Confession time: I grew up thinking that mayonnaise was the weirdest thing on this planet. I didn't like the taste, I hated it in my burgers and hotdogs, the only time I would even consider trying it was when it was part of a potato salad, a devilled egg or mixed in with ketchup to make a Venezuelan classic "salsa rosada" which was a dream when eaten with French fries. Mayonnaise on its own though... not so much. Then I moved to Spain, and everything changed.

The first time we were invited to a dinner party here and were about to dig into the most delicious Catalonian feast, our host and hostess went into the kitchen moments before serving, and all we could hear was the sound of a handheld blender, for 2 minutes, then silence.

HOMEMADE EGGLESS MAYONNAISE

(plus tartar sauce & garlic aioli)

Yield: 1 & 1/3 cups mayonnaise ⎮ Prep time: 5 minutes ⎮ Cook time: None

Ingredients

For the basic mayonnaise:

• 1/3 cup soy milk
• 1 cup neutral tasting oil (canola, safflower, sunflower, etc)
• 2 pinches of salt (or to taste)
• 1/2 lemon, juiced and added slowly to taste

For the tartar sauce variation:

• Half of your prepared basic mayonnaise (above)
• 1/2 cup finely chopped pickles
• An extra pinch of salt
• A few cracks of pepper
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• You may add additional herbs like dill, chives, etc., if desired.

For the garlic aioli:

• Half of your prepared basic mayonnaise (above)
• 1-2 garlic cloves
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. To prepare the basic mayonnaise, add the soy milk and oil in the tall glass (beaker) of a handheld blender. Blend with the handheld blender close to the bottom of the glass until you see the milk beginning to emulsify. Then continue blending by raising and lowering the blender until you have the consistency of mayonnaise.
2. Add the salt and lemon juice to taste and serve, or store in an airtight container in the fridge.
3. To make the tartar sauce variation, separate half of the basic mayonnaise and add the pickles, salt, pepper, lemon juice, and any extra additions or fresh herbs you might like.
4. To make the garlic aioli variation, use a mortar and pestle to mash together the salt and garlic cloves until a paste forms. If you don’t have a mortar and pestle, do it with your knife on a cutting board by mincing the garlic finely and mashing it with the side of your blade with the salt as you go.
5. Add the garlic and salt paste to half of the basic mayonnaise , add a squeeze of lemon juice, some freshly ground pepper and serve!