Mr. Mayonnaise in the French Resistance

Adolph Hitler was not a lover of mayonnaise, which is really quite surprising considering mayonnaise is white and far superior to all other condiments. During World War II, Georges Mora [born Gunter Morawski in Leipzig in 1913] and French mime artist Marcel Marceau were refugee smugglers with the French Resistance. Mora observed German soldiers would never search sandwiches with mayonnaise for fear it would stain their uniforms. (Hitler was a bit of a Nazi when it came to uniforms.)

[Australian documentary filmmaker Philippe] Mora, 60, praised the bravery of his father and Marceau. ”Marceau told me this story about my dad being called Mr Mayonnaise in the French Resistance.”

His father, who had escaped from Germany after the book-burning, noticed German soldiers would never search sandwiches containing mayonnaise in case drips stained their uniforms.

So the Resistance wrapped the identity papers of Jewish children being smuggled over borders in grease-proof paper, smeared them with mayonnaise and inserted them into sandwiches.

Once again, mayonnaise saves lives. Is there anything it can’t do?

Read more on how mayonnaise sandwiches saved kids from Nazis.

Mayonnaise 911

A redditor sent me this message regarding his mayonnaise:

Yesterday I attempted to make the mayonnaise you had discussed on your AmA thread, unfortunately it was not a success. It never thickened while I was making it and was a yellow color much darker than any mayo I have ever seen. I was hoping it would thicken in the fridge, but alas, all of the ingredients separated (oil on top, spices on the bottom, misc in the middle). I whisked it for quite a while (it took about a 1/2 hour to make) and even used an electric egg beater at one point hoping it would speed up the process. All of the ingredients were at room temperature when i started except for the eggs which were a little cook and the lard was cold (it had come out of the freezer about an hour beforehand).
tsulahmi

Chances are he didn’t do anything wrong. Making perfect mayonnaise takes time and skill, and a whole lot of patience. My first failed attempt at making mayonnaise is legendary (just ask my wife). It took me several attempts to get it just right. Also keep in mind that the weather can have a lot to do with how your mayonnaise turns out. If it’s a rainy, humid day, mayonnaise can be just as stubborn as your hair. You always want to make your mayonnaise in a cool, dry place if possible.

Here are some pointers:
• For maximum mayonnaise making success, always start with room temperature ingredients.
• Beat your egg yolks separately until they are thick and appear sticky. Your oil is more easily emulsified that way.
• Add your oil very slowly, just a few drops at a time, beating well between each addition to avoid overwhelming the yolk and curdling the mixture. When the mixture starts resembling thick cream, the oil can be more easily absorbed by the egg yolks.
• Do not exceed half a cup of oil per egg yolk, at least initially. The chances of ruining your mayo increases with higher proportions of oil versus water (egg yolks are half water), and who wants to risk such a failure when you are just starting out?
• If you plan on using an electric mixer to make mayonnaise, beat your egg yolks with salt and lemon juice on low until the mixture is thick and sticky. Gradually add your oil, beating continuously on medium speed.

Eaglstun’s Mayonnaise

Redditor eaglstun tweeted this picture of homemade mayonnaise (and ketchup — boring!) slathered all over delicious handmade cheeseburgers. It took him a few attempts to get it right, as it often does, but he got the hang of it. Soon he’ll be making mayonnaise in his sleep! Just look at this mouth-watering mayonnaise…. It’s amayonnazing!

Hamburgers and Fries, w ketchup and Wiggly Mayonnaise

Have you tried making your own Wiggly Mayonnaise at home yet? Send me pictures of your mayonnaise or tweet them @grandpawiggly ) on Twitter.