Mayonnaise

Mayonnaise

Leila
Gluten-Free, Condiment

I was never a big fan of mayonnaise.  That is, until I started making my own.  Compared to the leading brands, mine is creamier and lighter (thanks to the egg whites), more flavorful (thanks to the dijon mustard, lemon juice, and wine vinegar) and better for you. 

Traditionally, mayonnaise is notoriously difficult to make because the raw egg yolks constantly cause it to break (never attempt the traditional version on a rainy day—the humidity is the culprit).  But my mayonnaise—which uses poached eggs instead of raw eggs—is much more forgiving.  I love it on pretty much any sandwich... a BLT, a turkey sandwich, a veggie sandwich, etc.   Read more.

Pumpkin Bread

Pumpkin Bread

Leila
Quick Bread

I'm a fan of many pumpkin-flavored things, including bread, scones, and pie, but not everything (sorry, pumpkin spice latte).  I also happen to be a big advocate of canned pumpkin.  It's an old and mostly true cliché that "nothing's better than the real thing," but I'm not sure how true that is with pumpkin.  In order to bake with a real sugar pumpkin, a cook must roast it and then cook down its watery flesh until the texture is correct.  This process is neither easy nor consistent, so I always use canned pumpkin. 

I do love to have a nice crust on the top of my pumpkin bread, which is why my recipe begins with a butter and flour roux.  When added to the batter, this combination of ingredients results in a beautifully crisp crust (this crust tends to soften overnight, but will happily regain its crispiness when heated or toasted).  It also results in a super moist bread, evading the Play-Doh-y texture common among dense quick breads.  So if you're tempted to skip the roux, trust me when I say that it's worth the few extra minutes.  Read more.

Zesty Dressing

Zesty Dressing

Leila
Vegan or Vegan Option, Dressing, Gluten-Free

Salad dressing is not among the most visually remarkable condiments, so here's a picture I recently took of wild turkeys in our backyard.  I always know it's November when the turkeys arrive.  Last week's flock consisted of 11 females and 1 tom (who seemed to be entirely preoccupied with impressing the ladies with his fan).  They're a bit noisy, but their clumsiness is a joy to watch.  Whenever I shoo them away from our grass seed, they fly up into the branches of nearby trees with what appears to be great effort.  The whole maneuver is awkward yet beautiful, like Foghorn Leghorn if he were to take flight in those old Looney Tunes cartoons.

Anyways... this salad dressing packs a real punch.  I always keep a jar in the refrigerator.  It works best on hearty greens (i.e. kale or romaine), or in a cucumber and tomato salad, or even on tabbouleh and other grain salads.  I've found that it overwhelms more delicate greens (i.e. arugula, mâche, red leaf, and bib), which become soggy.  Read more.

Tabbouleh

Tabbouleh

Leila
Vegan or Vegan Option, Salad

Tabbouleh is a salad traditionally made with bulgur wheat, lemon juice, olive oil, and raw vegetables.  Somewhere along the way, I opted to add roasted tomatoes, caramelized onions, and a little zesty salad dressing to amp up the flavor.  So if you're not opposed to breaking from tradition, give this version a try.  This tabbouleh is not vegan, but it easily can be if you use the vegan version of the zesty dressing.  I love bulgur wheat, but if you are looking for a gluten free option, substitute the bulgur with cooked quinoa.  Read more.

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