OFF THE SHELF
Flavored mayo? You can buy it or just do your own

By Wanda A. Adams
Advertiser Food Editor

Among the new products is flavored mayonnaise: French's GourMayo, Kraft's Hot and Spicy, and Best Foods' flavored light mayonnaise among them.

French's GourMayo low-fat line comes in three flavors: chipotle chili, sun-dried tomato and wasabi horseradish. (There's no wasabi listed among the ingredients for this last one — just "natural flavors.") There is less fat and fewer calories than regular mayonnaise: 50 calories and 4.5 grams of fat per tablespoon, as opposed to 100 calories and 11 grams. GourMayo sells for $2.89 to $3.25 per 11-ounce bottle.

Kraft's Hot and Spicy is available as mayonnaise and Miracle Whip. It's about medium spicy and sells for about $3.50 the 18-ounce bottle.

Best Foods' flavored mayonnaise is made in Garlic Paradise, Bacon and Tomato Twist, and Herb Sensation flavors, all of which taste pallid and artificial to my rather picky tongue. These, too, are light mayonnaises: 50 calories and 5 grams of fat per tablespoon. They sell for $3 to $3.50 a 14-ounce bottle.

This is the type of product that separates the chefs from the cooks: Those who love to create with food and who insist on integrity in ingredients wouldn't buy a pre-mixed, flavored mayo. Those who cook to eat and have little time for fussing might find such an ingredient a welcome help and be willing to compromise flavor in return for one less bowl and whisk to wash.

Expense and refrigerator space play a role, too: Do you really need a whole bottle of a flavored mayonnaise you may use only occasionally, and have you got room for it?

To make flavored mayo at home, add a chopped or pureed ingredient to mayonnaise and thin with a little milk, lemon juice, broth or water. Flavored mayos are a quick way to dress up a piece of grilled fish, a poached chicken breast or a salad.