Cook Out Days: DIY Mustard and Mayo

Announcement: I built a fire pit in my backyard last night (with a lot of help from my boyfriend and my dad—thanks guys!). For me, this marks the beginning of summer cook out nights! I know it's still April, but can we at least start dreaming about grilled (veggie) burgers and s'mores? An excellent addition to any cook out night is fancy condiments. Here's a few quick recipes for making your own pesto mayo, mustard and spicy ketchup.Pesto Mayo, makes about 2 cups.

Needed: 3 egg yolks, 1 1/3 cup oil (I used some olive oil and some peanut oil), 1 tabelspoon white wine vinegar, a pinch of salt and 2 tablespoons pesto (store bought or your own).

Place two egg yolks in your mixer bowl and begin beating on low speed. Drizzle in oil slowly (this will take 8-12 minutes). I use a squeeze bottle to do this step. Whisk the remaining egg in a seperate bowl and then add to your (still going) mixer one spoonful at a time. It's quite a process, I know, but you need the mayo to emulsify as you blend. Once your mayo is thick stir in the vinegar, salt and pesto. Keep in a closed container in your refrigerator or up to 2 weeks.

P.S. I tried a method using a food processor to make mayo this time, and it didn't work for me. But if you have a method you prefer go with it. This is just what I've found to work well for me—fool proof. :)Homemade Mustard, makes about 1 cup. Recipe adapted from here.

Needed: 6 tablespoons mustard seeds, 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup white wine vinegar, spices (I used a generous pinch of garlic salt, pepper, cumin and sea salt), 1 tablespoon honey (optional).

Soak the seeds in a bowl with the water and vinegar overnight, covered in the refrigerator. Pour seeds and juices in a food processor, add spices and blend. Stir in honey. I left mine on th coarse side, you could keep blending if you prefer a smoother mustard.This is not homemade ketchup but I'm excited to try out this recipe sometime soon. For this spicy ketchup I simply mixed together 1 cup of ketchup to 1 tablespoon sriracha. You can use any hot sauce you prefer and adjust to make this as spicy or mild as you and your loved ones like.Whatever you are planning to cook up this summer enjoy this season with those you love! xo. emma