The original recipe, from Roberta H., Big Island, VA:
- 1 can yellow corn
- 1 can white corn
- 1 cup red onion, chopped
- 1 cup green or red pepper, chopped
Mix these ingredients with 1 cup of mayonnaise. Set overnight in the refrigerator.
Crunch up 1 bag of Chili Cheese Frito’s and mix completely with all other ingredients right before serving.

I first had this salad, as described above, at the book club I am in. I was hesitant to try it so I only got a tiny little bit. But, I loved it and wound up going back for more!

I modified the recipe a bit to suit my taste, as well as avoid a friend’s allergy to peppers. This is the recipe I used for Thanksgiving:
- 2 cans (15oz) yellow corn
- 1 can (11oz) white corn
- 1 medium red onion, diced
- 1 1/3 cups mayonnaise
Combine all ingredients and store in refrigerator overnight.
Right before serving, crush up 1 bag Chili Cheese Frito’s and stir into corn mixture.

The ingredients I used. I added a second can of yellow corn, not pictured here.

Refrigerating.

The finished product...or what was left of it!

Holiday leftovers don’t last long in our homes. Especially the Very Tasty Turkey Salad. (Chicken works well, too.) The trick is starting with a well-seasoned turkey. Stacey’s husband is from the island of Puerto Rico and taught us to make “pavochon,” a turkey seasoned Puerto Rican style that consists of ground garlic cloves, Sazón spices, salt, and extra virgin olive oil. Grind those ingredients with a mortar and pestle, cut slits in the bird and rub the seasoning under the skin, atop the skin and inside the cuts. Let that sit for a day or two before slow roasting the bird in a self-basting turkey oven bag. The key here is LOW and SLOW.

Take leftover pieces of the bird and rip them apart or chop. To taste, add a bit at a time of the following: Dijon mustard, mayonnaise, chopped scallions, a sliced hard-cooked egg or two, diced tomatoes, pepper and salt. There are no rules with Turkey Salad; get creative!

What are you doing with your leftovers? Please share your ideas with other readers!

How Stacey Got the Shot: On the dining room table with natural light and foam core set up to bounce light onto the subject and fill in shadows. ISO 100, focal length 50mm, f/4, 1/100 second exposure.

Over the weeks here in England, I have observed a vast array of comestibles indigenous to this British population. Some I have consumed with great pleasure, while others I have gone to great lengths to avoid, like an eight-day-old boy who has caught sight of a rabbi. This short blog is dedicated to the latter category of sustenance. Below, I have constructed a list of Andrew-rebuked food items, the rejection of which should be self-evident. I anticipate that this list will expand as the years pass. Here they are in top-10 format:

10. Pulses (it turns out these are beans, or something, but the terminology reminds me of a beating heart)

9. Salad cream (this mayonnaise-based salad topping doesn’t even require refrigeration… or at least none of the restaurants we’ve been to bother)

8. Tuna mayonnaise and sweetcorn sandwich

7-5. “Gü” (pronounced “goo”) brand “pud” varieties, including: “chocolate puds,” “mini puds,” and, my favorite, “saucy puds”

4. Jellied eels

3. Canned goose fat

2. Prawn mayonnaise pita (exactly like it sounds)

And last but not least, everyone’s favorite beverage:

1. Cockburns Assured (who knew that drinking could be so dangerous)

If you’d like to see me stumble through Latin, take a look at this video of 1 Thessalonians:

(I also contribute to Deuteronomy, Lamentations, and Jonah)

Buying condiments at the market is a trying experience. We check every label, scanning the ingredients for sugar, yeast, or vinegar. I’ve gotten pretty good at picking those three words out pretty quickly and now know which brands to avoid and which ones just might give me a chance.

Mayonnaise is one of those fickle condiments. We, as Americans, love the stuff. It goes extremely well with any type of sandwich, can be used in a dip, or added to sauces for extra creaminess. Unfortunately mayo is commercially made with either vinegar, sugar, or both.

And so it was today that I decided to make my own. The ingredients are simple – egg yolks, salt, lemon juice, and oil. However, the tricky part comes when beating the oil into the yolks. Pouring the oil too fast will result in separation and a very un-mayo like goo. The key is to have all ingredients at room temperature and to pour the oil very, very, VERY slowly. As in slowly add in the oil drop by drop for all of eternity until the eggs are sure not to separate. This usually occurs after 1/3-1/2 a cup of oil is used.

The recipe I found was most certainly tried and true. The Queen of Cooking, Julia Child, is the one who pointed it out to me and I am most happy with the results. Her recipe found is in her book – Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Of course there wasn’t a doubt in my mind that she would lead me astray, but that it would be personal error that would cause a horrible mishap.

Luckily none of this happened and I came out with an olive oil mayonnaise that tastes almost like the store bought brand. And by almost like the store bought brand I mean much, much better. The olive oil taste is a bit overwhelming, but will be great with the addition of garlic to make and aioli and was very useful when making Dhale’s curry chicken salad for two, which I am taking with me for lunch tomorrow. Check out her site, Culinary Musings for some great recipes. Next time I’ll be using vegetable or safflower oil for a more mild mayo.

Her recipe is delicious, with the perfect amount of curry and pears that add a great additional sweetness that sets off the wonderful flavors. The only substitution I made was the pomegranate seeds for dried cranberries since that was the only thing I had. It works out well because they add a great crunch and nice flavor, plus give the dish some much needed color.

Julia Child’s Mayonnaise

Ingredients

• Round-bottomed, 2½ to 3-quart glazed pottery, glass or stainless steel mixing bowl. Set it in a heavy casserole or saucepan to keep it from slipping.
• 3 egg yolks
• Large wire whisk
• 1 tablespoon wine vinegar or lemon juice (more drops as needed)
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ¼ teaspoon dry or prepared mustard
• 1½ to 2¼ cups of olive oil, salad oil or a mixture of each. If the oil is cold, heat it to tepid; and if you are a novice, use the minimum amount
• 2 tablespoons boiling water

Directions

1. Warm the bowl in hot water; dry it. Add the egg yolks and beat for 1 to 2 minutes until they are thick and sticky.
2. Add the vinegar or lemon juice, salt and mustard. Beat for 30 seconds more.
3. The egg yolks are now ready to receive the oil. While it goes in, drop by drop, you must not stop beating until the sauce has thickened. A speed of 2 strokes per second is fast enough. You can switch hands or switch directions, as long as you beat constantly.
4. Add the drops of oil with a teaspoon, or rest the lip of the bottle on the edge of the bowl. Keep your eye on the oil rather than on the sauce. Stop pouring and continue beating every 10 seconds or so, to be sure the egg yolks are absorbing the oil.
5. After 1/3 to 1/2 cup of oil has been incorporated, the sauce will thicken into a very heavy cream and the crisis of potential curdling is over. The beating arm may rest a moment. Then, beat in the remaining oil by 1 to 2 tablespoon dollops, blending it thoroughly after each addition.
6. When the sauce becomes too thick and stiff, beat in drops of vinegar or lemon juice to thin it out. Then continue with the oil.
7. Beat the boiling water into the sauce. This is an anti-curdling insurance. Season to taste.
8. If the sauce is not used immediately, scrape it into a small bowl and cover it tightly so a skin will not form on its surface.

Julia Child’s tips for homemade mayonnaise:

• Room Temperature: Have all ingredients at room temperature. If they aren’t, warm the mixing bowl in hot water to take the chill off the egg yolks; heat the oil to tepid if it is cold.
• Egg Yolks: Always beat the yolks for a minute or two before adding anything to them. When they are thick and sticky, they are ready to absorb the oil.
• Adding The Oil: The oil must be added very slowly at first, in droplets, until the emulsion process begins and the sauce thickens into a heavy cream. Then, the oil may be incorporated more rapidly.
• Proportions: The maximum amount of oil one large egg yolk can absorb is six ounces, or ¾ cup. When this maximum is exceeded, the binding properties of the egg yolks break down, and the sauce thins out or curdles. If you have never made mayonnaise before, it is safest not to exceed ½ cup of oil per egg yolk.

Located in the Swedish neighborhood of Andersonville on the north side of Chicago, Hopleaf Bar (http://www.hopleaf.com/home.html) boasts one of the finest beer selections in all of the Windy City.  A cool, rustic Belgian tavern, it has many quality Belgian brews, as well as some good food.  I got the brisket sandwich on sourdough with frites, which came with homemade horseradish mayonnaise and was quite good.  The picture isn’t great, but I’ve posted it anyways.  As for the beer, my first selection was a good one- Goose Island Matilda- but I wouldn’t recommend anyone try the New Belgium La Folie.  Quite frankly, it tasted like a glass of wine with a warhead dropped into it- I have taste-witnesses who will back me up…NASTY!!  Not to mention the snifter of Old Viscosity I got last time there (well, that one wasn’t my choice), which is arguably the worst beer on earth.  BUT, if you know your beer, there are plenty of great options to be tried.

Four hungry stomachs, equivalent appetites and a penchant for trials led us to the burger place Bembos. This was one of those rare occasions where everyone agreed instantaneously.  The South American (who knew??) burger place has two distinct seating areas – the inside part which is clearly for the afternoon hangouts and the outside part where a burger can be enjoyed whilst overlooking the bustling city traffic. So as we went there during lunch, we decided to grab a table inside before anyone else could!

The four hungry stomachs that I mentioned earlier, grabbed a different burger each with me trying the Grilled Chicken Burger. They generally have two sizes for almost every burger except for the Mutton Burger and the Grilled Chicken Breast (I guess chickens do not have different breasts sizes??). The large one I had was worth INR 99. Bigger than anything you get at Mac or at KFC but smaller than the ones at Gostana! My friend also ordered for a small pack of fries which according to her was more than what is served at KFC.

This burger outlet is the only place known to me which serves mayonnaise sauce along with ketchup and chilli sauce. Besides the mayonnaise another highlight is the fresh veggies used in the burger. The patty too was freshly made. The four hungry stomachs really enjoyed the burgers with some saying it was the best they have had till date! It took a not-so-well-known Peruvian fast food chain to bring out a statement like that!

I did like the burger a lot. Infact it was a lot better than the last time we tried em’ here! I hope they keep up the good work and keep churning awesome burgers!

This Peru-based burger place was an interesting find. According to Wikipedia they have another outlet in Delhi and in Panama City besides the many outlets in Peru!

If anyone knows any other South American eatery do post here! Would love to try it out!

(Image linked from http://www.brandsoftheworld.com)

Address: 34, Manorama Chambers, Opp. Indian Bank, S. V. Road, Bandra West, Mumbai 400050

Ph No (For Takeaways): 26415599, 26415600, 67100625

American Cheeseburger

1 pkg. The Turkey Store Lean Ground

1/3 cup catsup

3 tablespoons seasoned dry bread crumbs

2 tablespoon grated or finely chopped onion

1 large egg

½ teaspoon garlic salt

¼ teaspoon finely ground black pepper

4 slices (1/4 inch) red or yellow onion

Cooking oil

2 slices cheddar cheese

4 kaiser rolls or bakery-style hamburger buns, split

4 slices tomato

4 leaves romaine or red leaf lettuce

Optional condiments:  mayonnaise, catsup, mustard slice pickles

In a large bowl, combine turkey, catsup, bread crumbs, egg, garlic salt and pepper.  Mix well and shape into 4 patties about ½-inch thick.  Cover and refrigerate while preparing charcoal grill.  Coat patties and onion slices with cooking spray.  Grill patties and onions over medium coals 6 to 7 minutes per side or until no longer pink in center.  Top patties with cheese during last minute of grilling.  Place rolls, cut side down on grill during last 1 to 2 minutes of cooking to toast lightly.  Serve patties in rolls topped with grilled onions, tomato and lettuce.  Serve with desire condiments.  Makes 4 servings.

It’s been a long week. I don’t talk much about my day job here, but I run a nonprofit, the Community Resource Center, in Nashville. We basically give really good stuff to other nonprofits for their clients. And the closer it gets to Christmas, the more stuff they need. This, unfortunately, has coincided with my son’s inability to keep out of the refrigerator for at least two minutes. So, about mid-week, the cupboard was bare. Or rather the refrigerator was empty (well, except for my wine!). Which forced me to buy lunch.

Normally, I take my lunch to work. This is partly due to the fact that I make really good lunches and partly because there aren’t a lot of places to eat around a warehouse district. I make turkey and arugula mayonnaise sandwiches. I make Chinese chicken salad. I make what Noah calls “green noodles” – thin spaghetti with pesto, toasted pine nuts and grated Asiago cheese.

But this week, I ended up eating a lot of fast food and I remembered why it is that I hate it so much. It’s not good. Not at all. Oh, you think it’s good while you’re eating it because it’s full of fat and who doesn’t like fat? But about an hour later you start to realize you just ate a bunch of processed junk that is rambling around in your body and won’t leave. For days.

So here’s my wall of shame. Wednesday it was KFC. I used to love KFC when I lived at home and my mother had never gotten within 100 yards of frying chicken. I did love it Wednesday at about 1:30 p.m. I regretted it bitterly about 5 p.m. No supper for me that night. The chicken had come home to roost.

Thursday: Junior Whopper and fries from Burger King. I actually have a story about Whoppers. When I was about ten, my mother became very agitated with excitement one day and announced that we were driving to Skokie, about 20 miles away, to visit this new and exotic restaurant called Burger King. Mom did love her burgers. Not to cook them, of course. Just to eat them. So I’ve always held the Whopper in high esteem as an essential food memory. I don’t know why, especially after I eat one. And Burger King fries? Not so much. If you’re going to visit fry-town, journey to Steak and Shake or Five Guys.

So, today, just to how much fat I could pack away, it was Krystal’s chili. I actually believed for a second that it would be healthier than a slider. For a moment.

I present this sad tableau to you because I haven’t had time to cook all week and I know you’ve been wondering where I’ve been for the last two days. I’ve been giving away shampoo and detergent and soap to nonprofit agencies who can’t afford to buy necessities like these for their clients. I’ve been driving a U-Haul to a major retailer to pick up the coolest donation ever that will make everyone’s Christmas brighter in my world of poor people who constantly do without a little sparkle in their lives. I’ve been unloading chairs for schools whose children have nowhere to sit. And I’ve been writing grants to get more moola to get more stuff.

This weekend, it’s back to homemade. It’s back to quality. I’m sleeping in tomorrow. And then I’m cooking.

Although I have always known my nationality – and more recently discovered that I am English as far back as I can trace, I have never been so fixed in the idea that England (as my home country) does things the best way.

This is despite all the usual Anglo-centric media/history programmes, nature programmes on the BBC.

So it has come as something of a shock to me that I now find myself craving those things that previously I would not have chosen, were I living “back home”.  My latest extraordinary discovery is chips.  Yes – the chips here are the fries variety – that’s fine – it’s just that for a long time I have eaten them with mayonnaise.  In England.  Now I find myself craving salt and vinegar on them, a l’Anglaise…

I find myself craving the English blends used in stock cubes – the Dutch equivalents have different tastes.  Heaven help me when we run out of my English tea bags – I *know* they cannot be purchased here.

I miss the retail culture of England – and I am by no means a person who spends hours shopping.  I mean that customer service – that esssential “customer is always right” mentality that you find on the high street (if not always with utility companies).  That never ending (unless something is wong) desire to help the customer be parted from their money, in as efficient and pleasing way for the customer, so that they will turn up a few days later and repeat the experience.

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle,
When 24  hours in a day is not enough;
remember the mayonnaise jar and 2 cups of  coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy  class
and  had some items in front of him.
When the class began, wordlessly,
he  picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar
and start to fill it with  golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.
They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and  poured
it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly.
The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again
if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand
and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else.
He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded
With an unanimous  ’yes.’

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the  table
and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively
filling the empty space between the sand.
The students laughed.

‘Now,’ said the  professor, as the laughter subsided,
‘I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.
The golf balls are the important things – God,  family,
children, health, friends, and favorite passions
Things  that if everything else was lost
and  only they remained, your life would still be full.

The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car.

The sand is everything else –
The small stuff.

‘If you put the sand into the jar  first,’ he continued,
‘there is no room for the pebbles or the golf  balls.
The same goes for life.

If you spend all your time and energy  on the small stuff,
You will never have room for the things that  are
important to you.

So…

Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.
Play with your children.
Take time to get medical checkups.
Take your partner out to dinner.

There will always be time
to clean the house and fix the dripping tap.

‘Take care of the golf balls first –
The things that really  matter.
Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.’

One of the students raised her hand
and inquired what the coffee represented.

The  professor smiled.

‘I’m glad you asked’.

It just goes to show you that  no matter how full your life may seem,
there’s always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.’

Please share this with other “Golf Balls”

Which is the biggest enemy of the diet? the sweet or salty snacks and the fried food sold in the street. Never like in London you can see so many take away shops and people eating this food in the street, on the tube, in the buses and even ordering them at home!

And for how much you can try to put attention and to avoid it, there will always be the occasion in which you will have to raise a white flag to them… and it’s a classic especially in this city, where everyone drink without eating anything. After work you go to drink straight away… and at the end you are so hungry you could eat whatever is in front of you.

Solution? Burger King is trying to help with this! Some week ago, after a party, i was really convinced to come back home to cook something. My friends weren’t thinking the same and we stopped in Burger King. Surprise surprise, they made a “light” Sandwich to help all of us with the diet.

The Piri Piri Chicken sandwich is made of 3 chargrilled chicken strips, iceberg lettuce, red onion, reduced fat mayonnaise and piri piri sauce on bread baguette or sesame seeds bun. This reach an amount of 336-356 calories depending on the bread and it’s quite fulfilling.

Considering that a plate of pasta of pasta (80gr.) with tomato sauce and Parmesan is around 450 cal, this sandwich is not so bad. Ok, the fact to eat this kind of food for quality and ingredients is not the best, but at least you can limit the damages without big privations. The other alternative it could be the normal basic burger (275 cal.) or the simple cheese burger (320 cal.) but they are so little and without great taste that are not an amazing solution: you can risk to eat more arriving at home!

So, if you have one of this night where you have drunk quite a lot and you can’t wait to arrive home to eat, maybe this could be an idea to remain alive without taking a massive quantity of calories on top, and without renouncing to another little pleasure. What do you think?

PS. Mamy oggi mi sono dedicata a suggerire un nuovo panino “light” che hanno creato in una di queste catene tipo Mc Donald. Non che sia fan di questi posti, anzi! ma talvolta quando si esce senza mangiare e si beve un po’, e’ inevitabile fermarsi in posti del genere. E dato che qui di negozietti per il pesce fritto e fastfood, ce ne sono un sacco, meglio andare sul sicuro con una scelta ragionevolmente leggera. Il problema e’ resistere alle patatine fritte! argh!

Picnic Potato Salad

3 cups diced cooked potatoes

1 cup sliced celery

½ cup shredded carrot

½ cup chopped green pepper

¼ cup chopped onion

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup sour cream

¼ cup Del Monte Sweet pickle relish

1 tsp. salt & a dash of pepper

Combine potatoes, celery, carrot, green pepper and onion.  Blend mayonnaise, sour cream relish, salt and pepper.  Fold into potato mixture.  Chill several hours.  Makes six servings. 

Thirty Sixth Step.

Bizarrement je n’ai jamais été très gourmande de Mayonnaise, mais quelque chose qui me manquait un peu par moment c’était l’Aïoli. Je parle pas de l’Aïoli industrielle, blanche on ne peut moins naturel, et qui doit son peu de goût à tout un tas d’additifs. Nan, nan, je parle de la vraie Aïoli, celui qui vient du Sud et dont on sent le goût bien aillé  !

J’ai donc fait une base de Mayonnaise, à laquelle j’ai rajouté de l’Ail ; et je dois dire que le résultat est plutôt satisfaisant. On retrouve la couleur d’une Aïoli traditionnelle, légèrement écru tirant un peu sur le jaune ; le goût de l’Ail est lui aussi bien présent ; quant à la texture, elle n’est ni trop liquide, ni trop compacte, comme il faut en fait.

Mon petit plaisir, c’est une tranche de pain légèrement grillée, alors qu’elle est encore chaude, je la tartine d’une fine couche d’Aïoli. Je prend mon mal en patience pendant quelques secondes le temps qu’elle se fonde grâce à la chaleur du pain. Et là … Yum !

Garlic Mayonnaise

The Ingredients :

• 50 gr de Tofu Soyeux
• 1 cuillère à soupe de Moutarde
• 2 cuillères à soupe de Jus de Citron (Jardin Bio’Logique)
• 2 à 3 gousses d’Ail
• 3 cuillères à soupe d’Huile d’Olive
• Herbamare©, Poivre

The Tools :

• Un blender
• Un mixeur à ingrédients humides (type Oignon, Ail etc.)

Chronometer :

Preparation : 5 à 10 minutes

Preparation :

Dans un blender mettre le Tofu Soyeux, la Moutarde, le Jus de Citron, puis mixer. Ajouter cuillère par cuillère l’Huile d’Olive en mixant entre chacune d’elle. J’ai eu besoin de 3 cuillères pour obtenir la texture que je souhaitais.

Dans un mixeur, mettre les gousses d’Ail, mixer jusqu’à ce que que l’Ail se retrouve haché. Puis mettre dans le blender contenant l’appareil Mayonnaise. Mixer pour bien mélanger le tout. Goûter pour savoir si il est nécessaire de rajouter plus d’Ail, ou même de l’Herbamare© et du Poivre.

Hellmann's or Miracle Whip: Which do you prefer on your B.L.T.?

Condiments were flying during the mayo and mayo-alternative food fight that ensued this week. Hellmann’s launched a holiday campaign emphasizing the product’s “real” ingredients. Meanwhile, Miracle Whip, the Kraft brand sandwich spread that prides itself on having more “zip” than mayo, was in a full-on war with Stephen Colbert over its “don’t be so mayo” commercials.

Hellmann’s campaign

I first heard about the Hellmann’s Real Holiday Helpings campaign when Bobby Flay tweeted from its launch event Friday (yes, although I feel nerdy admitting it, I do follow Bobby Flay on Twitter). The campaign involves videos of Flay creating dishes using mayo, holiday recipes, behind-the-scenes videos exclusive to Hellman’s fans on Facebook and a chance for consumers to win a year’s supply of groceries.

The idea of ”real food” is a key message of the Real Holiday Helpings campaign. Flay’s videos feature him demonstrating how to make the five recipes he created using Hellmann’s products. He uses the phrase “it’s all real food” at least once in each video and explains that Hellmann’s is made of eggs, oil and vinegar. Each video ends with the Hellmann’s logo above the tagline “It’s Time for Real.”

Miracle Whip vs. Colbert

On October 15’s ”Colbert Report,” Stephen Colbert drew attention to Miracle Whip’s most recent commercials featuring the term “don’t be so mayo.” Colbert took great offense to the advertisements and proclaimed that he is pro-mayo, then showed his own spoof commercial for mayonnaise. Miracle Whip retaliated by taking out a full-page ad in various newspapers serving as an open letter to Colbert. The memo was written in a humorous tone and announced that Miracle Whip had purchased ads during every commercial break of Thursday’s “Colbert Report.”

Think about it, Mr. Colbert. In a sense, we will own you. We’re on a mission. We’re taking no prisoners. We’re raising Hell, man.

Miracle Whip proceeded to air several versions its commercials addressed to Colbert. One invited him to “come over to the other side where all is sweet and tangy.” Another explained the talk show host’s “vicious attack” on Miracle Whip to viewers:

During Thursday’s episode, Colbert addressed the situation:

Well Miracle Whip, I know when I’ve been bested. Thank you for buying ad time on my show because let’s face it. Revenue is down throughout the television industry and I could certainly use the money to buy more delicious mayonnaise.

Needless to say, fans of both products and of Colbert took stances on the issue and voiced their opinions online. Miracle Whip’s Facebook page wall is covered in comments (both negative and positive) about the Colbert feud. Chrissy Dunham wrote:

The marketing was pure genius all around! I never even paid attention to the add or took much stock into Colbert’s comments until Miracle Whip struck back! (By the way, the original adds were no where near as stupid some others I’ve seen recently.) And for those of you who think Colbert is somehow upset by such stupid …banter…Have you ever WATCHED his show? This is exactly the thing he thrives on! A tad idiotic, yet ultimately clever comebacks. It wouldn’t surprise me if they planned this stunt together – Either way, I thank you both Colbert and Miracle Whip for my fair share of entertainment this evening!

Battle for publicity

Though Hellmann’s holiday campaign launch is unattached to the Colbert/Miracle Whip feud, I believe it is somewhat related to Hellmann’s desire to compete with Miracle Whip in the mayo market. By getting a highly respected celebrity chef like Bobby Flay to endorse its products and by continuously pointing out that it uses all real ingredients (a jab at Miracle Whip?), Hellmann’s seems to be reminding consumers that it makes a superior product.

As for Miracle Whip, Thursday’s move was a creative and entertaining marketing stunt that fit its brand image well. Though it elicited many negative comments from consumers, it mostly drew attention to its product in a big way. Miracle Whip’s marketing team showed America how the spread differs from “boring” mayonnaise (implying Hellmann’s) and made it easy for fans of both products to take sides.

Perhaps Hellmann’s wasted their time hiring Bobby Flay… Stephen Colbert was willing to act as spokesman the entire time.

I grew up on mayonnaise and I love it. When I’d go to my friends’ houses as a kid, sometimes their moms would put butter or even the dreaded Mracle Whip on sandwiches. Yuuuuuuuuuck!

Miracle Whip is not a part of our family (though my son-in-law admits to having grown up on the awful stuff. We are in the midst of converting him to mayo.)

If you’re also a mayo fan, you’ll enjoy this column in Advertising Age panning Miracle Whip’s most recent ad campaign to change it’s image to cool. Not happening.

Dear Miracle Whip,

Alright, alright, alright, I think we get it. Your a white creamy substance for sandwiches. You make dry bread less dry (looking at you WonderBread). But let us cut the charade. You are basically mayonnaise’s high falutin’ cousin that goes around parading like some tarted up hussie for the sake of publicity. And I think we all know know you secretly feel bad about yourself, and that’s why you do the things you do.

Come on now, lets just all take a step back; those of us made basically of mayonnaise can come to terms with that, those of us that aren’t can just chill. Then we’ll all come back to the table refreshed, refreshed by honesty, Miracle Whip. Ahem.

Most sincerely,

The Sandwich Dressing Consuming Public

Good eats I’ve recently discovered or made:

A really good sandwich I made and wanna share:

First, you need a italian-style bun (big, with a chewy crust…ciabatta works too). Cut it in half and spread both sides with a generous (that’s important!) amount of a mixture of mustard and mayonnaise.

X

X

Then add the toppings: lettuce, chicken (leftovers or grilled chicken breast), roasted bell pepper, red onion and a lot of avocado slices. Easy, fast and so good!

X

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And I made a creamy salmon pasta. All you do is cook some pasta (I like tagliatelle in this dish) until it’s ‘al dente’. Meanwhile, cook a piece of salmon steak in some oil (just a few minutes, you don’t want dry salmon!) and add some asparagus (or other veggies). When the pasta is done, drain it quickly and put it back in the pan. Then you add the cooked and chopped  salmon with veggies and about 1/3 cup of thick yoghurt and 4 tablespoons of cream. Stir until the pasta is covered in the sauce and you’re done! You can finish with some dille or other herbs or lemon juice.

Realisation I’ve recently made:

Someone asked me where I find the recipes I use. Well, where not? Really, I find recipes and inspiration everywhere: I’ve got so many cookbooks and magazines! These days, I don’t always use the complete recipe (some of them are so bad), but take it as an inspiration for a new dish. I often combine several recipes and my own ideas to create something. I love the style of Nigella Lawson, Tessa Kiros and Donna Hay for instance. And I follow a lot of blogs, of course! How do you find your inspiration?

I had 12 scallops remaining in my freezer so I decided to make this for dinner. This recipe has been bookmarked for 4 months now. I am emptying out my fridge for my pizza phase so I’m trying to make simple things for the food in my fridge and freezer.

[100% organic & wild]

Ingredients:

• 6 sea scallops
• 1 pack of enoki mushrooms
• 6 tablespoons of mayonnaise
• 0.5 tsp lime juice
• 0.5 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp chili garlic sauce (passed through sieve)
• Paprika
• Chives, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 475ºF
2. Clean the scallops and cut each scallop into 2-4 pieces of equal size (slice horizontally)
3. Chop off the roots of the enoki mushrooms and divide them into equal portions
4. Spread the mushrooms on a plate and layer the scallop pieces over the mushrooms and bake for 3-4 minutes
5. Mix the ingredients for the creamy spicy sauce and blend well (mayonnaise, lime juice, sugar, and chili garlic sauce)
6. Remove the scallops from the oven and top with creamy spicy sauce
7. Put the scallops back into the oven and bake until the surface turns golden brown
8. Sprinkle some paprika powder and chopped chives

*Adapted from RasaMalaysia.

I know mine looks kind of messy but it tastes really good and I can’t get enough!

Dear David,

We’re getting a lot of repeat lunacy here, like that crazy L Anne googling herself again and again and more folks pondering just how Jewish you are. Makes me laugh. Here we go!

“Dave Cook Jew” – We’ve already discussed this a couple of times. You’re as Jewish as mayonnaise and Wonder bread.

“wearing a box” nuts – is there something you’re not telling us on Twitter, David?

“Andy Skib Jewish tattoo” – Soooooo, what did Andy get tattoo on himself? I take it that it wasn’t a Swastika?

So what do all three of these things have in common? They’re pretty nuts and anyone googling this crap possibly has a screw or two loose, spending way too much time thinking about you and the things that surround you. Run, Baldy, Run!