Cutting the mustard, or, making your own

Annalena makes a lot of things you can buy at the market, sometimes for very little money. Bread is an example. So is tomato sauce, or ice cream. The reasoning behind this? Well, apart from being a little crazy, my "rule" is that I make it at home if I can make it significantly better than I can find it in a store. Or if I'm concerned about what else goes "in it." Anyone read the label on a loaf of Wonder Bread lately, or a container of Breyer's ice cream? And the final reason is: because I like making it. I don't make things where my abilities just do not justify the effort, given what I can buy. Fresh pasta is an example of this. Maybe one day, I will learn to make it well, and without fuss. As of now, though, I'm not there. Ketchup is another example.
But mustard... Ah, this one falls into the "because I like making it." Have you taken a look at the "mustard market?" You might only find 3-4 different kinds at your grocer, but if you go to a fancy foodstore, you will find DOZENS. I don't really know why there is such a craze of these, except that maybe it's not that expensive to make, and you can charge ridiculously high prices for the stuff. People seem to get a sense of security when they have a few different kinds, flavors, because all the cooking magazines talk about how useful the stuff is. As far as spreads for our sandwiches go, mustard is almost a negative calorie food. So if you're dieting, you use it where you would normally use mayonnaise, and so on and so forth.
Whatever. I have no idea why there are so many kinds. I like honey mustard and dijon mustard, made by organic companies. Occasionally though, I make my own. As taught by an Italian chef, Maryann Esposito.

Mustard is not an intrinsically Italian food. Indeed, its name, "senape," from what I undertand, was used because "mostarda," which sounds close, is not at all what we expect mustard to be. Mostarda, that wonderful sweet and sour fruit "relish" (wrong word here), is not interchangeable with senape. What I am told is that after World War II, with so many soldiers wanting the stuff for their sandwiches, sausages, and so forth, it became popular in Italy. Maybe that's not true, maybe it's conjecture, whatever the reason, the fact is, every now and then I make this.

And you can, too. Here's how. First, you need mustard seeds. Now, mustard seeds come in three varieties, named by color: yellow, brown and black. Black mustard seeds are used almost exclusively in Indian cooking, and we won't use them here. What we will use are the milder, yellow ones and the hot, brown ones. Equal amounts of each. Start with a cup each. You can get the seeds at a health food or spices store. A cup is about a quarter pound. Mix these up, and then cover them with 2 cups of vinegar. Red wine vinegar is traditional, but you can do it with anything you want. Then, cover it tightly with plastic (no foil, please. We have acid here, and it will eat away the foil), and let it sit.... FOR 2 DAYS. Yup, you need 2 days here. The seeds will absorb some, if not all, of the vinegar.

After 2 days, if you want to flavor this with honey or anything else, now is the time. Don't overdo it though. Then, pour the stuff into a food processor and churn away, until you get the texture you want.

When I say "the texture you want," you will get a grainy mustard, regardless of how much you process it. Smooth mustard calls for mustard powder, and that's another story. And in any event, the grainy mustard somehow looks and tastes "special."

You'll have 3 cups or so of product, and if you need a little housegift, or something, put some of this in a fancy jar with a ribbon (not Annalena's forte', this dressing up of goods), and there you are.

Yes, this is not something you will need to know how to make. Don't treat it as a necessary part of your cooking "life," but if you ever wanted to, now you can.

I made this for a party this weekend, where there were many tasty dishes. More will follow. Stay tuned.