In the summer kitchen, the jar of mayonnaise gets a good workout, its contents mixed generously into egg and chicken salads, moistening all kinds of sandwiches, making creamy dressings for salad greens. Considering the common ingredients with which it keeps company, you wouldn't think that this ordinary condiment had a place on the table when the food is more refined and ready for dinner.

Yet, out comes the jar. This time, it is thinned with droplets of lemon juice, whisked with French mustard, stirred with fresh herbs, then presented as a sauce. Green or golden bowls of mayonnaise are elegant beside poached or roasted fish, they make splendid dipping sauces for raw or blanched vegetables, and when an impromptu group gathers around someone's beach-house table, you can quickly cook shrimp in a beer bath and offer them in a big bowl along with a mayonnaise concoction.

Even more glorious is homemade mayonnaise, which, before Hellmann's, was pretty standard in most homes. Alas, the commercial brand soon became the standard, and the deal was sealed when worries about raw eggs took hold. Mayonnaise, after all, is little more than eggs and oil seasoned with lemon juice or vinegar. Some serious cooks make mayonnaise anyway, insisting that there's no better flavor than homemade, especially because the taste isn't as sweet as that found in commercial varieties. Homemade mayonnaise is richer and thicker as well, and when you add more lemon juice to thin it, you're also adding a nice piquant flavor. Set it beside a fillet of poached salmon or roasted striped bass. So go ahead and dip your luncheon spoon into the jar of mayo in the fridge. Save the golden sauce for when the sun goes down.

Ask the Cooks: Got Calcium?

I've been hearing that if you're trying not to eat carbohydrates but want to get calcium from yogurt, the best bet is plain low-fat rather than nonfat. Can you guide me? —S.M., Brookline

We are not fans of low-carb regimes or any plans that restrict certain foods. But we're all for natural sources of calcium. If you are counting carbs, these comparisons will help you determine which yogurt best suits your needs. The values are based on a 6-ounce serving of plain yogurt. Note that the more significant variations are from brand to brand rather than between low-fat and nonfat products. It seems that the winner in the most-calcium-for-the-carbs sweepstakes is Brown Cow low-fat.

BROWN COW LOW-FAT
11 grams of carbs
300 grams of calcium

BROWN COW NONFAT
12 grams of carbs
300 grams of calcium

COLOMBO LOW-FAT OR NONFAT
10.5 grams of carbs
200 grams of calcium

DANNON LOW-FAT OR NONFAT
14 grams of carbs
300 grams of calcium

HORIZON ORGANIC NONFAT
12 grams of carbs
300 grams of calcium

STONYFIELD LOW-FAT
13 grams of carbs
300 grams of calcium

STONYFIELD NONFAT
14 grams of carbs
350 grams of calcium

Recipes

HOMEMADE MAYONNAISE (Makes 1 1/2 cups)

Because this recipe contains uncooked eggs, people with compromised immune systems should avoid it.

1 whole egg
1 yolk
1/4 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon lemon juice or white wine vinegar, and more, to taste
1 cup canola oil
Black pepper, to taste

In a food processor, combine the whole egg, yolk, mustard, and salt. Pulse for 30 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the work bowl. Add the lemon juice or vinegar. Pulse for 10 seconds. Scrape down the sides of the bowl.

With the machine running, slowly add the oil, beginning with droplets, then in a steady stream. Add the pepper.

Transfer the mayonnaise to a bowl. Add more lemon juice or vinegar to make a mixture that has the consistency of stirred yogurt. Taste for seasoning and add more salt, pepper, or mustard if you like. Refrigerate for up to 1 week.

OVEN-POACHED SALMON WITH SAFFRON MAYONNAISE (Serves 6)

Although poaching fish on the stovetop requires liquid, if you seal the fish tightly here it is wrapped in foil and parchment the juices in the salmon provide enough liquid for moist fish.

1 whole salmon fillet (21/2 to 3 pounds)
Olive oil (for sprinkling)
Salt and pepper, to taste
1/8 teaspoon saffron
2 tablespoons boiling water
1 cup homemade mayonnaise (see recipe) or commercial mayonnaise
1 tablespoon lemon juice, or to taste
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges (for garnish)

Set the oven at 450 degrees. Have on hand a large platter slightly longer than the salmon.

Using foil, shiny side down, line a rimmed baking sheet that is large enough to hold the salmon flat. Rub the foil with oil. Set the salmon on the foil, skinned side up. Sprinkle with oil, salt, and pepper.

Cover the salmon with a sheet of parchment paper. Cover the paper with foil, shiny side down. Crimp the top and bottom pieces of foil together to make a tight seal.

Set the baking sheet in the oven and poach the salmon for 15 to 20 minutes or until it is cooked through.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix the saffron and boiling water. Set it aside for 5 minutes.

In a bowl, stir the mayonnaise until it is smooth. Add the saffron mixture and lemon juice. Taste the mayonnaise and add more salt, pepper, or lemon juice if you like. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate.

When the salmon is ready, carefully open the layers of foil and paper. Let the salmon cool slightly. Use the foil as a sling to slide the salmon onto the platter.

Garnish the fish platter with the lemon wedges. Serve with the saffron mayonnaise.

SHRIMP COOKED IN BEER WITH DIJON MAYONNAISE (Serves 6)

2 pints beer
2 pounds large shrimp, peeled
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 cup homemade mayonnaise (see recipe) or commercial mayonnaise
2 tablespoons sour cream
Dash of Worcestershire sauce Salt and pepper, to taste
Juice of 1/2 lemon
1 lemon, cut into 6 wedges (for garnish)

Using a large soup pot, empty the beer into the pot, then fill each empty bottle or can with water and tip the water into the pot. Add 2 more quarts of water. Bring to a boil.

Add the shrimp and cook for 2 to 3 minutes or until the shrimp turn pink and firm. Drain them into a colander and rinse with very cold water until the shrimp are no longer hot. Transfer them to a large bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate until cold.

In a bowl, whisk together the mustard, vinegar, mayonnaise, and sour cream. Add the Worcestershire sauce, salt, and pepper. Stir thoroughly. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

To serve: Sprinkle the shrimp with lemon juice, put the bowl in the center of the table, and serve with the mustard mayonnaise and lemon wedges.

ROASTED STRIPED BASS WITH TARTAR SAUCE (Serves 4)

1 cup homemade mayonnaise (see recipe) or commercial mayonnaise
2 tablespoons lemon juice, or to taste
1 clove garlic, finely chopped
1/4 cup finely chopped gherkins, or to taste
2 tablespoons capers
1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley
Salt and pepper, to taste
1 3/4 to 2 pounds skinless, boneless striped bass
Canola oil (for sprinkling)

Set the oven at 450 degrees.

In a bowl, stir the mayonnaise and lemon juice until smooth. Stir in the garlic, gherkins, capers, parsley, salt, and pepper. Taste the tartar sauce for seasoning and add more salt, gherkins, or lemon juice if you like. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate until ready to use.

Cut the fish into 4 even pieces. Sprinkle them with oil, salt, and pepper. Roast the fish for 10 minutes or until it is cooked through.

Serve the fish with the tartar sauce and boiled new potatoes.

HERB MAYONNAISE (Serves 8)

Use this as a dipping sauce for crudites such as small carrots, radishes, and slender cukes sliced on a diagonal. You can also add small new potatoes that have been steamed and halved and blanched green and wax beans. The sauce is made with parsley and basil and seasoned with grated onion and anchovies.

3/4 cup homemade mayonnaise (see recipe) or commercial mayonnaise
3 tablespoons whole plain yogurt
1 clove garlic, crushed
4 anchovies, finely chopped
2 tablespoons grated raw onion
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh basil
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a mixing bowl, stir the mayonnaise and yogurt until they are smooth. Stir in the garlic, anchovies, onion, parsley, and basil. Add salt and pepper.

Cover and refrigerate for up to 3 hours before using.