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Matthew Greenia Dear Matthew, In Dress for Success, Flagpole March 9, 1994, p9, as usual, you omitted the good stuff. Research, Matthew, Research - Research - Research. The Duc De Richelieu's chef invented mayonnaise in 1756 during the siege of Mahon, the capital of Minorca. The chef was running short of supplies and was forced to whip the eggs and oil without seasonings and serve the impromptu dressing in lieu of a proper Bearnaise. The Duc De Richelieu was a party animal and frequently hosted nude Dinner Parties. He was also a contemporary of John Montagu, the 4th Earl of Sandwich, who had been searching for a suitable dressing to complement his invention, the Sandwich. Like I've said before, Matthew, isn't technology wonderful, one break through just leads to another. Mayonnaise was, of course, named for Mahon. You also neglected to warn your readers of the dangers of salmonella poisoning from raw eggs. But then, what's a reader or so. I am sure your following is large enough to spare a few. There are about 650 distinct kinds of salmonella. Most of them can spoil your whole day and some can spoil the evening as well. Salmonella is a paratyphoid bacteria. I know how you feel about sesquipedalian words so I will define paratyphoid. Salmonella resembles the typhoid bacteria in size, shape, staining properties, physiology, immunology and habitat. Some salmonella bacteria produce a typhoid like febrile fever and others the more common gastroenterites. Gastroenterites is a fancy Greek word that means, “My gut is in a knot and I wish someone would put me out of my misery.” General symptoms of salmonella poisoning include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and diarrhea. Diarrhea is another fancy Greek word and means to flow through. Headaches, chills, fever, prostration, muscular weakness, faintness and thirst accompany severe cases and the white blood cell count increases. The probability of contracting salmonella is small but the penalty for doing so is severe. Mayonnaise and other raw egg products can be made safely with the pasteurized eggs coming on the market. I haven't the slightest clue how one pasteurizes an egg without winding up with a hard boiled egg. I have made calls but no one seems to have the slightest clue how to do this. The Department of Agriculture, among others, insists that such eggs are salmonella free. I also see little reason and several dangers in beating the eggs and oil by hand. Beating sauces by hand not only induces and aggravates carpal tunnel syndrome but also cuts into the time available for writing letters to the editor. Mayonnaise can be easily made in a common ordinary blender. Just combine the egg, mustard, salt, vinegar or lemon juice and 1/4 cup of oil in the blender. With the blender running, remove the lid and slowly add the remaining oil in a thin steady stream. A satisfactory low fat mayonnaise can be made by thickening a cup of water with 1/4 cup of cornstarch. The easiest way to incorporate the cornstarch is to make a rue with some of the oil and then add the water. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat and simmer while stirring until clear and thick. Put an egg, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon prepared mustard or dry mustard, to taste, dash of cayenne, if desired, and 1/4 cup of cider vinegar, watch out for the distilled stuff, in a blender. Add the hot cornstarch mixture, blend and add 3/4 cup of oil in the usual way. If you choose you can use a rotary mixer and a bowl instead of a blender. Tell me, now that you have had a good sneer at making mayonnaise with a blender, that you have never had a frozen daiquiri, always beat your jeans out on a rock down by the creek, compose your column with a quill pen and set type on a screw plate letterpress. It is always nice to have the moral high ground. Richard E. Irby, Jr. |
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