If you would have told me years and years ago before I got married that one day I would make most of my own food, including mayonnaise, I would have told you that you were crazy. Stores have all kinds of mayonnaise! Why on earth would I take the time and trouble to make my own?

For starters, the mayonnaise I make myself beats the store brands hands down when it comes to taste. It is easy to make, and the cost actually works out to be less than if I bought it at the store.

Mayonnaise was first invented way back in 1756 by the chef of the Duke de Richelieu in France. It began to be marketed in 1905 in the United States at a New York deli. Now mayonnaise is commonly sold in just about every store.

In order to make your own mayonnaise, you don’t need very many items. You need vegetable oil, egg yolks, lemon juice, and salt. It needs to be made in a blender (I use a Kitchen Aid hand held blender).

This mayonnaise has no preservatives added to it, so you probably don’t want to make a whole lot at a time unless you definitely know that it will be used within a few weeks.

In a container you can stick your hand held blender down in, beat 2 egg yolks until thick. Combine 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and ¼-teaspoon salt with the egg yolks. Add the oil, about 1 tablespoon at a time to the egg mixture and beat thoroughly after each addition. For a single batch of mayonnaise, I use approximately 12 tablespoons of oil.

If you like the taste of olive oil, you can replace 1 or 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil with extra-virgin olive oil. Be careful not to overdue the olive oil, though, or it will overwhelm the taste of your mayonnaise.

When you decide your mayonnaise is thick enough, you may add 1 more tablespoon of lemon juice. Remember, the mayonnaise will thicken even more after it is refrigerated. Feel free to double or even triple the recipe if you need to.

How much this makes depends on how thick you want your mayonnaise. It is up to you when it is done.

Now that you have mayonnaise, you can leave it as mayonnaise or make Garlic-Parmesan Ranch Dressing with it.

To make the ranch dressing, in a bowl mix 1 cup mayonnaise with 4 tablespoons white wine vinegar until smooth. To this mixture, add 2 cloves garlic, ½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, and a pinch of pepper. If you wish, you may replace part of the vinegar with lemon juice and part of the mayonnaise with sour cream. Play with the recipe until it suits your tastes.