Salad: special mayo for potato salad

Subject: special mayo for potato salad
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: aem (aem_again at yahoo.com)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 12:43:21 -0700
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I'm going to make potato salad this weekend for the first time in years. I'll use red potatoes, toss them in a bit of cider vinegar, then add other standard ingredients and mayo. I plan to use the wand blender to make some special mayo for this, so here's the question. Since I can easily flavor the mayo with any citrus or vinegar and any herbs, which should I use? I don't want to replicate the Miracle Whip some people swear by, but I want something more than plain mayo.
Ideas?? -aem
From: hahabogus (invalid at null.null)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:45:57 GMT
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aem wrote:
> Since I can easily flavor the mayo with any citrus or vinegar and any
> herbs, which should I use? I don't want to replicate the Miracle Whip
> some people swear by, but I want something more than plain mayo.
> Ideas??

slightly curried
From: JoeSpareBedroom (dishborealis at yahoo.com)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 19:47:58 GMT
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aem wrote:
> Since I can easily flavor the mayo with any citrus or vinegar and any
> herbs, which should I use? I don't want to replicate the Miracle Whip
> some people swear by, but I want something more than plain mayo.
> Ideas??

A little mustard, like dijon or Gulden's. Even mustard powder would probably work, although I find it less predictable so I don't bother with it much for this type of thing.
From: Bobo Bonobo® (CLASSACT at BRICK.NET)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:01:33 -0700
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aem wrote:
> Since I can easily flavor the mayo with any citrus or vinegar and any
> herbs, which should I use? I don't want to replicate the Miracle Whip
> some people swear by, but I want something more than plain mayo.
> Ideas??

What mayo recipe are you starting with?
From: aem (aem_again at yahoo.com)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:10:21 -0700
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Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
> What mayo recipe are you starting with?

My usual is:

1 egg
1/4 tsp mustard powder
1 or 2 tablespoons lime juice
1/4 tsp salt
1 cup of safflower oil
From: Abe (noone at nowhere.com)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:15:53 -0700
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aem wrote:
>My usual is:
>
> 1 egg
> 1/4 tsp mustard powder
> 1 or 2 tablespoons lime juice
> 1/4 tsp salt
> 1 cup of safflower oil

You could start by using 2 yolks instead of 1 whole egg.
From: aem (aem_again at yahoo.com)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:52:21 -0700
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Abe wrote:
> You could start by using 2 yolks instead of 1 whole egg.

One of the neat things about using the wand blender is that the whole egg emulsifies everything just fine. -aem
From: Bobo Bonobo® (CLASSACT at BRICK.NET)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 14:12:02 -0700
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aem wrote:
> One of the neat things about using the wand blender is that the whole
> egg emulsifies everything just fine.

That may be, but egg whites don't belong in mayo, just like anchovies don't belong on Danish pastries.
From: Michael Kuettner (miksbg at eunet.at)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 00:28:10 +0200
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Bobo Bonobo® schrieb
> That may be, but egg whites don't belong in mayo, just like anchovies
> don't belong on Danish pastries.

That's not true.
Both varieties of mayo have their uses.
I prefer whole eggs for garlic mayo, while curry mayo should be prepared without the whites.
Whole egg mayo is exclusively used in Greek cuisine, AFAIK.

But the gustibus non est disputandum.
From: Sqwertz (swertz at cluemail.compost)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 03:08:36 -0500
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Bobo Bonobo® wrote:
> That may be, but egg whites don't belong in mayo...

You better tell that to Hellmann's and Kraft because they all use whole eggs in their mayo.

Do you know what you're talking about, or do you just use any 'ol occasion to be stuck up?
From: Wayne Boatwright (wayneboatwright_ at _gmail.com)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 14:29:28 GMT
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Oh pshaw, Sqwertz meant to say...
> You better tell that to Hellmann's and Kraft because they all use
> whole eggs in their mayo.

That may be, but I always make mayo with the yolks only. Have followed the same basic recipe for nearly 40 years.
From: Bobo Bonobo® (CLASSACT at BRICK.NET)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 08:10:25 -0700
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Sqwertz wrote:
> You better tell that to Hellmann's and Kraft because they all use
> whole eggs in their mayo.
>
> Do you know what you're talking about, or do you just use any 'ol
> occasion to be stuck up?

Hellman's and Kraft are crappy jarred things, and what contain is irrelevant.

If I just wanted to be stuck up, I'd point out that "'ol" has the apostrophe on the wrong side. I could also ask, "Do you put egg whites in *your* mayonnaise?"
From: sf
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 11:05:46 -0700
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Sqwertz wrote:
>You better tell that to Hellmann's and Kraft because they all use
>whole eggs in their mayo.
>
>Do you know what you're talking about, or do you just use any 'ol
>occasion to be stuck up?

LOL.... he really should change back to "food snob". It was an appropriate nom de plume, all things considered.
From: Bobo Bonobo® (CLASSACT at BRICK.NET)
Date: Tue, 30 Oct 2007 06:28:55 -0700
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sf wrote:
> LOL.... he really should change back to "food snob". It was an
> appropriate nom de plume, all things considered.

Indeed, but did you notice that Steve never replied to my question? ("Do you put egg whites in *your* mayonnaise?") It was not strictly a rhetorical question, though the reply would, I'm pretty certain, have to be something on the order of, "No, but..."

--Bryan, fka Food Snob
From: Dimitri (Dimitri_C at prodigy.net)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:29:50 -0700
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aem wrote:
> Since I can easily flavor the mayo with any citrus or vinegar and any
> herbs, which should I use? I don't want to replicate the Miracle Whip
> some people swear by, but I want something more than plain mayo.
> Ideas??

Don't worry about duplication Miracle whip it's a cooked salad dressing with quite a bit of sugar. I saw the recipe on a post further down it looks very similar to the Mercian Mayonnaise that uses lime juice. I think some fresh lemon juice will give a little better kick. A little fresh garlic can never hurt. A little marjoram of you like the anise background or some fresh cilantro if you are going to stick with the lime juice would blend.

You could also change the flavor using some (1/2) EVOO or any other oil.

Have fun
From: Goomba38 (Goomba38 at comcast.net)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 16:39:09 -0400
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aem wrote:
> Since I can easily flavor the mayo with any citrus or vinegar and any
> herbs, which should I use? I don't want to replicate the Miracle Whip
> some people swear by, but I want something more than plain mayo.
> Ideas??

aioli!
From: aem (aem_again at yahoo.com)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 13:53:34 -0700
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Goomba38 wrote:
> aioli!

Well, I like that a lot, but not for potato salad........ -aem
From: elaine (elaineg at ca.inter.net)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 17:27:35 -0400
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aem wrote:
>> aioli!
>
> Well, I like that a lot, but not for potato salad........ -aem

basil or mint leaves in the mix.........e.
From: Sqwertz (swertz at cluemail.compost)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 21:03:58 GMT
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aem wrote:
> Since I can easily flavor the mayo with any citrus or vinegar and any
> herbs, which should I use? I don't want to replicate the Miracle Whip
> some people swear by, but I want something more than plain mayo.
> Ideas??

Chipotle garlic mayo. You can use either the canned chipotles or powdered. Not much, though. You can also add some the chile powders so you get more flavor without so much heat.
From: yetanotherBob (yetanotherbob at gmail.com)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 18:37:54 -0400
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aem wrote:
> Since I can easily flavor the mayo with any citrus or vinegar and any
> herbs, which should I use? I don't want to replicate the Miracle Whip
> some people swear by, but I want something more than plain mayo.
> Ideas??

Chopped roasted or sauteed garlic, to taste. A lot of the pungent garlic flavor is lost in cooking, so you'll likely need to add a quite a bit to get even a hint of garlic flavor in the finished product.
From: Cshenk (rubymaiden at cox.net)
Date: Fri, 26 Oct 2007 23:04:42 -0700
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yetanotherBob wrote:
> Chopped roasted or sauteed garlic, to taste. A lot of the pungent
> garlic flavor is lost in cooking, so you'll likely need to add a quite a
> bit to get even a hint of garlic flavor in the finished product.

Thats one route Bob, but his version seems a little germanic. Wasabi powder or ground dark mustard seeds would be a good match I think.

aem if going the wasabi route, mix a little of the powder first with an equal amount of water and taste it. Depending on how much is real wasabi, it has a major kick so dont add it direct til you get a feeling for how much to use. If making 1 cup of blended mayo with it, most USA versions called 'wasabi' (seldom have much of the real thing but they use a very hot horseradish) would be best to start with 1/2 ts then blend and taste test. That should be mild but give you the idea. Then use a bit of vinigar for the final touch. I'd use the spiced filipeno type (has chiles in the bottle and should look cloudy) but if you do not have that handy, other types would work. Apple cider vinigar would not be quite right though.
xxcarol
From: aem (aem_again at yahoo.com)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 09:12:53 -0700
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Thanks for several interesting suggestions. A couple sound really interesting but too far afield from potato salad. As to the egg vs. yolk question, I am going to use whole egg because I know it works with the wand blender method. Soon, though, I will make a batch of mayo using just the yolk to see if it makes a discernible (not just theoretical) difference. This is one of those cases where an easy experiment makes all the arguing irrelevant. -aem
From: margaret suran (margaret at no.spam.for.me.invalid)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 12:39:09 -0400
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aem wrote:
> Thanks for several interesting suggestions. A couple sound really
> interesting but too far afield from potato salad. As to the egg vs.
> yolk question, I am going to use whole egg because I know it works
> with the wand blender method. Soon, though, I will make a batch of
> mayo using just the yolk to see if it makes a discernible (not just
> theoretical) difference. This is one of those cases where an easy
> experiment makes all the arguing irrelevant. -aem

Isn't the general rule to use just the yolk(s) if you beat in the oil with a whisk and the whole egg when use a blender of other electrical thingy? I believe that I first read that in The Joy Of Cooking.
From: aem (aem_again at yahoo.com)
Date: Sat, 27 Oct 2007 10:57:47 -0700
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margaret suran wrote:
> Isn't the general rule to use just the yolk(s) if you beat in the oil
> with a whisk and the whole egg when use a blender of other electrical
> thingy? I believe that I first read that in The Joy Of Cooking.

That sounds reasonable and it reflects my actual history with making mayonnaise. But I haven't made it with a whisk or blender since I got the wand blender. I was responding to the cry of righteous indignation that egg whites "don't belong" in mayo. Rather than arguing about it, I'll just do a little experiment and see which I prefer. I know for sure that I won't be giving up the wand blender technique, as making fresh mayo in just seconds is wonderful. -aem
From: Nancy2 (nancy-dooley at uiowa.edu)
Date: Mon, 29 Oct 2007 08:41:44 -0700
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aem wrote:
> Since I can easily flavor the mayo with any citrus or vinegar and any
> herbs, which should I use? I don't want to replicate the Miracle Whip
> some people swear by, but I want something more than plain mayo.
> Ideas??

This dressing is what my mom made every time she made potato salad - it's really great, and not at all like mayo:

Boiled Salad Dressing - Ruby Taylor

1/4 C. vinegar
3/4 C. water
1 tsp. butter
1 egg
1/4 C. sugar
1 T. cornstarch
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
1/8 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper

Mix together dry ingredients and add to beaten egg. Combine with vinegar, water, and butter which have been heated. Cook and stir until thick. Keep refrigerated.