Cannatuna

Story Recipe

Man does not live on bread alone, which is why he makes sandwiches. Slice your bread open, stuff in some bits and bobs and you have a portable meal. Despite what you may have heard about the Earl of Sandwich, Hillel the Elder was said to eat sandwich wraps as far back as 100 BC. Somewhere in this long history, someone made the most critical invention in sandwich technology - the condiment. What is a hotdog without mustard? A hamburger without ketchup? A sub without oil and vinegar? Condiments bring a sandwich to life.

In the Stone Soup Kitchen, Annamarie Turcauht holds a special spot among the culinary stars for her 1459 invention of mayonnaise. My friend Dave claims that the inspiration for mayo must have been the landing of the first tuna fish, but this is one of those historical facts that is way more fun than true. What is true is that mayo is an unexpected blend of eggs and oil that finds its way into many recipes. Around here, we add a special bonus to our mayo by making it with Bud Oil.

Making Mayo can be tricky, so you might want to practice with a lightly flavored oil like canola or light olive oil. Once you have the technique down, you can work with your precious Bud Oil supply. The other things you need are some mustard, lemon juice, garlic and eggs. As for equipment, odds are, Annamarie had powerful forearms to do all the mixing that mayo requires, but we use a blender. Put a tablespoon of lemon juice and another of mustard in the blender with two egg yolks. You can add garlic and herbs here for flavored mayo called aioli. Turn on the blender and then slowly drizzle oil into the mixture. This is the tricky part. Frank always gets impatient and pours in the oil so fast that the emulsion breaks and makes oily chucks that are no fun to eat. If you take your time, you get a creamy emulsion that gets thicker as you add more oil. When it is thick enough, you are done.

OK, now on to the sandwich. You can spread a couple of tablespoons of this mayo on the bread and make any kind of sandwich you like. Jennifer makes a peanut butter and mayo sandwich that she loves, but no one else is brave enough to try. My favorite is the venerable tuna salad. All you need is a can of albacore, chopped celery, onion and garlic, seasonings, bread and cheese. Mix up everything but the bread and cheese, breaking the tuna up until you get a nice smooth blob. Cover one side of the bread with slices of cheese and spread tuna on top, then close up the sandwich. The cheese will keep the bread from getting soggy, so you can put the sandwich in a baggie and head out into the world knowing that a tasty treat with a buzz in side will be ready when you are.

 

 


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