One of the cookbooks I picked up at Book Larder a few months ago, and love, is Nom Nom Paleo. And in it, Michelle shares her trick for making the quickest, foolproof mayonnaise ever with the help of an immersion or stick blender. If you have one of these, you have no excuse for not making your own mayo from scratch, it is that easy. (If you need an excuse to buy one, it is also a very useful tool for pureeing soups in the pot without having to do the sometimes treacherous pouring of hot liquid into the blender in batches...)

Here's the recipe:

Mayonnaise - Makes 1 C

1 large egg yolk

1 Tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 Tbsp water

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 C avocado oil

Kosher Salt

Add the egg yolk, lemon juice, water and mustard to an immersion cup (or a 2 cup liquid measuring cup). Then add the oil. Place the head of the blender at the bottom of the cup, and pulse. As the emulsion starts to form, lift and tilt the blender so that the mayonnaise forms evenly. Add salt to taste.

Cover and store in the fridge for up to one week.

Add garlic for a simple aioli, or I personally can't wait to make the Alabama White Sauce from Bon Appetit. "Typically mayo, apple cider vinegar, and cayenne pepper. Sweet and tangy it makes everything from french fries to smoked chicken taste better." Um, yes please.