h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Dear Tumbleweed ,
Your receipe is exactly right. The only comment I would make is that if you are going to make it in the food processor it is advisable to use two WHOLE EGGS ( i.e. yolks and whites) plus one extra yolk. This is because the yolks are so small that it is very difficult to get them to emulsify with the oil. Also. The oil must be added in a fairly rapid stream when making it in the food processor. It comes up beautifully, if slightly whiter than a plain egg and oil one. Also I do not like to use olive oil when making it in a food processos as the taste of olive is too strong.I generally use sunflower seed oil instead.
However, for the old fashioned egg and oil mahonnaise (Beautiful name - thank you for the source of it) I always sit down with a towel on my lap, a bowel firmly between my knees, a clove of garlic at the end of a fork and a small bottle of olive oil to hand. I break two eggs and place the egg yolks in the bowl. I then start stirring them with the garlicked fork(!)(Peeled clove pierced onto the end of the fork) until they are really quite runny - about two minutes. I then add the oil DROP BY DROP STIRRING ALL THE TIME IN ONE DIRECTION. It is fascinating to make - is a great conversation piece and quite DEELICIOUS. Very fattening as well. Thanks for the info about Mahon. Regards. AR1

Hmmmm... maybe you'd better write the entry - I've never even attempted to make mayonnaise myself!

Or maybe a co-writing project?

Titania (currently in disguise)

Dear Titania - You could have fooled me!!. clever girl.I certainly could not write a guide entry without help. So if you like we can do it together. There is a lovely song called Tumbleweed. Wish i could remember the words. A big AR1

I think a co-writing project would be great - but I'll be leaving for a 2-week-vacation on Thursday, so I think it'll have to wait until I'm back - say the beginning of August?

Titania

Hi dear Titania
I hope that I have not missed you. thave a great holiday wherever you are going. We'll drink a glass of to our collaborative cooking work!! a big AR1

Back from vacation, but it'll take me a couple of days to catch up with things - I'll get back to you!

Thanks dear Titania
Hope you had a great time I'LL wait to hear from you. AR1

anyone subscribed to this???

I was making mayonnaise today, and wondered if thre was already an entry. And here it is.

But I'd like to expand it a bit - there was the famous Salmonella scare which prompted no less a than Anton Mosimann to tell us how to make a passable no-egg mayo (with Quark)

I make mine with a hand blender (unless I can persuade my very own to make it by hand) with only one egg, vinegar and lemon juice, mustard and then the oil. I use a "flavoured" oil (peanut, sesame, olive, pumpkin) until it looks about right, then use corn or sunflower oil until it reaches the correct consistency.

Nice background to the mayonnaise story though. I didn't know that.

Hi Sho! (just popping in briefly during my vacation to check recent postings)

To tell the truth, I just happened to notice that there was no edited entry on mayo, but I've never actually tried to make my own...

I tried getting started, but got side-tracked (like so many times before) and then forgot all about it - if you feel up to it, I'd be happy to hand over the actual writing of the entry-to-be-edited to you - would that be OK with you? And with AR1?

Fancy doing it as a collaborative entry?

I tried AR1's PS but s/he hasn't been around at all this year. Anyway, I'm about to go on my jollies, so how about getting together in September to discuss?

and in the meantime I can talk to my about technical mayo making stuff.

Collaborative sounds good - let me know when you'll be back!

Oh, and AR1 is still around, but with a different user number: U516677

I'll let her know we're discussing this...

Dear Titania,

Good to hear from you again.

Please do go ahead with the receipe that I gave. I am very busy at the moment attempting to register for a postgraduate diploma in CBT Therapy. As I am very old, it is going to take me all my steength to keep up with the course - providing that I get in.

Good luck to SHO as well.

Sincerely,

Also Ran1

OK you folks, I am literally just about to go on my jollies, however, when I get back we can get cracking.

AR1 - good luck with the postgrad stuff!!

see you later!

Thank you so much. I shall need it

Quite honestly I have never worried about salmonella - I suppose I should have, but to the best of my knowledge I have been eating this type of mayonnaise for nearly 77 years and |I do not think I have it!!.

AR1

The bump was intended for Sho - I think she might be back by now - but you're welcome to it, AR1!

Salmonella - I was quite surprised the first time I read a recipe where it said not to forget washing the eggs - and your hands...



Surprise, because in Sweden, salmonella isn't accepted among egg-laying hens.

sorry, been largely absent. I'd be up for collaborative, how does that work (I'm still not sure and I'm doing another one, sort of, when I have a minute)

Should I write what I think is my bit and then post it here? I could do it this weekend.

Yes, please do - that might be the easiest way...

I thought I'd add a link to an UnderGuide entry - but it needs to be put up off h2g2. Unfortunately edited entries are only allowed to contain links to other edited entries, or to external stuff. Odd, but that's the way it it.

The article in question is this: A2043398

See header 'The mystery of mayonnaise' - quite amusing!

oh I remember reading that when I did my search for mayonnaise - as it happens I didn't get a chance to do my thing this weekend. Gimme a day or two and I'll post it in this convo for inclusion or not in the entry.

btw: just read that part to my hubs who is a and he said "pah! boiling the egg and so on takes longer than making mayonnaise"

(I have to agree - but I'll leave my reasoning for the entry)