Wednesday, December 17, 2008

The countdown continues

It's December 17, one week before Christmas Eve. I have to cook two more dinners for the finals-frenzied sorority girls, then take leftover perishibles to Second Helpings. I'll join in some holiday gatherings over the weekend. Then my brother and his girlfriend will arrive on Monday.

I checked out my fridge, to see what I could offer to mainstream gluten-eaters. Eeeek! I was seriously short on condiments! I'm afraid my brother might have a panic attack if he opened my refrigerator to find no ketchup, mayonnaise or barbecue sauce. I've only enjoyed ketchup a few times in the last year. I made two batches (about 3/4 cup each) from my garden tomatoes. Turns out my gluten free diet doesn't require much ketchup. But I think every refrigerator should contain a bottle. It's a food comfort issue.

Early on, I tried every organic and health food store ketchup I could find. No luck. Reactions to all. I hadn't found a canned tomato sauce that worked for me, so I decided it was time for more research. I found some Muir Glen organic tomato paste and crushed tomatoes, with only one ingredient - tomatoes. No reaction, yay! So I cooked up a batch of ketchup, then turned half of it into barbecue sauce.

On to the luxuriuos creaminess of mayo! I've tried making it by hand whisking. That worked, but took a long time. I tried using my stick blender. Didn't work out for me. And it's tough to whip one egg yolk in the KitchenAid mixer. Hmmm. Okay, how about two egg yolks? How about if I unscrew the mixing bowl and hold it just a little higher so the whip can reach the yolks? Score! Double batch!


Kay's Mayonnaise
(Makes a little over 2 C)

2 egg yolks
4 1/2 t cider vinegar
1 t salt
1 t sugar
1 t fresh lime juice
2 C canola oil

Whisk the egg yolks in the stand mixer using the whisk attachment. Hold the bowl just high enough for the whisk to do its job. It's tricky!

Combine vinegar, water, salt, sugar and lemon juice in a cup or bowl. Stir until the salt and sugar are dissolved.

Add half of this to the egg yolk and whisk a few seconds until incorporated.

Measure the canola oil into a measuring cup with a spout. Pour a couple of drops of oil into the egg mixture. Then pour a couple more drops. Screw the mixing bowl back onto its stand and run the whisk at med-high speed. Then pour the first cup of oil in a very thin, slow stream down the side of the bowl.


When the mayonnaise is very thick, add the rest of the vinegar mixture. Whisk some more.

Add the remaining oil in a slow steady stream while the whisk is running.

Voila! Sandwich and potato salad heaven!

I added a little (maybe 1/2 t) dry mustard to 1/4 c mayonnaise to make a tangy spread for ham sandwiches. It needs to sit in the fridge for a few days to mellow before using. I might spice it up a bit by adding a dab of the vinegar from my jar of horseradish.

After a trip to Trader Joe's to stock up on chemical-free bacon, I'll be ready for company! I really envy those of you who can just go to the store and buy a jar of whatever condiment you need!


And just for fun, here's a photo of my Delta Delta Delta alumnae group. I'm in my pink Christmas tree sweater. We had our Christmas brunch and auction last Saturday. We had fun and raised some money for local collegiate chapters. Irma's famous rum cakes brought a pretty penny! Several members were sidelined with the flu. Hope you're feeling better, girls!

4 comments:

H.Peter said...

And here I thought I am the only one left who still makes mayo at home.
I am impressed Kay.

Nothing better than home made Mayo. Makes for such a great base to create all sorts of things. Tartare Sauce, Aioli, or add some Wasabi to give it a nice twang....

Tell me, what did your friends say when they tasted the Mayo?

Gluten free Kay said...

Good for you, H. Peter! Have you tried my bizarre stand mixer method? It's a time saver!

No one has tasted my mayo yet. But my brother is bringing some halibut from his freezer that he caught on a fishing trip in Alaska. So I know there will be some tartar sauce in our holiday meals. I'll use my homegrown red onions (still have a few left) and homemade sweet pickles. The sweet pickles were the biggest challenge of those ingredients.

Shirley said...

I've been really wanting to make my own mayo, Kay, because all the mayos I know that are GF contain soy. I don't do well with soy.

Everyone I know raves over the Muir Glen products. I haven't tried any myself yet. Still working on a stockpile of other brands in the pantry.

Your brother and his girlfriend are lucky to have all your homemade condiments!

Enjoyed the photo, too. LOL on the rum cakes ... people can't resist those, can they?

Anonymous said...

My daughter is a delta, delta, delta girl. I have never made my own mayo, but have always wanted to. Thanks! I'm going to lift your recipe and give it a try.
Melissa