Hello blog world....

So I have been thinking for a while that I should put my obsession with food and cooking on record and start to share what I have discovered and what I hope to continue to discover with the world.

I will start with something simple to ease myself into this somewhat foreign idea of writing down my thoughts and actions. Today I have finally made my first batch of mayonnaise. To some this may be no great challenge but it has been a culinary adventure I have steered clear of, for fear of splitting and what not! It turns out it is actually quite easy, either that or I had beginners luck. You start with an egg yolk, whisk it with some mustard and then slowly whisk in a disgusting amount of oil. In the recipe I used it was recommended for beginners to use part olive oil part vegetable oil to avoid the dreaded splitting, which I followed. You then add lemon and salt and pepper for seasoning. I found I needed a lot of salt to get the mayonnaise tasting 'normal' but I would think that would be down to preference.
Once finished I took a small amount (the recipe makes quite a lot of mayonnaise) and added some minced garlic. I then served this delicious creamy garlic mayonnaise with some pan fried smoked salmon fillets, new potatoes, salad and corn on the cob. It was an easy addition that made a boring dinner a little more exciting.

Mayonnaise Recipe:

1 organic or free range egg yolk
1 tsp Dijon Mustard
1 pint Olive oil (or for beginners 1/2 olive 1/2 veg/sunflower oil)
1 Fresh lemon
Salt and Pepper

In a bowl, whisk (either by hand or with an electric whisk) the yolk and mustard together. Once combined begin to add the oil a tiny drop at a time. Only whisk in more oil once the previous drop is fully combined. After adding about 3 tablespoons of oil you can begin to drizzle the oil in as you whisk but remember to take it slow or your mayo will split. Apparently if it does split you can sometimes save it by adding a small amount of warm water but it is recommended to start again. This is why the part olive part vegetable oil trick is suggested so you don't waste lots of expensive olive oil as a beginner. Once you have your extra thick mayonnaise, add lemon juice and seasoning to taste. This will loosen the mix up a bit and make it really nice and creamy. After that you can add any herbs or spices to make it go with loads of different types of food, or of course enjoy as it is!

So this is my first post! Hope its not boring and is slightly helpful in some way. Feedback would be lovely though please be nice to this new blogger.