Homemade Mayonnaise

One of the joys of getting a Cuisinart in 1975 was making mayonnaise. Hellman's is fine and often preferred, but the magic of the swirling blade was irresistible.

This is a good standard recipe. The quality and taste of the oil makes all the difference.

Ingredients:

1 whole egg
1 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
1 1/2 cups oil

Blend the egg, vinegar (or lemon juice), salt and pepper in the food processor for a few seconds. With the blade still whirring, gradually add the oil through the feed tube, slowly at first. The mixture will thicken to a normal mayonnaise consistency. Taste and add more vinegar, salt and pepper if necessary.

Tomata Honey (Second Version)

While reading Elizabeth David's An omelet and a Glass of Wine, I found a second recipe for Tomato (or tomata as the recipe is called) Honey which she says she found "excellent". This recipe comes from Miss Leslie's Complete Cookery, Philadelphia, 1837 and is American rather than English.

The recipe is as follows:

"To each pound of tomatoes, allow the grated peel of a lemon and six fresh peach leaves. Boil them slowly till they are all to pieces; then squeeze and strain them through a bag. To each pint of liquid allow a pound of loaf-sugar, and the juice of one lemon. boil them together half an hour, or till they become a thick jelly. Then put it into glasses, and lay double tissue paper closely over the top. It will be scarcely distinguishable from real honey."

David recommends using very juicy tomatoes to get enough yield of the juice. She substituted a few drops of almond extract for the peach leaves.

Tomato Honey

One of the books I found in the Cutchogue Library was Janet McKenzie Hill's 1927 edition of Canning, Preserving and Jelly Making. It has great recipes for all sorts of fruits and vegetables including varieties that we think of as designer or heirloom today. This one sounds interesting:

Tomato Honey

To each pound of ripe tomatoes, allow the grated rind of a lemon. Cut the tomatoes in small pieces, add the rind, and let cook rapidly till the water is evaporated, then strain through a fine sieve. Measure the pulp and for each pint take a pound of sugar (two cups) and the juice of a lemon. Let all cook together very quickly until quite thick, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon. Apples or pears may be prepared by this recipe.

Anyone like to try it?

More Interesting Relatives - The Mayflower

I came across another interesting relative - Edward Winslow- in this book review:
'Mayflower,' by Nathaniel Philbrick - The New York Times - Book Review - New York Times

Edward gets higher marks than William Bringhurst in terms of good relations with the Indians.

From Quaker to Mormon - William Bringhurst

We had always heard that one of the Bringhursts had gone out to Utah with Brigham Young. I don't know how he is related to Papa (Frederick Bringhurst), but William Bringhurst is the one. See The First 100 Persons Who Shaped Southern Nevada for a photo and some details.

His father was Joseph Bringhurst and his mother was Elizabeth Evans. Presumably they were all originally Quakers. However, in looking at where people were buried, it seems as though William brought his mother out west along with his sisters and some brothers.

I'm sure that there is an interesting story behind it all.