Making Emulsions: Canola Beats All

Whether you call it aioli, garlic mayonnaise or the poetic "butter of Provençe," a thick mayonnaise infused with garlic is one of the most useful condiments you can keep in the fridge. Slather it on a burger or a turkey sandwich. Spoon it over grilled fish. A dollop will dress up cold chicken, sliced tomatoes or a platter of steamed or grilled vegetables. It's dreamy with roasted beets, hard-boiled eggs, poached salmon and grilled lamb. To paraphrase an old ad slogan, nobody doesn't like aioli.

Because it's so low in saturated fat compared to other plant oils (7% saturated fat versus olive oil's 15%), canola oil whips the competition when it comes to making healthy aioli or just plain mayonnaise. Its own mild taste takes a back seat to any flavors you want to incorporate into the mayonnaise, such as chopped sun-dried tomatoes, olives, capers or anchovies.