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Q. “When should I use mayonnaise and when should I use Miracle Whip? Can they always be swapped?” —Willa, Appleton

A. The answer to this question is controversial and a matter of opinion. Mayonnaise is a seasoned emulsion of eggs and oil resulting in a creamy spread. Miracle Whip is also a seasoned emulsion of eggs and oil; however, a significant amount of the oil is replaced with water. The replacement of the oil makes it lighter and lower in calories. That said, people carefully watching their calories don’t use much of either one.

I grew up on Miracle Whip (and margarine too, but that’s a story for another day), and I made a conscious decision many years ago to switch to mayonnaise and not look back. My reasons most notably include my perception of the functionality of the mayonnaise. For example, when I make crab cakes, I want the eggs and oil of the mayonnaise to bond with the additional eggs in the crab cake recipe to help form the delicate structure of the finished product. I’m not convinced the water in the Miracle Whip would provide the same bond.

The bottom line is that mayonnaise and Miracle Whip can be interchanged with each other most of the time.

Chef Jeff’s Crab & Sweet Corn Cakes
Yield: About 16 cakes

16 ounces Surimi Crab
2 cups Sweet Corn, whole kernel
¾ cup Real Mayonnaise
½ cup Onion, green, fine dice
¼ cup Celery, fine dice
3 Eggs, large, fresh
4 ounces Cheese, Mozzarella, shredded
1 teaspoon Seasoned Salt
1 teaspoon Seasoning, Old Bay
¾ cup Bread Crumbs, plain white
Pan Spray, as needed    

Preheat your griddle to 350º F.

In a medium mixing bowl, rub the crab meat between your hands to allow it to flake apart. Combine the crab meat, corn, mayonnaise, green onion, celery, eggs, mozzarella cheese, seasoned salt, Old Bay seasoning and bread crumbs until all ingredients are evenly distributed. Scoop the mixture into the desired size for your crab cakes and place directly into a medium-hot skillet or griddle. Cook the crab cakes until the egg sets up and the bottom begins to brown. Flip over and repeat the procedure on the other side. Typically the first side takes twice as long as the second side.

Serve immediately with cocktail, tartar or remoulade sauce.