The Best Condiments?

[Alter]

Realizing that my fridge is in need of some new mustards and such, I wonder if anyone has any strong opinions about the best brands for the following:

Best dijon mustard:
Best hot sauce:
Best mayonnaise:

Feel free to add any other condiments.

 

[j]

I don't know if it's the best, but that grainy Maille mustard always has a place in my fridge. Great with ham, sausage, etc. Also, IMO you must have a thing of regular cheap yellow mustard for when you want a pretzel - something fancy does NOT work for that.

I'll wait to see what the other answers are though, my hot sauce selection is sad.

You also need some Beaver brand extra hot white horseradish for prime rib and dip sandwiches, etc.

 

[itsstillmatt]

Best mayonaise is always homemade, but for sandwiches Hellmans/Best Foods is even better.

 

[DocHolliday]

For hot sauces, I really like the "smoked" Tabasco chipotle sauce, and I also like to keep some chili garlic sauce from Huy Fong Foods.

For a variation on mayo, you might try some JFG salad dressing. Sweeter than mayo, and good on deli-meat sandwiches. (Though I can't imagine putting it on a salad.)

 

[j]

I always figured that stuff they call "salad dressing" was for tuna salad, chicken salad, those church-lady potluck jello salads and stuff that you would otherwise use mayo in. It always grossed me out thinking of a blob of it on a pile of lettuce. Maybe that's why I never buy "salad dressing" like Best Foods.

 

[Ivan Kipling]

I'm never without horseradish sauce. I make it myself. Super strong, with plenty of bite. Fantastic.

 

[GQgeek]

I'm also interested in what sort of dijon mustards people use. I've always just used the Maille stuff. I'm sure there are more artisinal brands that would be fun to try.

I recently upgraded my olive oil to Ravagni EVO. It's not technically a condiment, but it's used for so many things that I figured I'd throw it in.

And to follow on J's comments, the best salad dressings are always home-made. The bottled stuff is atrocious. Dijon and evo can make a wonderful vinaigrette. You can also do tons of stuff with fresh fruit.

 

[Manton]

Both Roland and Delouis Fils are better than Maille, IMO. Hell, I like Grey Poupon better than Maille. This is strictly for cooking and sauces, to be clear.

 

[gamelan]

about the only hot sauce that is consistently in our fridge is some good ol' fashioned Sriracha. hope i'm spelling that right. nothing fancy and it tastes good with just about anything.

-Jeff

 

[RJman]

Tuong ot toi Viet Nam

Aioli

Worcestershire sauce

Bottled hell

Fresh black pepper

 

[Ivan Kipling]

I like the Jack Daniels mustard . . . but lately I don't see it.

 

[Alter]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

I recently upgraded my olive oil to Ravagni EVO. It's not technically a condiment, but it's used for so many things that I figured I'd throw it in.

For olive oil, I like Ardoino:

 

[itsstillmatt]

Originally Posted by GQgeek

I'm also interested in what sort of dijon mustards people use. I've always just used the Maille stuff. I'm sure there are more artisinal brands that would be fun to try.

I recently upgraded my olive oil to Ravagni EVO. It's not technically a condiment, but it's used for so many things that I figured I'd throw it in.

And to follow on J's comments, the best salad dressings are always home-made. The bottled stuff is atrocious. Dijon and evo can make a wonderful vinaigrette. You can also do tons of stuff with fresh fruit.
Apparently (I just checked), we use Deloius mustard. Also we usually have Bubbies horseradish and Heinz ketchup. There is better tasting ketchup out there, but Heinz actually tastes like ketchup. I can't remember the last time it was used though. Olive oil is a can of worms. There is so much pretense in the use of olive oil that it is mind boggling. I even see people sauteeing with $30 bottles of olive olil which is the same thing as burning money. There is really no need to use even exta virgin for sauteeing, but we do anyway. I believe that Spectrum is the brand that we use for cooking. The "high-end" olive oil market is even more ridiculous. We generally use Tenuto di Numero Uno, l'Estornell or some other one that I can't remember. All have been around much longer than the olive oil craze and are mid-priced in the scheme of things. The only thing more ridiculous than olive oil is salt. I remember in the early 90s when I was working in the kitchen of a very good restaurant in San Francisco, we always used the sea salt in the blue tube. I think that it tastes ****** and prefer one in a white tube that comes from Italy. Back then we used fleur de sel to finish dishes, but never put anything about it on the menu because nobody had ever heard of it. Now it is on every menu in America and people actually cook with the stuff. Hilarious! There is a place in San Francisco where they sell 20 different salts and eveything they make there is nasty.

 

[VMan]

 

[GQgeek]

Originally Posted by RJman

Worcestershire sauce

+1

And HP sauce. It's the absolute best thing to accompany eggs. Ketchup is disgusting.