We all have bad habits, including what we eat and drink. I enjoy delicious hot dogs from time to time, regardless of the ingredients. Although I don't like most sodas, when the temperature stays above 100 degrees for more than a day or two, I drink root beer or cream soda once a year.

I’m not a fanatic, but I do think it’s best to mainly eat food grown near my home. I want to say that about half or more of my diet falls into this category.

There are a few things I haven't resolved yet. I like the real Dijon mustard from France because its taste or texture cannot be replicated in a home kitchen. You can make very good mustard at home, but you cannot make very good Dijon mustard, partly because of the grinding process that produces its texture.

The more troublesome but easier to deal with is mayonnaise, which is one of my most difficult challenges because I have always been a fan of Best Foods/Hellman's. This year, as the season of BLT and American potato salad approaches, I am solving this problem. I made a decision after reading the ingredient list, the first of which is soybean oil.

According to multiple studies, soybean oil is associated with a variety of diseases, including obesity, diabetes, autism, Alzheimer's disease, anxiety and depression. Some studies have shown that it can cause inflammation. It is a bad cooking oil because it foams when heated and has a bland taste. I have never used it.

But there is a jar of the best food in my refrigerator, and an unopened jar in my pantry. I hope these are the last cans I bought. To further promote this change, I have been trying to make the taste completely correct. I am very close, close enough to share my results with you today.

It is also important to tackle the Chobe mayonnaise, a popular condiment that is considered essential for Mexican hot dogs. The first item on the ingredient list? Yes, soybean oil. Goodbye, Chobe.

Making mayonnaise at home is very easy, and you can make it easier by having the least suitable equipment. To get the fastest and easiest results, you need an immersion blender and a glass jar with a wide enough mouth into which the blender can be placed. The jar I use to make mayonnaise includes measurements, so I don’t even need a measuring cup.

Now is the time to start, because tomatoes grow plump on the vines, the first BLT of this season is not far away.

From start to finish, it takes about 2 to 3 minutes to make this basic mayonnaise. I used a 24 ounce straight-sided spherical jar, which can be used not only as a mixing container, but also as a storage tank. Things rarely start from scratch as fast and easy as this.

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice, adding more as needed (see note below)

1 teaspoon coarse salt, add more as needed

1 cup mildly seasoned olive oil

Place a straight-sided, 3-cup/24-ounce container (preferably made of glass) on a stable surface near the power outlet. Beat the eggs into it, add lemon juice, mustard, salt and olive oil.

Insert the immersion blender and place the blender all the way down in the container so that it touches the bottom. Open it and lift it very slowly so that it emulsifies the ingredients as it rises. When you reach the top, you should have mayonnaise. If the ingredients are not completely mixed, repeat the process again.

Remove the immersion blender and shake it once or twice to let the mayonnaise stuck to it fall back into the jar.

Taste the mayonnaise and if it is not sour for you, add a tablespoon of lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Repeat the mixing process and clean the mixer.

Cover with mayonnaise and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before use.

The mayonnaise will last, cover and refrigerate for up to two weeks.

Note: Some people prefer the acidity of the vinegar in mayonnaise. To use it, choose high-quality white vinegar, such as champagne vinegar from BR Cohn, O or Vinaigre de Banyuls, aged white vinegar from France.

Sesame mayonnaise: omit olive oil and lemon juice. Use ¾ cup peanut oil, ¼ cup roasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar, and 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lime juice. Used in Asian dishes that require mayonnaise, such as the Vietnamese sandwich bahn mi.

One of the main reasons for handmade aioli is texture; crushing garlic with a wooden pestle is easier to get a smooth puree than in a food processor or standard blender. If you can get fresh (that is, uncured, not yet dried) garlic, use it. It is a delightful sauce.

1 large garlic bulb, as fresh as possible, separated by cloves

2 to 3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Gently crush the garlic with the flat edge of a large knife, remove the skin and cut off the stem tip. Put the garlic in a large suribachi, add a teaspoon of salt, crush and mash the garlic with a wooden pestle until it forms a very smooth paste. Add egg yolk and mix well.

Set the pestle aside and use a balloon whisk to start adding oil; start about half a teaspoon each time, although there is no reason to measure. As the emulsion begins to form, increase the amount of oil at a time.

After adding all the oil, taste the mixture. If it is flat, add the remaining salt, then pour the lemon juice on top to dissolve the salt. Stir until smooth. Taste and add a third tablespoon of lemon juice for a more sour mixture.

If aioli is harder than you like, gently add a tablespoon of water.

Transfer to a glass jar before use, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours. Aioli can be kept for three to four days when properly refrigerated.

There are many reasons to use a food processor to make aioli. This is particularly useful in mass production. I made up to 6 gallons of garlic at a time, although I first crushed the garlic in a mortar. You don’t need to do this, but you can; it creates a velvety texture.

1 garlic bulb, cloves peeled separately

¾ cup of extra virgin olive oil with rich flavor

¾ cup mildly seasoned olive oil

1 to 2 tablespoons of lemon juice, to taste

A pinch of Piment d'Esplette, chili or other chili powder

Put the eggs, egg yolks, mustard, garlic, and salt into the working bowl of the food processor and stir until the garlic is crushed and the mixture is uniform. As the machine runs, slowly drizzle with extra virgin olive oil. When it is completely mixed, slowly pour in another olive oil while the machine keeps running.

Add lemon juice, taste and correct the salt and acid. Add ground chile and pulse a few times.

Transfer the aioli to a bowl or jar, cover and refrigerate for at least two hours before using.

Aioli can be kept for three to four days when properly refrigerated.

Michele Anna Jordan is the author of 24 books to date, including "The Good Chef's Vinegar Book". Email her michele@micheleannajordan.com.

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