Happy Birthday, Mayonnaise!

Unless you were tuned into NPR this weekend, you might be belated in wishing mayonnaise a happy birthday. In celebration of this vinegar, oil, and egg emulsion, I actually got a present in the mail!

A new, 32-ounce jar of Duke’s mayonnaise arrived on my porch this past Saturday. With only minor jeering from an ex boyfriend in South Carolina, I requested a jar of mayonnaise to restock my fridge. See, it is wise to remain friends with exes.

Let’s tally my mayo consumption for this year. I brought two 32 ounce jars home with me at the start of the year from my Christmas travels, my mom shipped me two 16 ounce jars this spring, and I’m currently working on the 32-ounce jar from my ex. That’s a total of 128 ounces, or 8 pounds of mayonnaise. I’m the only person in the house, so a “household” is not consuming this …and the year is not over yet!

I couldn’t find data on the average amount of mayonnaise consumed by one person in one year. I’m suspecting that I consume more than average. I did find sites praising and warning against the oils and fats in mayo. This site not so subtly hints that mayo makes you fat, but I’m proof that mayo does no such thing. I just eat the light version and go on with my merry, mayo-inclusive life.

Happy Belated Birthday, Mayo!
Love, Taylor

I Heart Mom

A package containing two jars of Duke's Light Mayonnaise appeared on my porch the other day. My mommy sent them to me. Gotta love Mom!

Now the pressure is on for what to get her for Mother’s Day. I always get her bath stuff, chocolate, or stationary. Oh, the pressure – and lack of ideas.

Pimento Cheese

Today I’ll share with you my Easter family tradition – a picnic in a cemetery!

Easter is my favorite holiday. Growing up, Easter meant baskets of candy, Easter egg hunts, and picnics. Candy, games, and dining outdoors – that’s my idea of a perfect day!

Our family picnic basket, which was an old peach basket, always held fried chicken, pimento cheese sandwiches, deviled eggs, chips, pickles, and fruit.

Another family tradition was to have picnics in cemeteries. No, my family is not Goth, but my Dad is into genealogical research, so cemeteries were a common weekend destination. Not all Easter picnics were in cemeteries. Azalea filled parks and historical sites were also prime places for picnics, but I did a fair share of looking for Easter eggs behind tombstones.

Perhaps we were a little strange, but old cemeteries are quite beautiful with magnificent trees, old boxwoods, flowers, and manicured lawns – think Bonaventure in Savannah, GA; Woodland in Dayton, Ohio; or Arlington outside of DC.

Not only are old cemeteries beautiful, they are very peaceful. You don't have to contend with crying kids, screaming parents or blaring radios from other picnickers, 'cause, more than likely, you'll be the only one dining in the cemetery. After your picnic you can curl up on your blanket and take an undisturbed nap in the sun.

When I think of picnics, pimento cheese sandwiches instantly pop into my head. Pimento cheese is very Southern and I’ve found a few people who don’t know what it is or who have never tried it. Most people who grew up on pimento cheese have very strong sentiments - mostly adoration - for this orange cheese spread speckled with red peppers.

More Pimento cheese recipes and stories – because these sandwiches come with distinct memories.

The secret to good pimento cheese is extra sharp cheddar cheese and good mayonnaise. We always used Cracker Barrel extra sharp Cheddar cheese. And, let me reiterate my love for Duke's mayonnaise. If you are using a national brand like Helman’s or Miracle Whip, do not add sugar – there is already too much sugar in those brands. The mixture should not taste sweet. The teaspoon of sugar in the recipe is just to take the edge off the sharp cheese, so do not add sugar so that you can taste it. In fact, just abandon mission if you're not using Duke's, homemade, or some other natural ingredient mayonnaise.

Pimento Cheese

10 ounces extra sharp cheddar cheese
1 small jar pimentos
5-6 tablespoons mayonnaise (Duke's or homemade)
1 teaspoon sugar
black pepper to taste
1 tablespoon chopped chives, or grated onion

• Grate the cheese into a bowl.
• Drain the pimentos and dice.
• Add the pimentos, mayonnaise, sugar, pepper, and chives to the cheese and mix until incorporated.
• If there are clumps of cheese not coated with mayonnaise, add more mayonnaise.
• Spread between two pieces of bread and you have a pimento cheese sandwich. Spread on crackers or celery and you have hor d’oeurvres.

Deviled Eggs

My last dining experience reminded me of my love for deviled eggs. I tried a few recipes this week and now I’m deviled egg-ed out.

I tried the standard mayo, mustard, vinegar recipe. This is the base to any variation you want to make, and there are lots. I made one with garam masala and one with bits of pickled mushrooms. They were both good.

I also tried one recipe with no mayo, but olive oil and vinegar. The flavor was good, but I found the filling to be too dense. I prefer the fluffiness that mayo gives the yolks.

There are some tricks to know, though. Don’t boil the eggs too long or the whites turn rubbery. Ten minutes of gently boiling water always works for me. Also, cool the eggs off after cooking by setting the eggs in cold water to avoid a green yolk.

Some people do all sorts or crazy steps to center the yolk or avoid air bubbles and cracking, but it’s just not that hard. Follow those steps if you have lots of time and are a control freak.

Bring a tray of these retro hors d’oervres to the next party and make Brini proud!

Deviled Eggs
adapted from Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book
serves 12

6 hard-cooked eggs
¼ cup mayonnaise
1 teaspoon prepared mustard
1 teaspoon vinegar
paprika or parsley sprigs (optional)

• Halve hard-cooked eggs lengthwise and remove yolks.
• Place yolks in a bowl; mash with a fork.
• Add mayonnaise, mustard, and vinegar to yolks; mix well. If desired, season with salt and pepper.
• Stuff egg-white halves with yolk mixture.
• If desired, garnish with paprika or parsley.

Deviled Eggs sans Mayo
serves 12

12 hard-cooked eggs
1/2 cup olive oil
1/8 cup vinegar
1 Tablespoon lemon juice
paprika
salt and pepper

• Halve hard-cooked eggs lengthwise and remove yolks.
• Place yolks in a bowl; mash with a fork.
  
• In a cup to the side mix olive oil, vinegar, and lemon juice.
  
• By tablespoons full, add the liquid mixture to egg yokes and mix. If you do it by tablespoons full you can control the consistency of the yokes. You may use just a little less, or add a little more. Add salt and pepper.
  
• Stuff egg-white halves with yolk mixture and garnish with paprika.

Mayonnaise Monkey

Yes, I'm a mayonnaise monkey. Of course, not just any mayonnaise will do. Kraft and Hellman's taste like plastic sugar. The only great tasting mayonnaise out there in the grocery store is Duke's Mayonnaise.

I grew up eating Duke's, and, perhaps, that's why I like it. I remember seeing on some food show that there is no one mayonnaise that the masses prefer over the others in a blind taste test. People almost always choose the mayonnaise that they grew up eating. So, if you grew up eating Kraft, you probably think that mayonnaise is supposed to be sweet. I'm sorry for that mis-information.

Duke's was created in Greenville, SC (my home state) in the early 1900's, and is widely available in groceries in the Southeast. What makes it taste so good is that it is made with natural ingredients, just like if you were making your own mayonnaise from scratch. You should try this sometime. Homemade mayonnaise is rich and very satisfying. The Original Duke's Mayonnaise doesn't contain any sugar, so right there you have a completely different mayonnaise from the other national brands - great for diabetics, too. The reduced fat and light varieties do contain sugar, but it is a very small amount comparatively.

What to do if you're not in the Southeast? I've had friends bring me jars of the stuff as they pass through the area, and I have brought jars back on planes after visiting home. This Christmas holiday I had the full luggage and person search which revealed my many bottles of smuggled mayonnaise and wine used to terrorize Delaware and Pennsylvania. Needless to say, I got funny looks.

You don't need to plan your next vacation down South to smuggle your weapons of mass destruction. You can order the stuff from their website, or - yippee! - I have located jars of the Original Duke's Mayonnaise at Super G grocery store on 202 in Concordville, DE. Look around your area, there might be some lurking on a shelf.

My mayonnaise secret - I actually like that cold, generic macaroni salad you find at every salad bar across the country. Yes, I do know that it comes out of huge tubs, is horrendously fattening, and is not considered a fine food. I always take a little and act like I'm trying it for the first time - you know, just to see what it tastes like. I'm so ashamed.