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Pass the Mayo at this year’s Holiday Table

  • Susan
  • November 10, 2009
Will they become holiday classics?

If the head honchos at Unilever have their way, we’ll all be dipping into the mayonnaise jar a little more often ” starting this Thanksgiving.  The parent company of Hellman’s mayonnaise (or Best Foods mayonnaise, as it is known west of the Rockies) wants to elevate this basic condiment as a more respected culinary ingredient and has arranged to have chef Bobby Flay help with this month’s Hellmann’s Real Holiday Helpings campaign.  Flay appears in print and online ads touting Hellmann’s as an essential component in family-oriented, Thanksgiving meals.

To ensure that they had a solid claim, the test kitchens at Unilever were busy this summer as they tried various Thanksgiving recipes using mayonnaise as a key ingredient.  From muffins to mashed potatoes, the food turned out moist and juicy.  Unilever hopes their cooking experiments will help consumers look at mayonnaise in a new light.

Although pulling out a jar of mayonnaise to prepare a traditional Thanksgiving meal may seem a bit foreign, it really makes sense.  After all, mayonnaise is made from eggs, oil and vinegar, which are some of the most basic ingredients in the pantry.  And I personally have tried recipes that mix mayonnaise with other ingredients and they have turned out to be family favorites.  So if positioned appropriately, this campaign just might get some traction.

Unfortunately, the down side to mayonnaise is that it is high in fat and calories (90 calories in 1 Tablespoon…a hard boiled egg has 70…and a 4oz grilled chicken breast has 120) so it should be used sparingly.  But when it comes to the holidays … who’s counting?

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