Homemade Mayo

In my quest to become a better cook I’ve realized that I need to become a better eater. These days I’m eating out a lot less and cooking a lot more–wholesome, fresh foods, mostly classic Mediterranean dishes. Although I wouldn’t say my diet is particularly low-fat (neither is the Mediterranean diet) it is pretty healthy. In my efforts to eat in a way that is eco-friendly and focused on natural ingredients, I try to avoid foods that come packaged in plastic, boxes or jars as much as possible. Except for a few Asian condiments, the only bottles I stock in my fridge are mustard and mayonnaise.

The fact that I’ve had mayo in my fridge lately is nothing short of amazing. For as long as I can remember, it was high on my list of yucky foods. Texture is rarely a food issue for me, but there was something about the wobbling, gelatinous consistency of mayonnaise that turned me off. It took me back to brown bag lunches in elementary school. My mother liked me to have a hot lunch, and she often packed a thermos with soup or spaghetti for me. On the days she prepared a sandwich, she would spread mayonnaise on the bread and stuff it with ham and vegetables. By lunchtime the warmth inside the classroom turned the smear of mayo into a thick, clear film. The bread looked like the lard sandwiches consumed by certain Eastern European relatives. Needless to say, I went hungry on sandwich days.

I’ve read that the more you are exposed to certain flavors, the more you may come to like them. I think this is true. Case in point, I used to hate cilantro. But cilantro is one of the most commonly used herbs on the planet. It finds its way into everything: salsas, chutney, curry, and countless other dishes from China to the Middle East to Latin America. Lately, the strange, soapy taste of cilantro is starting to appeal to me. It’s the same with mayonnaise. I’ve started to use it on my sandwiches and in salads. I even dip my french fries in it–something I was once horrified to witness European people do at a restaurant in Amsterdam.

On Saturday night I was about to make a dip for a dinner party and discovered that the bottle of mayonnaise in the fridge was seven months past its expiry date (evidently I’m not loving it that much). Up to my eyeballs in food preparation, I didn’t feel like zipping over to the store, so I decided to make my own. I had never made mayonnaise. It was one of those things that seemed impossible to pull off, like souffle. Since it also doesn’t keep that long, I thought making it was unnecessarily laborious, like grinding your own spices or baking bread. Armed with a blender, an egg and some olive oil, I found making your own mayo is a snap. And it tastes heavenly. So much better than the store bought stuff. Bewitched by the fresh, lemony taste, the creamy, supple texture, I am now a homemade mayonnaise convert.