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Thursday, October 9, 2008

Let’s See...

Now, where was I? Thank you! That’s right. Mayonnaise!

My Mom doesn’t read Pink Granite. It’s not that she’s dissing me, it’s that she doesn’t have access to a computer and has little interest in changing that status. So I was on the phone with my Mom and I told her (with only a modest degree of trepidation) that I had posted THE recipe for our family’s Chicken Salad. Lightning did not strike. But she did want me to review the recipe with her - not the entire post mind you, just the recipe! Actually, just the recipe for the Chicken Salad; once again the soup was irrelevant! So I’m reading the recipe to her and I get to the third ingredient “Cain’s Mayonnaise” and she says: “No!” To which I say: “Hunh?”

Turns out, that while for my entire adult-living-out-from-under-my-parents’-roof-life I have always used Cain’s mayonnaise, my Mom uses Hellman’s! A whole lot of: “No! Really?” ensued and much backing and forthing and surprise on both ends of the phone line. I have to admit I had this one terrible moment when my heart was in my throat and I thought: “I ruined THE Chicken Salad recipe - I am my own bolt of lightning!” But as we continued to discuss the ingredients we found common ground in our mutual horror at the thought of Miracle Whip or any “light/lite” mayo-ish products tainting THE recipe. And Mom did approve the remainder of the ingredients and my instructions. (Although she found the chocolate chip cookie dough analogy somewhat disconcerting!)

But what impressed the heck out of me was that by the time we had parsed the entire recipe and process she said: “I’ll have to try the Cain’s mayonnaise sometime.” My Mom’s 84 years old - 85 next month. It’s her recipe and it was her mother’s before that. Yet, after a detailed discussion of mayonnaise and why I prefer Cain’s to Hellman’s, she wants to try it! Go Mom!

8 comments:

Sue said...

Wow!! Go Lee's mom... Here's to never stopping learning something new and - for your sake - I hope she prefers the Cain's.

Enjoy your weekend
Sue x

Ms Brown Mouse said...

Ha, if I can't find Thomy mayo, it's Hellmans that finds it's way into the brown mouse shopping basket (never even heard of the other kind).
I WISH my mum didn't read my blog, the stories I could tell ... :)

barbie2be said...

i am a hellmans/best foods girl. because that is what my mother used. and i get grossed out over things like miracle whip. my ex husband was from michigan and they used MW for everything. GACK!

Pink Granite said...

Hi Sue -
I know! Isn't that neat?
And it would be very cool if she liked the Cain's!
Hope you and Jake have a good weekend. I'll swing by and read all about it!
;o)
- Lee


Hi DMM -
Thomy, eh? So if I'm ever making my chicken salad in Australia, that's the brand to look for? It's amazing that you have Hellman's over there!
Hey did you give your Mom a secret decoder ring for your blog?
;o)
- Lee


Hi B2B -
Apparently I'm supposed to be a Hellman's gal just like you!
I know every region of the country has a slew of idiosyncratic food stuffs they swear by, but Miracle Whip is just plain icky!
;o)
- Lee

Ms Brown Mouse said...

Lee - it's a German brand, quite tangy and it very nice for when I can't be bothered making the real thing - and of course mum got the decoder ring, otherwise she'd just know I was saying terrible things about her :)

Pink Granite said...

Hi DMM -
I'm impressed you make your own mayo!
And yeah, blocking your Mum from your blog, after she's been a regular reader - that could only lead to misery!
;o)
- Lee

Anonymous said...

ok now i will try it both ways!

Pink Granite said...

Hi Carrie -
Good for you!
Good luck and let me know how it turns out!
;o)
- A.L.