Homemade Mayonnaise- the best thing since sliced bread

I’d never even thought about making mayonnaise, it was intimidating just thinking about the process. Raw eggs? Whisking oil in a cold bowl with raw eggs until my hands fell off? Emulsification? No thank you.

Because I didn’t grow up with a jar of the white, processed stuff in my parents’ house, it wasn't essential for my own home. Growing up, every once in a while we used packets to slather it on a sandwich here and there but that was when we were feeling devilish. Potato salad laden with mayonnaise- what do you mean? Better yet, the husband doesn’t like it, at all. I can assure you, you won’t ever find him in a corner of our kitchen in the middle of the night with a jar of mayonnaise, licking his spoon.

Just knowing that it’ll sit in the fridge door for months, maybe even years before I throw the jar away makes me cringe. Even our brown bag sandwiches are made with yellow or spicy mustard, sometimes even cilantro chutney (that he loves) with a smoked turkey but definitely no mayo. So you get it, no mayo for us.

But the other day I was wondering what to do with farm fresh eggs (besides make breakfast), bleu cheese, bacon and iceberg lettuce. And in a fleeting second, I thought homemade mayonnaise, iceberg salad with bleu cheese dressing and chicken salad! And that began my pursuit to make the best homemade mayonnaise. After some research, I created my own recipe.

Homemade Mayonnaise

Juice from a whole lemon
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground black pepper
2 large eggs, or 3 medium (farm fresh are the best for this)
1 1/2 cups vegetable oil

In a food processor or blender, combine everything except for the oil. Blend until everything is combined. Then with the motor running, slowly stream in oil. This is an important step to watch closely. I learned in culinary school if the oil is added too quickly the emulsification breaks and the mayonnaise never forms into its creamy texture. The slow streaming method prevents separation of oil from acid, lemon juice. If desired, add few drops of oil at a time while the food processor is on.

Halfway into adding my oil the mixture looked like it was falling apart with acid and the oils separating. And I thought what’s the worst that could happen? A complete disaster. If so, that would be my short lived attempt at homemade mayonnaise. Thankfully I kept the motor running and continued to add oil and eventually it all came together. On the other hand, if after adding 1 cup of oil the mayonnaise has reached its creamy and smooth consistency, don’t add anymore oil.

What is Emulsification? To make into or form an emulsion. Emulsion- 1. Physical Chemistry. any colloidal suspension of a liquid in another liquid. Says dictionary.com. I define it as mixing or combining two unmixable liquids to form one. Vinaigrette is a prime example of emulsion.

I’ve made hollandaise and mayonnaise in culinary class with a cold bowl and a whisk but after making it in my food processor with success I am never making it by hand, only to watch my hands fall off.

That same night, I made bleu cheese dressing for the iceberg salad I was craving. In the last few weeks my body’s requested more salads than I’ve ever eaten in my entire life.

Bleu Cheese Dressing

1/2 cup well-shaken buttermilk
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1 small garlic clove, minced
Pinch of salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/2 cup bleu cheese, use the good kind from the specialty cheese section

In a food processor, blend everything together, except the bleu cheese, until it’s smooth. Add blue cheese and pulse until cheese is incorporated but dressing is still slightly chunky.

After making the dressing, chop bacon in small dice. In a small pan (non stick is good for easy clean up) on medium heat, add bacon and brown for 3- 4 minutes. Remove bacon from the pan with a slotted spoon and set aside. Cut the iceberg lettuce in wedges on a cutting board, serve on a plate, drizzle bleu cheese dressing and sprinkle bacon on top.


For our brown bag lunch I prepared a Chicken Salad sandwich with Bacon. (I had more time than I knew what to do with on this particular day.)

Chicken Salad

1 cup cooked chicken, shredded or cubed
1/4 cup cranberries, orange flavored ones are my favorite
1/4 cup walnuts, toasted and chopped
3 tablespoons of homemade mayonnaise, or more if you’re feeling devilish
Salt and freshly ground pepper

Combine all the ingredients together and let it sit for 10 minutes for the flavors to meld. Celery can be added for crunch but I am happy with the crunch of walnuts in this salad.


Chicken Salad Sandwich

1/2 cup Chicken Salad
2 slices bacon
2 slices of good wheat bread
4 large pieces of lettuce, iceberg is fine because mayo’s the star in this
Pinch of salt and freshly ground pepper

In a toaster oven or in a large pan, heat the bacon on medium high heat until it renders fat and becomes crispy. Spread mayonnaise on one side of each slice. (Bread can be toasted if serving immediately). After the bacon cools, break it in half for even coverage on the sandwich. Spread half of chicken salad evenly on both slices of bread. Next lay the halved bacon on the chicken salad, finish with lettuce. Close the sandwich and enjoy.

And the husband didn’t complain one bit of the white creamy spread on his bread or in the chicken salad. He actually raved about how good the salad tasted and the fresh taste of mayo in the sandwich. I’ve got couple tablespoons patiently waiting for the next use, but I think one of these nights when he can’t sleep he’ll go straight to the condiment drawer in the fridge with a big spoon.

So good it’s the best thing with sliced bread.

The Art of Food- at the Carnegie in Covington

When I received an invitation for The Art of Food opening night, I quickly responded with “Yes!” With questions about the event I called the husband. After a brief pause he replied “sculptures creatively made with food.” I sensed the uncertainty in his voice and an attempt to back paddle because we both knew it was a half assed answer. And instead of prying anymore for details, I said, “I’ll put it on our calendar.” I googled the event and found some information about Nick Tolbert but nothing on the art or the food.

After entering the Carnegie in Covington on Friday night, we were greeted by kind volunteers and ticketers and told to eat until our hearts content. We grabbed couple drinks and walked into the main room where food prepared by local chefs was featured. There were various restaurants and their creations; JeanRo, Nu Vo, Nicola’s, The Palace, Quarter Bistro and Lavomatic to name a few. Bigg’s, the grocery store, also had a table set up.

The food was excellent with some highlights; Nu Vo’s mini duck tacos with pickled onions and radishes, cilantro, and lime were my favorite. The husband devoured JeanRo’s crab salad with a side of avocado mouse in a flaky shell, it resembled peas in a pod. Nicola’s had a magnificent scallop with lime vinaigrette served with a Scroppino, Italian smoothie made with grapefruit and Italian vodka. Bonus! (thank you Matt for sharing the drink details with us, since the Grapefruit sorbet came from Madison’s!) Lavomatic featured crackling rabbit wrapped in pork belly, one of the two most original dishes that night. I didn’t care for it as much because it was too salty; the only other time I’ve had pork belly was at Chalk in a main dish and I really enjoyed that but I think this time it didn’t work with the already salted rabbit. Bigg’s served corn bake and chicken enchilada casserole; both were high quality in taste but presentation was lacklustered. The Palace had an ensemble at their table: Roasted beet puree, chocolate and citrus scented biscuit with dark chocolate sorbet and hazelnut anglaise, topped with hazelnut meringue and chocolate tweel. phew. Thanks to Stephanie, sales person at The Palace, that regurgitated all this back to me, slowly. The entire plate of food was remarkable in taste and textures. Beets are naturally sweet and laced with a dessert course made it a perfect combination with the chocolate. The dark chocolate sorbet was heavenly, of course. Even with all this delectable food in the main room I think the waffles from the Taste of Belgian won everyone’s hearts. There were long lines for the fresh and warm waffles. The husband had not ever tried the waffle guy’s waffles and he was impressed; and that says a lot. There were two collages in the main room, one made only of cheerios, yes cheerios the cereal.

The 2nd floor housed exhibitions and foods in multiple rooms. One room had pottery and clay work created by local artists and foods from two local restaurants and I can’t remember the names. The food was alligator with a green salad, the other original creation of the night and Prosciutto or Serrano Ham bruschetta with apple sauce. I tried the alligator and didn’t care for it. It was cold and I now know I prefer my alligator warm or hot off the stove. Another room had blown glass art pieces; one of our favorite rooms. Another had framed pictures and interviews of the chefs involved in the event. And the last room had coffee from the Bean Haus and a chocolate fountain with fruits and vegetables. Artistically, it had pictures, facts and benefits of fresh fruits and vegetables and displayed them in their true form.

One of the first people I recognized that night was Marilyn Harris. She is a radio talk show host for “Cooking with Marilynn” which airs on Saturdays on WKRC. Not only that, she also moonlights for cooking class gigs at Cooks Wares. Until my class at Cooks Wares, I did not know anything about her and after the class I was so fondly in love with her the husband bought me one of her cookbooks. She is Cincinnati’s own celebrity chef, renowned for her knowledge and experience with food. On Friday night when the Bigg’s station was busier than it had been all night, Marilyn stepped in, like a pro, and served food. As we were leaving, I stopped by the table to say hello and she recognized me from her class! Highlight #2!

Overall the exhibit was a great walk through and a wonderful learning experience in conjuction with a gastronomical treasure. The husband was hoping to find a big sculpture made out of food that we could eat from. Don’t ask; I am married to an engineer.

Cincinnati Pizza Quest- Adriatico’s

Cincinnati Pizza Quest goes to Adriatico’s. Until recently, everyone I’ve met that has lived in Clifton briefly or for many years raved about Adriatico’s. And after starting our pizza quest project, Pomodori’s has also gained momentum with many votes, especially because of their brick oven pizza. But that’s for another month…

The husband lived in Clifton for graduate school and spoke highly of their pizza. Unfortunately it was one of those places he never took me to. And both Liz of Get in mah belly and I have heard others praise their pizza as well and for that reason we decided to try Adriatico’s for February.

Liz offered to bring it over to our house, which was perfect because after 2 full days of house cleaning I wasn’t in the mood to cook; I just wanted to sit in front of the TV to watch the Oscars (how about that Slumdog Millionaire?), eat pizza and drink the husband’s home brew. For toppings and crusts, I requested pepperoni with thick crust while Liz got cheese on thin crust.
When we delved in, a good 45 minutes after it came out of the oven, I felt let down. After all the rage, I expected a little more from their pizza than what we got. The sauce was the clear winner this round. It was tasty and rounded out the tomatoe-y flavor perfectly. I could taste the cooked garlic and herbs in the sauce. The crust was a 3. It was flavorful but unfortunately the thick crust was just that, thick pieces of dough with sauce and toppings. The cheese definitely lost points, I gave it a 3. It had toughened in transport from the restaurant to our house and was a layer of hard cheese rather than complementing the dough and the sauce. Adriticao’s is a carry out pizza joint with couple tables, according to Liz, so it’s expected that the pie would travel some distance to reach its destination. Keeping that in mind, I was disappointed in the hardened layer of cheese. However, the cheese redeemed itself a little in the flavor. Like everything else the pepperoni was average, 3.5; it was spicy like it should be on a pizza and not greasy. It was fine but not outstanding.

During the ordering process, the husband was adamant on getting the bearcat pizza. I am not sure of the toppings or the type of crust, but I do know that it’s an extra large that can serve a crowd. Obviously, we didn’t get an extra large pizza with a variety of toppings for three people.
Adriatico’s gets 3 slices for their attempt to serve decent pizza. After hearing so much about it and trying it for myself, it’s evident that they cater mostly to college students (due to its proximity to UC) that are indifferent to pizza. Knowing that, I’ve decided to give them another chance only if we are in the area or if someone wants to try the Bearcat pizza with me.

And now I also understand why the husband didn’t take me there all these years; he didn’t want me to be disappointed with a so-so pizza that everyone else raves about. Or let's hope that's the case.

Liz visiting the next morning to pick up her forgotten camera for the JeanRo nose to tail dinner. Hope you enjoyed the dinner Liz. wait.... nevermind

For cooking club we went to Spain

not really but it almost felt like it with our spread of the Spanish food. Our club has been cooking together, monthly, for 3.5 years and although there are many cuisines we haven’t tried, there are some that are highly favored and repeated. Spanish is one of them. In the first few months after the birth of the club, I hosted a Tapas night and everyone brought all sorts of little bites. Some of the things we gorged that night were cheeses (Manchego, Idiazabal, Mahon), tortilla de patatas, coffee flan and sangria.

This month someone else hosted and picked Spanish cuisine as the theme (they are going to Spain in couple months, lucky them!)

The Spread (olives on the bottom left corner, aioli in the middle, turkey and mushroom croquetas on the bottom right and croquetas with piquillos on top right corner, Spanish style crostini with Fig preserves and Manchego cheese in the middle, Spanish beer, Romesco sauce (next to the beer))

a closer look at the Spanish style crostini with Fig preserves and Manchego cheese, made by MD

Crostini with mushrooms and serrano ham, meat filled croquettas and romesco sauce all made by EB

Olives on the ends from Jungle Jim's and Seasoned Marcona Almonds by MD

After researching and browsing the internets, I finalized my menu: Gambas al ajillo (garlic shrimp), Pollo en Pepitoria (chicken with egg yolk and nut sauce; I don’t know the precise translation of Pepitoria but from creating the dish I am translating it as egg yolk and nut sauce), Espinacas con Garbanzos (spinach with garbanzos, or chickpeas), and a classic Sangria.

Those that know Spanish food know that Gambas al Ajillo is a feature dish that’s offered in many coastal cities of Spain. I made this the first time for cooking club and I made it again. The key to a successful dish is the garlic and flavorful Spanish olive oil.

Gambas al Ajillo

50- 60 medium shrimp, peeled and deveined
6 garlic cloves, minced
1/4- 1/2 cup Spanish olive oil
1 teaspoon Spanish Paprika
Salt
3 dried red chilies, broken in half
Freshly squeezed Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Parsley, chopped

Marinate 50- 60 medium shrimp with garlic, olive oil, paprika, salt, and dried red chilies. On a grill pan or non stick pan, heat some of the olive oil from the shrimp on medium heat. Cook as many shrimps (with garlic and seasonings) as the pan can fit in one layer. Before serving, drizzle with chopped parsley. Serve hot with cooked garlic, olive oil and red chilies. (red chilies are for garnish, do not attempt to eat them). Serve with a soft bread to mop up the extra olive oil and garlic.

This was a good shrimp dish but not the best. I preferred the taste from the first time over this one because of salt and paprika. The flavors of garlic and Spanish olive oil were well rounded and made this dish; but unfortunately I oversalted the shrimp. It didn’t taste salty but the salt definitely stood out as did the paprika. When I made this the first time 3 years ago, I didn’t add paprika and I now know to skip paprika altogether in Gambas al Ajillo.


Pollo en Papitoria (adapted from a few recipes)

1/2 cup Spanish olive oil
1/2 cup all purpose flour, seasoned with salt and black pepper
3 chicken thighs, bone in and skin on
4 split chicken breasts, bone in and skin on
2 slices bacon, cubed (Spanish Serrano ham is preferred but I didn’t find it in the local shops)
2 medium or 1 large onion, chopped
4 garlic cloves
3 bay leaves
2 cups Spanish Sherry, I used Amontillado
4 cups chicken stock, homemade preferred
Pinch of saffron threads
Pinch of nutmeg, freshly grated
Salt and Freshly ground black pepper

Sauce
4 ounce Almonds, blanched
3 cage free eggs, boiled (yolks separated from whites)
Pinch of salt
2- 5 tablespoons of water

Dredge both sides of the chicken in seasoned flour and shake off the excess. Heat a 7 quart Dutch oven (d-o) on medium high heat. When the d-o is hot add the olive oil. Add the chicken to the hot oiled d-o; it should sizzle when it first touches the d-o. Brown and cook for 4-6 minutes per side. Once it’s placed do not try to move it, when it’s ready to turn it’ll come off easily. After it’s browned on both sides, remove the chicken. Repeat the process if all of the chicken doesn’t fit in one layer. There will be browned/burned pieces of skin and/or meat in the d-o, that’s good stuff do not wash the d-o.

Add cubed bacon and brown for 1 minute, then add onions, garlic and bay leaves. Cook the mixture until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the sherry and scrape the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon; be sure to get all the browned bits. When the alcohol has evaporated, after about 3 minutes, add chicken stock, pinch of saffron, freshly grated nutmeg, salt and pepper and bring the mixture to a rolling bubble on high heat. Then stir in the chicken pieces and all its juices. When the liquid bubbles, turn heat down to low, cover and cook for 40 minutes.

Meanwhile, blend blanched almonds, egg yolks, salt and water together. Once blended, it should be a wet sand consistency. After cooking the chicken for 30 minutes, add the sauce to the chicken and cook on low for 20 minutes more, uncovered.

The meat and skin will fall off the bones. For presentation, remove the bay leaves and serve the white and dark meat with sauce. You can leave the skin and bones in the pot for the flavor. (I am usually the one that gnaws on the bones for the meat in the comforts of my own home when no one’s watching).

I was skeptical about the egg yolk and almond sauce but ultimately it turned out to perfection. The chicken was moist from stewing in the liquids for 60+ minutes and flavorful while the sauce was creamy and rich. It was a hit with everyone; I would make it again any day.

Espinacas con Garbanzos(adapted from here, here and there)

1/4 cup Spanish olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 cups dried chickpeas (soaked overnight and slow-or-pressure cooked)
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of saffron
1/2 can of tomatoes, stewed or diced
3 cups vegetable stock or water
2 cups fresh spinach, washed and drained
Pinch of nutmeg
Juice of half of lemon
Salt and Pepper

In a large saucepot on medium heat, add olive oil, onions and garlic. Cook until the onions are translucent, about 5 minutes. Stir in the cooked chickpeas and cook for 6 minutes. Add ground cumin, salt, black pepper and saffron. After few minutes, stir in the tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes. Add stock or water, turn the heat up to high and bring to a bubble. When boiling, lower the heat and cook for 20 minutes or until most of the liquid has evaporated. Add spinach, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Cook for 5- 8 minutes, until the spinach has wilted. In the last couple minutes of the cooking, add lemon juice. Serve hot or warm.

With all its bold flavors from the cumin and saffron this was good. However I was disappointed in the beans. Actually I need to complain to the Indian grocer where I get my dried chickpeas. After soaking the little suckers overnight, cooking them in the crockpot for 5 hours and on the stove with onions, garlic and other seasonings for 2.5, they were still a little underdone. Hopefully with better luck on the beans, this will be just as good if not better next time. Overall it’s a great dish for entertaining guests or a quick weeknight meal (with precooked or canned beans).

Note: When using dried chickpeas (or any beans), do not add salt or acid until the beans are completed cooked. I don’t know the truth behind this but I’ve read that salt and acid keep the beans from cooking thoroughly.

And finally the best part, the alcohol, Sangria. I used this with one change, instead of peaches I used nectarines.

With a homemade flan or a quick dessert, this is a perfect meal for entertaining close friends and family. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from all the Spanish cooking and eating it’s that they really treasure their relationships and time with each other. Try some of these recipes or any Spanish dishes, invite some friends and drink sangria. And on that note, I’ll stop writing sappy stuff so I don’t get booed off the blogosphere.

the search for Best Pizza in Cincinnati continues....

This is a first for this blog, we have a guest blogger; please welcome Avani of Cincinnati Imports who shares her opinion of the best pizza in town.

BEST PIZZA IN TOWN: The home of Liberal Foodie and her Husband

So when I heard that Liberal Foodie and Get in Mah Belly were going to be evaluating the local pizza joints of Cincinnati, my first reaction was: “Good luck and Godspeed.” I have had pizzas from several establishments in the area and overall I have found no places that I crave pizza from, with the exception of Deweys. Now mind you, Deweys is recommended for those of you who enjoy gourmet pizzas with toppings that you don’t find at most hole-in-the-wall, speed-dial pizza places. But I am not here to review Deweys, I am sure Liberal Foodie and Get in Mah Belly will do that soon enough (I hope). I am here to review the best homemade pizza I have had in years, which occurred this past weekend at the home of Liberal Foodie and her Husband. I will attempt to use the rating scales that were used in their prior review for consistency.

Where to start….well, I think it has to be the crust. Oh, the delicious and crispy crust provided via raw dough from my favorite grocery store, Trader Joe’s. It was a garlic and herb dough that needed to be rolled out or as Liberal Foodie’s husband did, pressed out by hand. This resulted in a weird pizza shape, one that was somewhat rectangular and oblong and diamond – I can’t really describe it and unfortunately, we ate the pizza so fast, there are no pictures, but I digress. The dough instructions stated that we needed to let the dough sit for 20 minutes, which was also recommended by the check-out girl at Trader Joe’s. Well, as a result of drinking too many mimosas that morning and afternoon, we let the dough sit for probably 1 hour. After pressing it out, we placed it in the oven for 6-8 minutes (a necessary step for the penultimate crispy crust we experienced). CRUST RATING: 5.

Then we topped it with Liberal Foodie’s homemade pizza sauce. Like her, I am not a big fan of sweet sauces but this sauce was not sweet at all. It was light and tasted of fresh tomatoes and herbs. I am not sure what she put in the sauce to be honest (hopefully she will blog about that recipe soon), but the sauce was divine and I am sure had a bit of crack in it (SAUCE RATING: 4.5 out of 5). One of the guests at the house was a vegetarian so we decided to do a Veggie Supreme pizza. After spreading the sauce on the pizza, we added toppings, which included Trader Joe’s mozzarella cheese, fresh onions, bell peppers, and mushrooms. I have to say, this pizza could not have turned out more perfect. The cheese was perfectly melted, the kind that is somewhat stringy when you cut it and melts in your mouth upon first bite (CHEESE RATING: 4.5 out of 5). The toppings had cooked perfectly too with the vegetables being crisp-tender (TOPPING RATING: 4 out of 5 but only because I like fancy and/or meat toppings typically).

Trust me when I tell you that this was one of the best pizzas I have had in Cincinnati. Now all we have to do is convince Liberal Foodie and her husband to open up a real pizza-joint in this city.