Matters of Taste

Having a Ball......with Red Velvet Cake Mix

Even after 30 years writing about food and drink, I manage to learn something new every day. And much of the time, that’s thanks to my kids.

Take, for example, my recent encounter with Red Velvet Cake Balls. Maybe this is old news to you. Maybe you already knew about these luscious blobs of tinted buttermilk cake, cream cheese frosting and thick chocolate ganache.
But I was completely entranced when my son’s friend Katie showed up at his apartment with a large baking sheet crowded with dozens of the still-gooey globes.
It was Ben’s Cinco de Mayo party. I helped him ready the buffet table with carnitas, taco shells, guacamole, chips and salsa. But my contribution to the fiesta paled when Katie arrived with the glistening cake balls.
Twenty-eight years in the trenches as newspaper food editor and I had no idea how one would go about baking a round cake. Did you have to pour batter into a rounded muffin pan and glue two halves together with frosting, or what?
 
Katie shared her source with me -- Bakerella.com, a fascinating Website with great photos, easy-to-follow recipes and over-the-top inspiration for Cake Balls, Cupcake Pops, Balls and Bites. There’s also a Pop Shop where you can purchase candy molds, coatings, sticks, etc. and the enticing cookbook, “Cake Pops,” released last year and also available at Amazon.com for $11.97.

(This photo of precise, professional Cake Balls is from the Bakerella Website; the Cinco de Mayo desserts were larger and drenched in tons of melted chocolate.)

I was completely blown away by the recipe and directions for Red Velvet Cake Balls. .
For starters, you bake a regular red velvet cake, from scratch or packaged mix.Then…
1. Crumble the whole cake into a bowl. (Whaaaat?)
2. Using your hands, mix in a load of cream cheese frosting (homemade or packaged. (Whoa!)
3. Roll the mixture into balls, place on a cookie sheet and chill.
4. Drench in classy chocolate ganache or foolproof microwaved chocolate “bark.” (Wow!)

The result is super moist, super chocolatey, super fun.
You can follow Bakerella’s recipe on-line....or invite Katie to your next party.

 

Oh, Oh, Oh, Oregano

Forget Kim Kardashian’s “signature” perfume, and the new scent with the SayWhat? name: “Juliette Has a Gun.”  The fragrance that has totally hypnotized me is that of sun-dried oregano from Mt. Taygetos in southern Greece.

I’m sure I’m not the only who who tends to think of oregano as a mundane herb that sits for too long in the spice drawer and gets trotted out pretty much just for pizza. But a friend recently brought me a package of whole branches of dried oregano, imported by Optima Foods. The aroma was intoxicating and made me crave foods that are natural sidekicks for the herb.

For starters, I ordered barbecued chicken pizza from our local Pizza on Pearl and loaded it up with the crushed leaves. Two nights later I made homemade pizza with grilled sweet onion and zucchini, tomato sauce, mozzarella and a blizzard of oregano. I also did a vinaigrette with red wine vinegar, mild olive oil, minced garlic and enough oregano to transport me to the Peloponnese when I closed my eyes. The next night: lamb meatloaf seasoned with…yeah, you get the picture.

We spend lots of money on fancy ingredients and look for inspiration in trendy cookbooks. But, in fact, sometimes all we need is a very simple ingredient harvested and handled with care. (By the way, oregano from Sicily and Calabria is also pretty wonderful.)

Mt. Taygetos oregano is available on-line at many sites, including ChristosMarket.com. I’m guessing it’s also in many supermarkets. A large bunch costs about $3.

For a fabulous bruschetta, rub toasted slices of country-style bread with the cut side of a clove of garlic. Spoon fresh ricotta cheese (preferably room temperature) on top and season with a bit of coarse salt and freshly ground pepper. Sprinkle generously with dried oregano leaves that you’ve crushed in the palm of your hand. Drizzle with some good olive oil.

Pre-Pre-Gaming

Is there such a thing?

I mean, can one start drinking two weeks before a night out instead of the customary two hours?

This week I experimented with the concept by making myself a Poquito Picante, in anticipation of visiting that cocktail’s birthplace – Yerba Buena restaurant in New York City – later this month.

What’s so hot about a Poquito Picante, you ask? I wondered the same thing when our son Ben called one morning from his home in New York City raving about the “awesome” cocktail he had discovered the night before.  The New York Times seems to be of a like mind, calling the restaurant’s cocktail list “a knock-out” and adding that “everything tastes good while sipping a Poquito Picante… (Photo by Rebecca McAlpin for The New York Times.)

The Web site Metromix.com also sang the praises of the PP at YB in a post entitled “New York’s Spiciest Cocktails.”

“A textbook handling of heat in a cocktail: the subtle spice adds body and texture, rather than sharpness or pain, and serves as a distinct flavor before giving way to other notes, like the cucumber’s freshness. A fire that warms rather than burns you.”

And apparently the Poquito Picante isn’t the only thing worth raving about at Yerba Buena (which has two locations, on Avenue A in East Village and Perry Street in the West Village). Our other son, Nicholas, visiting his brother from Seattle, also sang the praises of the eatery’s pan-Latin food, including to-die-for renditions of “coffee-glazed pork belly” and “tamarind-glazed duck confit,” a modern way of saying ropa vieja. 

I hate being left out of the party. That’s why Yerba Buena will be the first stop on my trip to New York next week. Stay tuned.

Here’s the recipe for the Poquito Picante to hold you over ‘til you, too, can visit Yerba Buena.

Ingredients:
6 to 8 cilantro leaves
2 slices of cucumber with skin
3 slices of seedless jalapeño
¾ ounce fresh lemon juice
¾ ounce simple syrup
½ ounce Cointreau
2 ounces gin

Gently muddle cilantro, cucumber, and jalapeño with lemon juice. Add remaining ingredients. Shake well and double strain through fine mesh strainer.
Garnish with a dry chili pepper or a small bird chili.

--

My "Date" with Tyler Florence

I rarely make desserts at home, so it took a serendipitous alignment of the fates for me to discover Tyler Florence’s sensational   over the weekend.

#1. I had just bought a package of dates for the “Mediterranean plates” my husband makes for breakfast every morning. #2. I happen to be flipping through Florence’s new cookbook “Tyler Florence Family Meal” when the page fell open to the pudding photo. And, #3, we had invited friends to dinner on Saturday night.

 

A half hour before they arrived I figured, What the Hey, and out came the electric mixer and a carton of eggs. Not only is this one of the most scrumptious creations ever, but it was ridiculously easy to make, and damn healthy too (there’s just ¼ cup heavy cream involved….the dates and egg whites create the moisture and richness).

Here's the recipe. But there are so many good-sounding dishes -- Haute Dogs with Tarragon Mustard or Asparagus Risotto with Black Truffle and Poached Egg, anyone? -- you might just want to buy the book. It's available at Amazon.com for $20.

 

WARM AND CRUSTY DATE PUDDING

Serves 8

6 ounces pitted dates, about 2 cups

3/4 cup water

1 1/4 cups sugar

1 tablespoon pure vanilla extract

6 large egg whites

1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

Confectioners' sugar, for dusting

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Spray a 1 1/2 quart souffle dish with non-stick spray. (I schmeared  the dish with butter.)

Put the dates and water in a pot over medium-low heat. Cook and stir for 10 minutes until the dates are very soft. Transfer the softened dates to a food processor and puree until smooth. Add the sugar and vanilla, puree again until well-blended. Scoop out the puree into a mixing bowl. Sift together the cocoa powder and flour and add to the date mixture. Fold using a rubber spatula; combine gently until well mixed.

In a mixing bowl, whip the egg whites until they form stiff peaks. Fold the egg whites into the date mixture.

Pour the batter into the coated souffle dish, spreading it evenly with a spatula. Bake on the middle rack for 25 minutes until the outside is just set. Cool to room temperature. Shake some confectioners' sugar on top and serve.

The Beet Salad to Beat

Carl Schroeder, the genius behind Market in Del Mar and the new Bankers Hill Bar & Restaurant in San Diego, is loved and respected for many things: Cabernet-braised short ribs with sweet onion-potato puree; duck confit; blue cheese soufflé; and roasted king salmon with cauliflower gratin among them. But it’s his beet salad with goat cheese – first introduced at Arterra in 2002 -- that folk seem to fuss over the most.

And now it seems that Schroeder has done the impossible: Made it better.

Last week I enjoyed a terrific dinner at Bankers Hill. Kicking it off was the Roasted Beet & Fuji Apple Salad, an elegant assembly of red and yellow beets, wide, tissue-thin shavings of apple, arugula, goat cheese, candied almonds and creamy mustard dressing. Since I’m not normally crazy about fruit being slipped into a salad --- I especially dislike interloping berries --- I was pleasantly surprised to discover the flavor and texture boost provided by the sweet, crisp apple.

It seemed to me that the chef cored the apple, left the skin on, then ran the whole apple over a razor-sharp mandoline. The graceful ribbons tickled the tongue and looked beautiful atop the greens…if Christo ever decided to get into food, this is how it might look!

Chef Schroeder’s recipe follows. He, of course, roasts the beets and candies the almonds himself. However, to streamline the process, I suggest buying pre-cooked, cryovac-packaged beets (available at Trader Joe’s and other markets) and packaged candied almonds or even pecans or hazelnuts. Most important of all, use a good mandoline to get the apple slices paper-thin.

BANKERS HILL BEET SALAD
Serves 6

2 large yellow beets, roasted and sliced into rounds
2 bunches baby red beets, roasted and cut into quarters
6 oz baby arugula
1 large Fuji apple, shaved
1/2 cup candied almonds
6 oz. fresh goat cheese
1/4 cup of your favorite vinaigrette
Salt and pepper to taste
Honey Mustard Dressing, for drizzling

Dress the yellow and red beets separately in vinaigrette. Season with salt
and pepper. Place 2 slices of yellow beet in the center of each plate. In
a separate bowl, toss together the arugula, shaved apples, goat cheese and
candied almonds with vinaigrette and salt and pepper to taste. Top each
plate of yellow beets with a small handful of the salad. Place the red
beets around the outside. Drizzle with honey mustard dressing.



HONEY MUSTARD DRESSING

1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 sour cream
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 tablespoons whole grain mustard
2 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons cider Vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/2 teaspoon salt
Pinch freshly ground pepper

In Praise of Pumpkin Bread Pudding

What a year for desserts. The “ink” is barely dry on my flowery homage to the crackly caramel apple millefeuille tart at Les Moutardiers in Avignon, France, when, BAM, I fall totally in love with a bread pudding to beat all bread puddings.

That would be pastry chef Jojo Rossi’s Pumpkin Bread Pudding at Whisknladle in La Jolla. Named to Conde Nast Traveller’s “Hot List Tables” for 2008, Whisknladle is a captivating place, known for its inventive cuisine and stylish open-air dining room.

One evening last week, my husband, son and I had trouble choosing just one of the menu’s desserts to share. The competition was stiff: Jojo’s Cookie Plate, an assortment of three housebaked cookies; Gianduja Pots de Crème with whipped cream and “brutti ma buoni” cookies; Country Apple Tart; and the winner, Pumpkin Bread Pudding.

We were the winners, actually. The pudding was a marvel of cream and egg yolks and fresh pumpkin puree, spiced with the traditional holiday mix. But what sets this pudding apart is the addition of meringue -- beaten egg whites with sugar -- which gives it a voluminous texture and voluptuous mouthfeel. Crunchy pecan streusel and an orb of deliriously creamy butter rum ice cream completes the pretty picture.

Chef Rossi agreed to share her recipe, which is ideal for the Thanksgiving Day table.

WHISKNLADLE'S PUMPKIN BREAD PUDDING

1 loaf sandwich bread (Chef Rossi uses Bread & Cie’s Pullman Loaf)

Butter & Sugar for Pan
Raw sugar for sprinkling on top of bread pudding
For Custard:
2 cups Milk
2 cups Cream
1 cup Butter melted & cooled to room temp
1 cup Dark Brown Sugar
8 Egg Yolks
2 cups Fresh Pumpkin Puree
1 tsp Cinnamon
½ tsp Nutmeg freshly grated
½ tsp Ginger ground
¼ tsp Clove ground
¼ tsp Allspice ground
¼ tsp Cardamom ground
For Meringue:
4 Egg Whites
2 Tbs sugar
½ tsp Salt
Directions:
Preheat oven to 325
Butter and sugar 8 Ramekins or 1 9x13 square baking pan
Cut bottom and side crusts off of bread and cut bread in to 1 inch pieces.  Toast on a sheet pan until golden brown.
Prepare custard:
Whisk together milk, cream, melted butter, brown sugar, yolks, pumpkin and spices.
Remove bread from oven and transfer to a mixing bowl while still hot. Pour custard over hot bread and allow mixture to soak for 15 minutes
Prepare Meringue:
Whip egg whites and salt until foamy.  Add 1 teaspoon of sugar.  When whites begin to climb up the sides of the bowl gradually add remaining sugar until medium peaks form.
Gently fold meringue into pumpkin and bread mixture making sure not to fully incorporate.
Bake in a water bath covered with foil for 30 minutes. Remove foil and sprinkle with raw sugar.  Continue baking until bread puddings are cooked though and tops are toasted about 12 minutes more.

Rossi suggests topping the pudding with a basic flour-sugar-oats-butter streusel. She bakes the streusel first, then crumbles it atop the pudding just before serving. Serve with whipped cream flavored with cinnamon and rum, or specialty ice cream such as Haagen Dazs, McConnell's or Marble Slab.

 

 

Cooking in "The Kitchen That Sings"

Who would have thought that Grilled Shrimp with a Charred Pineapple and Mango Salsa would be so popular?

Apparently, the hands-on cooking class I was scheduled to teach this week at Rancho La Puerta sold out soon after guests arrived on Saturday for their week-long visits. So I get to teach the class twice! (Rancho La Puerta, in Tecate, Mexico, was recently named the “World’s Best Destination Spa” by Travel & Leisure magazine.)

 

The seven dishes we’re preparing in the classes, which are held at the Ranch’s stunning La Cocina Que Canta cooking school, are among the best recipes I discovered during my 25-plus years as food editor and columnist at the San Diego Union-Tribune. Some came from cookbooks I reviewed, some from interviews I did with prominent chefs, others came from restaurants or cooking classes I attended. Some were winners of the “Reader-Write-In” contests we occasionally held at the UT.

I made subtle adjustments to the recipes to fit the Ranch’s menu criteria: a seasonal, vegetable-based diet that’s low in fat, sodium, refined flour and sugar, while high in fiber and complex carbohydrates. (Some seafood is allowed.)

Here at La Cocina Que Canta, each class begins with a walk through the sprawling 6-acre garden that supplies  much of the food served at the Ranch.  Since the watercress and endive that my recipe -- Salad of Belgian Endive, Watercress, Walnuts and pears with Gorgonzola Cheese and Walnut Vinagrette -- called for were not available in Tecate, the  “students” got to harvest several different types of beautiful lettuce for the salad, as well as a half-dozen types of fragrant herbs.

Salvatore, the affable genius behind the garden, introduced us all to many fruits, vetetables and flowers, including the mysterious shungiku, a leafy, slightly peppery green that’s popular in Asia. Also called edible crysanthemum, this wispy plant is prized for the flavor and textural interest it adds to a salad. In our class we paired it with the white bean puree we lathered on olive-oil-brushed crostini. (The folks at Specialty Produce in San Diego, my go-to source for produce information, suggest tossing shungiku with steamed vegetables, or using it in stir-frys and to flavor homemade pickles.)

Back in the kitchen, the enthusiastic and competent group of 16 made short work of charred pineapple salsa; marinated shrimp threaded on rosemary branches instead of bamboo skewers;  a versatile lentil dish with roasted peppers, feta cheese and fresh mint; butternut squash risotto; and a golden, bubbling pear gratin.

La Cocina Que Canta Cooking School and Culinary Center at Rancho La Puerta features classes with renowned guest chefs such as Deborah Madison, Rick Bayless, John Ash and Patricia Wells. Hands-on and demo classes are open to Ranch guests, most of whom enroll in a Saturday-to-Saturday program. However, day visitors may sign up for "Saturdays at the Ranch" cooking adventures, and the cooking school is available for private parties, group retreats and other special events.

Here’s the recipe for the Grilled Shrimp with Chile-Cumin Marinade and Charred Pineapple and Mango Salsa that my class made this week.  It's from chef Rick Moonen's cookbook, "Fish Without a Doubt." 

 
Grilled Shrimp with Chili-Cumin Marinade

(From “Fish Without a Doubt” by Rick Moonen and Roy Finamore)

1 tablespoon chili powder

2 teaspoons cumin seeds, toasted and ground

¼ cup minced onion

2 teaspoons chopped garlic

2 tablespoons fresh lime juice

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 ½ pounds extra-large (16-20 count) shrimp, shelled

Coarse salt and freshly ground white pepper, to taste

Charred Pineapple and Mango Salsa, recipe follows

 

Combine the chili powder, cumin, onion, garlic, lime juice and oil in an 8-inch baking dish. Stir well. The marinade will look like a wet tapenade.

Divide the shrimp into 4 potions and double-skewer them on bamboo skewers. Season with salt and white pepper. Add the shrimp to the marinade turning them so they’re well coated. Cover with plastic and refrigerate for 2 to 4 hoiurs.

Prepare an outdoor grill or heat a cast-iron grill pan. If using a grill, when the coals are hot, set the grate on the lowest level (closest to the coats) and get it very hot, then brush the grate with vegetable oil.

Grill the shrimp for 1 ½ to 2 minutes per side; if you want to check, the thickest part of the shrimp should be slightly translucent in the center.

Serve with the salsa.

Serves 4.

 

Charred Pineapple and Mango Salsa

 3 slices fresh pineapple, each about ¼-inch thick

1 ripe mango

Grated zest and juice of 2 limes

1 small red onion, diced

1 small red bell pepper, diced

1 small green bell pepper, diced

2 scallions, chipped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil

Coarse salt

Chili powder

 

Prepare a charcoal or gas grill.

When the grill is hot (you can hold your hand 5 inches above the fire for just 5 seconds), place the pineapple slices on the grill. Cook until they appear charred – dark in color with nice grill marks, but not blackened – on the first side.  Turn them over and char the other side. Take them off the grill and let cool.

You can also heat a ridged cast-iron pan on the stovetop over high heat until very hot (about 3 minutes) and grill the pineapple as above.

Meanwhile, peel the mango and slice the flesh from the pit. Cut the slices into medium dice and drop into a medium bowl. Toss with the lime zest and juice.

When the pineapple has cooled to room temperature, cut it into medium dice and add to the bowl, along with the red onion, bell peppers, scallions, garlic and cilantro and stir well. Add the olive oil and season with salt and chili powder, to taste. Cover the plastic and refrigerate for a few hours until ready to serve. This is best the day it’s made.

Makes about 3 cups.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Best-Ever Way to Make Pizza

Okay. Let’s make that “The Best-Ever Way to Make Pizza if You Don’t Happen to Own a Fancy-Schmancy Wood-Burning Oven Imported from Italy.”

Recently I discovered the joys of making pizza on the backyard grill. In the process of creating recipes for a story in Coastal Living magazine, I tossed some pizza dough on our Kirkland gas grill, and was blown away by the way it poufed up into a camera-ready pie in two minutes flat.  

For my story – a SoCal Thanksgiving celebration -- my editors at Coastal Living wanted an appetizer that Turkey Day guests could nibble while sipping aperitifs on an oceanfront bluff. (Yes, it’s true that most November days here are warm enough for an outdoor, mid-day feast.) I figured pizza would be easy to make, and everyone could gather round the grill while it cooked. What I didn’t figure on was that I’d never go back to a pizza stone and 450-degree oven again. Ever.

I’m afraid I can’t give you the scrumptious recipe right now. You’ll have to wait and see the November issue of the hip, handsome magazine. Let’s just say it involves peppered smoked salmon. Let’s just say you’re gonna love it. (I probably could have done a better job on this photo, but it would have meant waiting a few extra minutes to eat the pizza. Never gonna happen.)

However, I can tell you now that grilling pizza is the way to go. Last night I experimented some more, this time with a blob of Trader Joe’s freshly prepared pizza dough. (It’s sold in the refrigerator case and must be used within a few days of purchase). I brushed the rolled out slab with a bit of olive oil; oiled the hot (but not too hot) grill; tossed the doughy disc on and closed the lid.

After one minute, I flipped the dough gingerly. It had beautiful grill marks and dramatic air  bubbles. After another minute I removed the finished dough to the side of the grill, layered on thin slices of mozzarella, then spooned on a mixture of halved cherry tomatoes, chopped sweet onion, fresh basil, snipped chives, salt and pepper. Back onto the grill (with the heat turned off) for another couple minutes, and, finally, a pizza worth shouting about.

Check out the story in Coastal Living November. for much, much better photos, and the recipe.

 

Around the World in 309 Recipes

If I stood on a stack of Steven Raichlen’s cookbooks, I just might be able to dunk a basketball. One of the most prolific authors out there (12 tomes and counting), Raichlen is also one of the most intelligent, creative and thorough. Oh, and did I mention charming?

 

His just-released “Planet Barbecue!” is a compilation of 309 recipes from 60 countries. It’s a tantalizing tour that’ll have you firing up the barbie even in the rain.

Written in a breezy, conversational tone, the book whisks us through Two Million Years of Barbecue History; introduces us to fascinating people like The Bonfire Brothers (2 Brazilian restaurateurs lured to Texas by none-other than George Dub-yah) and The Barbecue Queen of the Philippines (famed for her spit-roasted pig); teaches us how to tie a Surgeon’s Lock Knot (so that bird or roast doesn’t fall off the spit); regales us with stories of his travels; and delivers 20 “secrets” to The Perfect Burger. (One hint: the fat content of the two cuts of beef must be exactly 22 percent.)

There’s a colorful profile of each country, along with attractive “sidebars” on everything from what to drink with barbecue in Jamaica to the one restaurant you mustn’t miss in Florence, Italy.

Photos are of real people doing real cooking with real passion, instead of stylist-perfect still-lifes. And the recipes, everything from Tuscan Grilled Toasts and Kuwaiti Chile Shrimp to Romanian Garlic Steak and Australian Lamb on a Shovel, are intriguing and delicious. Instructions are clear and concise, with just enough hand-holding. The typeface and lay-out are attractive and friendly to baby-boomer eyes.

I had never tried stuffing a pork tenderloin (they seem too skinny for that) or spit roasting one either, until I experimented with Raichlen’s Pork Tenderloin Grilled with Bacon and Prunes. The Brazilian dish looked beautiful when sliced on the diagonal and offered great flavors and varied textures. I paired it with Cambodian Coconut-Grilled Corn which was swabbed with a simple coconut milk concoction that imparted a subtle sweetness. My next adventure will be the Puerto Rican Pork Shoulder (with Sparkling Barbecue Sauce) pictured here. (Photo by Ben Fink).

Here's the recipe for the unusual corn. "Planet Barbecue!" is available at Amazon.com for $23.10.

 

COCONUT-GRILLED CORN (POD OENG)

Serves 4

¾ cup unsweetened coconut milk

2 tablespoons palm sugar or light brown sugar, or more to taste

1 piece (2-inches) pandamus leaf, or 1 or 2 bay leaves

¼ teaspoon salt

4 ears of corn, husked or husk stripped back and tied with butcher string

 

Combine the coconut milk, palm sugar, pandamus leaf or bay leaf, and salt in a small saucepan over medium heat and let simmer gently until the sugar dissolves, 3 to 5 minutes. Taste for sweetness, adding more sugar if necessary. Remove the pan from the heat and let the basting mixture cool to room temperature.

Set up the grill for direct grilling and preheat it to high.

When ready to cook, brush and oil and grill grate. Place the corn on the hot grate and grill it until nicely browned on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes per side, 8 to 12 minutes in all, turning with tongs. Start basting the corn with some of the coconut milk mixture after a few minutes and baste it again several times as it grills.

Baste the corn one final time and transfer it to a platter or plates, and serve.

 

 

 

Donuts. Is There Anything They Can't Do?

With all due credit to Matt Groening and Homer Simpson, I’ve been wondering the same thing lately about mayonnaise.

It all started when the guy who just finished stripping and re-staining our hardwood floors came into the kitchen with an unusual request. Did I have any mayonnaise? I figured he had a lackluster egg salad sandwich in his lunchbox. But, in fact, he had found a nasty smudge on the new floor and he assured me a plop of mayo would buff the booboo right out of there.

The same week, my husband and I were served a scrumptious piece of Alaskan halibut during dinner at the home of friends. The hostess said she was embarrassed to tell me how simple the recipe was. I figured it was some creative marinade or expensive sous-vide cooking gizmo. Nope. Mayonnaise.

A super-fresh fillet, lightly schmeared with mayo, dusted with freshly grated parmesan, and popped in the oven. Minimal effort, minimal fat…maximum satisfaction.

Next up was Alfred Portale’s Roast Turkey, Avocado, Bacon and Blue Cheese Sandwich. I was thumbing through this New York City chef’s cookbook (one of my favorites) looking for a recipe to use the avocados that our next-door neighbor (who has an avocado ranch north of San Diego) had handed over the fence to me. The sandwich, on lightly grilled ciabatta bread with thick slab bacon and Maytag blue cheese, was crowned with homemade aioli. I’d go so far as to call this French version of mayo – spiked with garlic, cayenne, lemon zest and Champagne vinegar – a “miracle.”

A duded-up ear of corn was Number Four in the Mayo Marathon. While testing recipes from BBQ guru Steven Raichlen’s newest book (“Planet Barbecue!”), I stumbled upon a page entitled “Grilled Corn Around the World.” According to Raichlen, Mexican corn is traditionally “grilled over charcoal, slathered with mayonnaise, crusted with grated Cotija cheese, and seasoned with fresh lime juice and chile powder.” (Mexican corn photo from Ehow.com.)  Mouthwatering as that sounded, I opted for Cambodian Coconut-Grilled Corn to accompany the Pork Tenderloin Grilled with Bacon and Prunes that I was testing. I’ll post a review of “Planet Barbecue!” later this week

Below is Portale’s aioli recipe from “Simple Pleasures” by Alfred Portale and Andrew Friedman.

(By the way, the mayo did seem to gloss over the smudge, but did nothing for a couple of scratches in the new surface.)

AIOLI

1 egg yolk, at room temperature

1 ½ tablespoons champagne vinegar, plus more if needed

1 teaspoon minced garlic, mashed with ¼ teaspoon coarse salt

Pinch of cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon finely chopped lemon zest

½ cup canola oil

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Coarse salt

Freshly ground white pepper, to taste

In a small bowl, whisk together the egg yolk, vinegar, garlic, cayenne and lemon zest. Whisk in some canola oil, a few drops at a time at first, then gradually in a very thin stream, to form a thick, emulsified mixture. Then whisk in the olive oil in the same way. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Use immediately or cover and refrigerate for up to 3 days.