How to Make Mayonnaise

I realize mayo isn’t the most popular condiment these days with all the calorie-counting and weight-watching going around, but the technique involved in whisking two naturally incompatible ingredients into sublime submission  is worth sharing – even it it’s just to prep you for a How to Make Hollandaise Sauce post down the road.

What is mayonnaise -the real stuff, not the heavily processed, thick, white gel of sorts we keep in our fridges? Simply put, mayo is a mix of egg yolks, a few flavoring ingredients and olive oil, whisked together until the ingredients are suspended together (think vinaigrette -http://howtoboilanegg.wordpress.com/2009/09/14/how-to-make-a-vinaigrette/).

The processed version has added preservatives and whatnot, but is much more stable than homemade. It’s not nearly as flavorful, but the additives help extend its shelf life far longer than the 5 or 6 days in the fridge homemade mayo is safe to eat.

Why make homemade? Well, like most things homemade, it tastes better. You have complete control over what ingredients are used and you can flavor it to your exact specifications. (Add a pinch of cayenne for a bit of heat, more or less lemon juice or vinegar to taste.) And you’ll look like a true rock-star-chef when you tell friends you made the mayo yourself.

If possible, let your ingredients warm to room temperature before starting. This will make it easier for them to emulsify. It’s important that you add the oil sparingly to start, literally a few drops at a time, until the mixture begins to thicken. At that point you can incorporate it more quickly, though a slow, steady stream works best. The amount of oil you use will depend on the size of your yolks and how thick you want your mayo to be. Stop when you’ve reached the consistency you like.

Next time you want to test your chops, try whisking up this recipe for Mayonnaise.

• 2 egg yolks
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon dry mustard
• 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
• Juice of 1 lemon
• Pepper to taste

Place egg yolks in medium bowl. Whisk vigorously until yolks are light and frothy. Whisk in salt, pepper and mustard. Combine the vinegar and lemon juice in a small bowl, whisking half into the yolk mixture. Gradually whisk the olive oil into the yolks, a drop at a time, until mixture starts to thicken. Add the remaining oil in a slow steady stream. Whisk in remaining vinegar-lemon juice mixture. Season to taste.  

Makes about two cups.

Trivet? Hot Plate?

Over the summer I was lucky enough to spend several days lounging around the pool with my great friend, Kathy. (I suppose if I were younger or hipper I’d refer to her as my BFF.) We were talking food (of course) and making plans for the cookbook we plan to pen together when the word trivet came up…and a debate ensued.

I had only known the word to be used to describe either a small raised stand used to rest hot dishes on to protect your table or countertop; or vegetables stacked on the bottom of a roasting pan used to perch meat or poultry on in lieu of a roasting rack. Roasting meats or poultry on a trivet of vegetables has a few added benefits. First, it allows you to roast foods well, even if you don’t have a fancy roasting pan with a rack. It also elevates the meat, allowing air to circulate more evenly. The vegetables will give your meat a bit more flavor and will help keep it moist. Plus you’ll get to eat the deliciously-flavored vegetables once you’re done.

Kathy’s family had always referred to the trivets on her mom’s counter as hot plates, which I thought were the dorm-room contraband my college roommate and I used to boil water for instant oatmeal or Top Ramen. Upon further investigation it turns out we’re both right (of course). You can continue to call you trivet a hot plate (even though it’s really NOT) in peace.

(Readers, I see the stats so I know you’re there even, though you’re a comment-shy bunch, but I beg  you to leave a comment to let me know where you stand on the trivet debate.)

Soup, Stew, Bisque, Chowder

The first soups are thought to have been fashioned by primitive man (or woman) dropping hot rocks into liquids to heat them. The liquids warmed by those hot rocks have evolved into the soups, stews, bisques and chowders we enjoy today. What makes a soup a soup or a chowder a chowder? What’s the difference?

In honor of National Soup Month, here’s the skinny on all things soup!

There are two types of soup – clear soups and thick soups. Clear soups are usually used as a base for other soups. (Chicken broth or stock is used as a base for chicken noodle soup.) Cream soups and purées are considered thick soups. Cream soups are made by simmering a main ingredient, puréeing it and then finishing it with milk or cream. Cream soups are often thickened by adding potatoes, which are simmered and puréed along with the main ingredient.

For purées, vegetables are cooked in stock or broth, then puréed and served. Purées rely on the consistency of the main ingredient for thickness. They’re also typically not strained before serving.

Stews, bisques and chowders are generally classified as soups, but they don’t fit neatly into the two soup categories because they’re combinations of both. Stews usually consist of meat and vegetables simmered over a long period of time, making them perfect for cheaper, tougher cuts of meat. (The longer cooking time produces meat that is juice and tender.) Stews are thickened with flour, which is used to either lightly coat the pieces of meat before they’re browned, or with a roux, equal parts butter and flour. Stews get their flavor from the liquids they’re cooked in (think beef burgundy) and when finished, there’s usually less liquid than in a soup and larger pieces of meat and vegetables.

Bisques are typically shellfish cooked in a flavored liquid then puréed. Bisques are known for their thick, creamy texture and rich flavor.

Chowders are also characterized by a thick consistency with the addition of chunky seafood, potatoes or other vegetables.

How to Have a Wonderful Holiday

Holiday How To — Day 24 — Each day leading up to Christmas I’ll post a bit of holiday know-how that will help make your season a little easier.

My last post is the simplest, but most important. As you rush about buying gifts, cooking, baking and merriment-making, remember to take a breather and enjoy the simple pleasures of the season – family, friends and, of course, great food.  

Have a wonderful holiday season. See you next year!

How to Make a Great Cookie for Santa

Holiday How To — Day 23 — Each day leading up to Christmas I’ll post a bit of holiday know-how that will help make your season a little easier.

Molasses. Spice. White chocolate. A delicious trifecta that combine to create a cookie that’ll make Santa’s mouth water. Slightly crisp on the outside with a soft, chewy center, more than a hint of spice and a finishing drizzle of melted white chocolate (the real stuff, not the bagged white morsels), these are not to be confused with a traditional molasses cookie.

Be sure to make some for Santa and yourself!

Molasses Spice Cookies

• 2 cups flour
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 2 teaspoons baking soda
• ½ teaspoon clove
• ½ teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon ginger
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• ¾ cup butter, softened
• 1 cup sugar
• ¼ cup molasses
• 1 egg
• 2 tablespoons sugar, for rolling
• 4 ounces white chocolate, melted for drizzling

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Combine flour, salt, baking soda and spices in a medium bowl.

In a large bowl, beat butter and sugar until fluffy. Add molasses and the egg and mix until well incorporated. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the molasses mixture and mix until well incorporated and a thick dough is formed.  

Roll dough into 1½ -inch balls and roll in 2 tablespoons sugar. Place two inches apart on cookie sheets lined with parchment paper. Bake 10-12 minutes. Remove from oven and cool to room temperature. 

Once cookies are completely cooled, drizzle cookies with melted white chocolate. Let sit for 5-10 minutes until white chocolate is set.

Note: For chewier cookies, remove cookies from baking sheet as soon as they come out of the oven. You can transfer the cookies easily to a cooling rack by sliding the entire sheet of parchment lining the pan onto the rack. For crunchier cookies allow cookies to cool on baking sheets.

 Makes about 2 dozen cookies.

How to Give the Gift of Great Taste to Kids

Holiday How To — Day 22 — Each day leading up to Christmas I’ll post a bit of holiday know-how that will help make your season a little easier.

Looking for a last minute gift for the kid-cook in your life? Tiana’s Cookbook: Recipes for Kids from Disney Press will give tiny chefs a taste of New Orelans. Inspired by The Princess and the Frog movie, the book is chock full of traditional Cajun cuisine – from Tiana’s Famous Beignets to Jammin’ Jambalaya and Yumbo Gumbo. All of the recipes are written for kids to make with lots of help from an adult, the perfect activity for a long, holiday vacation. You can find Tiana’s Cookbook at http://www.amazon.com/Princess-Frog-Tianas-Cookbook-Recipes/dp/1423125401/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1263489246&sr=8-1.

How to Make (and use) a Slurry

Holiday How To — Day 21 — Each day leading up to Christmas I’ll post a bit of holiday know-how that will help make your season a little easier.

Lumps and bumps and clumps better scurry, when I whisk them up in my slurry. Forgive me. I couldn’t resist, but knowing how to make a slurry may come in handy as you cook soups and sauces for your holiday meals.

A slurry is a mixture of a starch and a liquid stirred together until the starch dissolves. Slurries are added to sauces, soups, stews or any cooking liquid that you want to thicken up. Starches tend to form lumps when added to liquids. So combining them with a small amount of liquid to form a thin paste makes them easier to incorporate.

Water is the most commonly used liquid, though you can certainly substitute stock or any liquid that will complement your sauce. A slurry made with flour requires a longer cooking time to activate its thickening power and allow the raw flour taste to cook out.  Cornstarch has twice the thickening power as flour and works almost immediately after heating.

Once your slurry is added to your food, you’ll need to heat your sauce or soup up in order to release your slurry’s thickening power. As soon as it’s reached the consistency you’re looking for, remove it from the heat. Overcooking your slurry can cause your sauce to lose its thickness and thin out.

If you make your slurry ahead of time, be sure to give it a whisk or stir before adding it to your food. If left unattended the starch will settle in lumps at the bottom of your bowl.

How to Cook with a Water Bath

Holiday How To — Day 20 — Each day leading up to Christmas I’ll post a bit of holiday know-how that will help make your season a little easier.

Creamy cheesecakes. Silky crème caramel. Crème brulée that melts in your mouth. What do they have in common? They owe their smooth textures to a water bath or bain marie.

A water bath is used to gently cook delicate foods, especially egg-based dishes, to keep them from overcooking, which is what causes cheesecakes to crack. To prepare a water bath, simply place your baking dish (or ramekins or springform pan) inside a larger dish or pan. Carefully pour warm water into the larger dish until it comes about half way up the sides of the smaller baking dish or ramekins, making sure no water splashes or spills into the smaller baking dish holding your custard or batter.

I find it easier to place the pans on the oven rack before filling them with water. This way, you don’t have to try carrying a pan full of batter in a pan half-full of water to the oven without spilling.

This slow, gentle cooking helps food cook evenly and is what gives dishes their creamy texture. It’s important to remove your baked goods from the water bath as soon as they’re done. Extra time in the water can also lead to overcooking.

In restaurants, water baths are often used to keep food or sauces warm without overcooking them.

How to Choose Between Wax Paper & Parchment Paper

Holiday How To — Day 19 — Each day leading up to Christmas I’ll post a bit of holiday know-how that will help make your season a little easier.

I’m not sure I knew what parchment paper was before I went to culinary school. (I’m excluding my middle school history projects that involved soaking paper in watered down coffee to mimic the stuff our nation’s forefathers wrote on.) And even if I had seen it listed as ‘special equipment’ for a recipe in Martha Stewart Living, I’m certain I had no idea how parchment differed from wax paper. In an effort to save you thousands of dollars in culinary school tuition, here are a few of the differences between parchment and wax paper.

Wax paper, as its name implies, is coated with a super thin layer of food grade wax. (Food grade means it’s been declared safe for use on food.) The wax helps prevent sticky items from sticking (think taffy or caramels). You can use wax paper to line pans, so long as the paper is covered COMPLETELY by the food. If left exposed, the wax will melt and the paper will smoke and burn. So it’s fine to use for lining cake pans, where the batter will cover it, but not so much for your cookie sheets where the spaces between the cookies will still be exposed.

Parchment paper is like wax paper on steroids. Its thin silicone coating makes it impervious to both water and grease. It’s nonstick, which makes it perfect for lining pans and cookie sheets. It costs more than wax paper, but is much more versatile. It can withstand higher cooking temperatures and you can use it to cook foods en papillote (fancy French term for cooking food in paper), but that’s another post for another day.

How to Make a Perfect Cold Winter’s Night Meal

Holiday How To — Day 18 — Each day leading up to Christmas I’ll post a bit of holiday know-how that will help make your season a little easier.

We have a few more days before winter technically begins, but when the weather outside is frightful nothing is more comforting than a piping hot bowl of chili. In this recipe, Chicken and Apple Sausage stands in for traditional ground meat. A quick sauté, simmer and a finishing splash of lime juice and you can have a bowl full of chili ready in no time.

Chicken & Apple Sausage Chili

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium onion, chopped

1 medium red bell pepper, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

12 oz Aidell’s Chicken & Apple Sausage, cut in half lengthwise then sliced ¼-inch thick

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

1 15-oz can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup chicken stock

1 cup apple juice

1 tablespoon lime juice

1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped

Heat oil in a medium saucepot over medium high heat. Add onion, red bell pepper and garlic, stirring occasionally. Sprinkle with a big pinch of salt and cook until vegetables are soft, 3-5 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add sausage and cook until warm, about a minute. Stir in tomatoes, beans, chicken stock and apple juice. Bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium and simmer for 5-10 minutes.

Stir in lime juice and cilantro. Season to taste and serve.

Optional Garnish: Sour cream & diced avocado.

Makes about 10 cups.