Family Weekend and a Homemade Mayonnaise Recipe

The fulfillment of the American Dream is a goal for many Filipinos, including mine. I have many goals in life and the first step towards these goals was to get my feet in the country. The first step has been done and I am currently in step two, which is having a job. However, my work visa is expiring soon and that has to be taken care of way before the deadline for all the papers to get to USCIS and get processed. Some people may think this is an easy procedure but unfortunately, it isn’t. It takes time, money, a generous employer who is willing to sponsor, and a good lawyer who is on top of things and up to date with current immigration law. Please wish me luck you guys… I want to be able to stay here in the US for good. 

This weekend, I went to Portland to welcome my Aunt to the country. She arrived in New Jersey a month ago, got her Greencard two weeks ago, and came to Portland to check out a prospective job. My Aunt’s American dream is starting to come true, all because of my Lola (grandmother) who persisted in filing for a Greencard for all of her unmarried children. My Lola religiously followed all the immigration protocol and did everything she could to be a legal immigrant in the country and include some of her children in the process. She waited and worked on papers for years and years (maybe 10 years) to make this happen, and now her dreams for her own children are finally coming into fruition.

It was a nice family reunion. The last time I saw family from the Philippines was when I went home in 2008… forever ago. My Aunt is like an older sister to me, she moved in with us when I was in high school and we always got along well. For a long time, she has tried to come to the US but to no avail. When she finally gave up this pursuit and found happiness and content in what she had going back home, this opportunity came up and it would be a shame to pass it up. So she’s here and is all nervous, excited, scared, and unsure about things… much like I was when I first came. Her wide-eyed look and timidity reminded me of how I felt five years ago. She will be fine though… the homesickness and the newness will pass, replaced by familiarity in a newfound home, new friends, and a sense of adventure in every day experiences.

My Lola though is old. She has aged so much since the last time I saw her, moves slow, and is not up for talking much anymore. We have never really been close but she is my family and my history and I do love her. Most of the time though, I just really wonder what she thinks of me.

Because of the busy weekend, I was unable to make this week’s Food Matter’s Project recipe, Tofu Mayo and Bread-and-Nut Mayo, chosen by the lovely Sophie of Biographie de ma Faim. Please check her website for the original Mark Bittman recipe.

Even though I didn’t get to make this week’s recipe, I would like to share the Homemade Mayonnaise that I made this summer. Head on over to that post because I have great recipes for coleslaw and hotdog buns too. Homemade mayo is so wonderful and tastes a hundred times better than what you get at the store. I don’t even really like mayo, but after I made my own and realized how easy and simple it is, I was sold! When you make mayonnaise at home, it is not bad for you at all. Each ingredient is something that most of us already have and also ingest on a regular basis. Let’s do this, you guys!

 

Homemade Mayonnaise
Adapted from a combination of Julia Childs (Mastering the Art of French Cooking) and Mollie Katzen's (Moosewood Cookbook) Mayonnaise recipes

1 egg (please use a farm fresh egg and let the egg sit at room temperature)

2 tbsp + 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard
3/4 cup olive oil

Place egg, lemon juice, salt, dry mustard, and 2 tablespoons of the olive oil in a blender. Blend for a few seconds until everything is well combined.

Turn the blender back on and slowly pour in the rest of the olive oil. Blend for a couple of seconds until the olive oil is well incorporated and the emulsion thickens.

Scrape the mayonnaise into a container with a tight seal and refrigerate.

  

Hope everyone is having a great week so far!