Aioli

Aioli, mayonnaise made with garlic and olive oil, is a fabulous sauce for, well, just about anything, from hot or cold vegetables to a steak sandwich, and fried foods such as fish tempura. Traditionally, it was prepared in a mortar using a pestle. I did this once, and it was well worth the effort, as the aioli was exquisitely textured. But I did it only once. I don’t want to have arms like popeye. Be sure your olive oil tastes good—it’s often rancid or bitter (i find it’s best to buy good o