RECIPE FOR MAYONNAISEYou've found my famous recipe for mayonnaise. (Well, the first one). Eating homemade mayonnaise used to be a luxury - but not anymore. With a creamy and pillowy texture, homemade mayo is nothing like the pale stuff you get out of a jar. 
Mayonnaise is a notoriously breakable emulsion or combination of two liquids (such as oil and water) that can't be mixed but can be held together in a kind of suspension. But it's easy to make if you know some tricks - and the payoffs are big. Mayo is the base recipe for other sauces out there - including: Aioli, Remoulade, Thousand Island dressing and much more. Purists make mayonnaise by hand, but sad to say, I am no purist. I use the good ol’ blender and the mayonnaise is just as good and my arm is not aching from all that whisking. Now, with the wide availability of good wand blenders, it's a great time to bring it out and make some mayo right now... TIPS:Have all the ingredients at room temperature before you start; the mayo will come together better. Also, because the eggs are not cooked make certain you use very fresh eggs.Homemade mayo should be stored in an airtight container and can be kept in the refrigerator up to 4 days. If you hand-mix the recipe, combine the yolk only with the mustard. (no egg whites) Whisking constantly, pour a thin stream of oil until completely incorporated and the mayo is thick. (This is when the whisk is lifted the mayo will stay on and not fall off.) Next whisk in the lemon juice (or white wine vinegar) and season to taste with salt and pepper. I'm tired just typing that...much less than doing it. Enjoy my recipe for mayonnaise.
AIOLI (Garlic Mayonnaise) RECIPE
This recipe for mayonnaise is based on the taste of Hellman's Mayo, and is so much better than the store-bought version. People are usually either Miracle Whip or Hellman's fans, so I am offering you both recipes. SLOWLY add a thin stream of the remaining canola oil while the appliance is running until all is processed. Add the lemon juice and vinegar and whip until smooth and creamy. Store in a airtight container in the refrigerator before serving.
*You may also use freshly grated horseradish. |
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SECRET #1
There are many way to prepare these strawberries, but I am going to give you my easy methods. When you are melting the chocolate over a double boiler, don't let the water touch the bottom of your upper pan. Heat until only 1/2 of the chocolate is melted, then remove from heat and stir gently until it is all melted.
The chocolate should actually be cool or tepid to the touch. If it's hot, chances are it will seize up and thicken. If it does that, no amount of heating or stirring will fix it.
If you don't have a double-boiler, use a saucepan - bring the water to a boil, and then use a stainless steel bowl to rest in the saucepan to melt the chocolate.
SECRET #2
Strawberries are grown with many pesticides, so rinse the strawberries first with a veggie wash, and let them drain on paper towels until they were thoroughly dry so the chocolate would adhere properly. Any moisture would have interfered with the chocolate adhering.
SECRET #3
Spike the strawberries! Fill a syringe with a sweet white dessert wine, and slowly inject the wine into the strawberries from near the stem (after you've done the dipping in chocolate.) You want to inject enough wine to saturate the berries, but watch not to add too much otherwise they end up becoming runny. These are always a hit when I bring them to dinner parties.
SECRET #4
Pierce the strawberries on the stem side with a toothpick. Holding the strawberry by the toothpick, dip into the chocolate mixture. Turn the strawberries upside down and insert the toothpick into Styrofoam for the chocolate to cool.
PERFECT Chocolate Covered Strawberries Recipes
A delicious twist on my favorite red velvet cake recipe. Yum.
HOMEMADE RED VELVET CHEESECAKE RECIPE
Ingredients
CRUST:
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/4 cup butter, melted
1-1/2 TBS white sugar
shaved chocolate bar
CHEESECAKE:
3 (8oz) pkgs cream cheese, softened
1-1/2 cups white sugar
4 eggs, beaten
3 TBS cocoa, unsweetened
1 cup sour cream
1/2 cup buttermilk*
1 TBS pure vanilla extract
1 tsp white vinegar
2 (1oz) bottles of red food coloring
TOPPING:
3 oz cream cheese, softened
1/4 cup butter, softened
2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
shaved chocolate bar, for garnish
Directions
PREHEAT oven to 325 degrees. The cake is baked with a water bath to prevent cracking. Wrap a large pan with foil (big enough for the spring form pan to fit in).
Mix the graham crackers and sugar together and add the melted butter. Mix with a fork and press into a 9 inch spring form pan. Sprinkle the bottom of the crust with chocolate shavings from a candy bar.
Beat 3 packages of cream cheese with 1-1/2 cups white sugar until fluffy. Add the remaining ingredients and mix well. Pour into the prepared spring form pan and place in the center of the foil covered pan. Fill with water.
Bake for 10 minutes and lower oven temperature to 300 degrees and bake for 70-80 minutes. The cheesecake is done when the center is firm. Cool completely on a wire rack.
TOPPING:
Beat the cream cheese with the butter until fluffy. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla extract and mix until smooth and creamy. Spread evenly over the top of the cooled cheesecake. Garnish with the shaved chocolate bar.
*Buttermilk:
Place 1-1/2 tsp vinegar or lemon juice in 1/2 measuring cup and fill remainder with milk. Wait 15 minutes, stir, and it's ready for this recipe.