japanese mayo

i wanted to buy japanese mayo the other day so i can make kani salad but the stocks in Cherry (a really good [read: cheap and complete] supermarket near our place) of the jap mayo were only in 1 liter packaging. nye! ang laki! ang mahal pa man din, P155.00 yung pinakamura!! i still wanted to buy it... hindi ko na lang pinapakita yung price kay jojie, hehe! but when he saw me put it in the grocery cart, sabi niya doble gastos daw yun kasi pwede naman ordinaryong mayo. duh! hindi yun pwede no! ang layo ng lasa! pero dahil mahal nga at i'm sure pag nalaman niya kung magkano yun, hindi talaga siya papayag, i put the mayo back in the shelf. i told jojie na hindi ko na rin bibilhin yung kani (i already got one earlier kasi) but he said na kunin pa rin daw namin kasi pwede naman yung ladies choice.

kanina, i wanted to eat kani salad for afternoon meryenda kaya lang wala nga akong japanese mayo (although i already made california maki before using ordinary mayo at okay naman, feeling ko dit hindi mag-wo-work). pero dahil gutom na ako, i got the kani and ate two pieces. i just dipped it in soy sauce, kalamansi, and wasabi. yummy but i really wanted to eat salad. so masama man sa loob ko, i tried ladies choice mayonnaise. i got iceberg lettuce, cucumber sticks, and kani (wala ako nung orange fish eggs eh, hindi available sa supermarket). tapos i topped it with ladies choice. i mixed it and tasted it. eeew!!! lasang mayonnaise! hahaha! then i had a sudden inspiration, i put a little of the soy sauce-kalamansi-wasabi sauce in my salad and voila! ang sarap! so for dinner later, i'll be serving lechon kawali and kani salad! yey! :)

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for those who are interested in making homemade japanese mayo, here's the recipe:

3 egg yolks
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice
1-1/2 oz (50 g) white miso *
1 cup salad oil
salt to taste
sprinkle of white pepper
a pinch of grated yuzu**, lime, or lemon peel

* miso is salty paste of fermented soy beans. It is available in Asian markets and some health food stores. White miso is used for soups and dressings.

** yuzu is a Japanese orange used only for its rind. Kaffir lime used in Thai or Malaysian food is an alternative, as is lemon or lime rind.

Beat the egg yolks and lemon juice with a wooden spoon in a bowl. Continue to beat, adding the salad oil a few drops at a time until the mixture begins to emulsify. Keep on adding the rest of the oil, then stir in the miso and the seasonings."

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If you're not sanay making mayo from scratch though, mejo mahirap ito at nakakangawit. I remember my mom making homemade mayo when I was small. and the few times na pinakialaman ko siya, nasira ko yung mayo! hahaha!