Now from a measuring cup, add very slowly, and literally one drop at a time, 1/4 cup of oil, with food processor running the whole time. Egg mixture will thicken up a good bit. This takes a bit of patience and about 2 minutes. Now, not quite as slowly, but in the form of the thinnest drizzle you can manage, add the other 1/2 cup of oil with food processor running. Mayonnaise will begin to take form. Once oil is all added, remove lid, and with a spatula scrape down the sides and combine egg on the bottom near the blade that didn't quite get blended. Pulse to blend a few times. Also, if you like a thinner spread, add a tablespoon of water and blend.

Welcome to the club!