What's with the Aioli?

If you, like me, have noticed aioli popping up on menus and more importantly in your food from everything from your burgers and paninis to seafood and salads. How can one sauce go on every type of dish? Aioli is a cold traditional sauce made of olive oil and garlic, however most add eggs to add a creamy texture making it very similar to mayonnaise. The greatest thing about aioli is that it lends itself to be a medium for other flavors. Current trends include chipotle and caper aioli, but feel free to get adventurous with saffron aioli and spicy red pepper aioli, or traditional with lemon aioli and citrus aioli. Any way you emulsify it, it spreads deliciously. Get your taste buds ready for explosion of creamy layered flavor. 

Here's a simple aioli recipe, courtesy of Emeril Lagasse and Food Network, that I found that you can use to make your own. Play with the proportions of oil and eggs to drizzle on your seafoods and salads or spread on your next sandwich. 

Yields about 1 cup

Ingredients
4 cloves garlic
2 egg yolks*
Pinch salt
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons good olive oil
Directions
Place the garlic in a large mortar and crush. Add the eggs and incorporate. Season with salt. Slowly stir in the oil, a little at a time, until all of the oil is incorporated and the mixture is like a thick mayonnaise.

*RAW EGG WARNING

Food Network Kitchens suggest caution in consuming raw and lightly-cooked eggs due to the slight risk of Salmonella or other food-borne illness. To reduce this risk, we recommend you use only fresh, properly-refrigerated, clean, grade A or AA eggs with intact shells, and avoid contact between the yolks or whites and the shell.