Wizard Recipes

The pungent mustard plant belongs to the same family as broccoli, cabbage, and turnips. We eat the greens, at least sometimes , but it’s the seeds-ground into a paste we call mustard-with which we’re most familiar.

Yellow and White Mustard Seeds: The largest of the mustard seeds and the mildest. Their tart flavor makes them good for everyday ground and prepared mustards, though when used alone, the flavor is one-dimensional.

Brown Mustard Seeds: The most pungent mustard, ranging from reddish to brown. The sharpest Chinese-,

German-, and English-style mustards are all based on these.

Black Mustard Seeds: Indian cooking often features these slightly oblong seeds, which are sharp. In ground mustards they help add another dimension and deepen  the color.

Dry (Powdered) Mustard: When seeds are ground very finely, the result is a powder or “flour.” The simplest mustard is made from this powder: Just mix about 1/4 cup with a sprinkle of salt and a teaspoon or two of sugar. Then stir in water, wine, or beer a little at a time until you get the desired consistency. The paste will be very strong, though the sugar rounds it out a bit. Chinese Mustard Dipping Sauce, below, is a little more sophisticated.

Dijon-Style Mustard: The name given to the smooth, pleasantly hot, wine-based mustards modeled after those from Dijon, France. Since getting such a smooth grind with everyday kitchen equipment is impossible, you’ve simply got to buy it. American-made Grey Poupon is the most familiar brand; Maille (from France) is another good choice. Use Dijon mustard for salad dressings, sauces, and all-purpose smearing.

Coarsely Ground, Whole Grain, or Stone-Ground Mustard: If bits of the seeds remain intact, the mustard has a slight crunch with an almost nutty flavor. Perfect for hearty dishes, next to a slab of corned beef, or whenever you want a more assertive flavor combined with texture.

Chinese Mustard: You can find this sauce like mustard in Asian markets, well-stocked grocery stores, and of course Chinese restaurants; it’s on the thin side and quite sharp. To make your own, just make a thinner version of the powdered mustard recipe above. To make delicious Chinese Mustard Dipping Sauce, add a little dark sesame oil and a splash of soy sauce; serve it with any dumplings , Fried Wontons or Egg Rolls or deep-fried vegetables.

Flavored Mustards : “Gourmet” mustards, mostly  made by small companies, are spiked with all sorts of things, from tarragon to beer to roasted shallots to fruit. Some are better than others, but you can also make your own .

Prepared Yellow Mustard: There’s no reason to bother with old-fashioned neon-yellow mustards. About the only thing they have going for them is their mildness, which isn’t really a plus, and most contain extra ingredients you don’t want anyway.

Wasabi: Natural, fresh wasabi is a rhizome (a stem that grows underground like ginger). It’s bright green, with a heat that will clear your sinuses. But mustard is the main ingredient of the prepared “wasabi” we use most often.

Grainy Mustard

MAKES: 11/2 cups

TIME: 15 minutes, plus a day or two to soak the seeds

You’ll be amazed at how easy, cheap, and good homemade mustard is. Plus, you can customize the flavor many ways with minor adjustments; see the list that follows. Make sure, though, to mix yellow mustard seeds with brown or black, or the results will be too harsh.

To make a faster-though undeniably sharper and less subtle-mustard, use a spice grinder or coffee mill to grind the mustard seeds into a coarse powder, then slowly stir in the liquids until you get the consistency you want (you might have to add a little more). Sprinkle with salt and serve immediately or keep as you would any mustard.

1/4 cup yellow mustard seeds (about 11/2 ounces)

1/4 cup brown or black m1/2 cup red wine or water

1/2 cup sherry vinegar or malt vinegar (or any vinegar with at least 5 percent acidity)

Pinch salt

Put all the ingredients in a jar with a tight-fitting lid or other sealed glass or ceramic container. (Don’t use metal; it will corrode.) Shake or stir, then set aside to soak for a day or two. Put the mixture in a blender and purée for several minutes to grind, adding a little extra water as needed to keep the machine running. Stop and scrape the sides down once or twice and repeat. You’ll never get the mustard as smooth as Dijon, but you can control the coarseness by how long you blend. Taste and add more salt if you like.

Return the mustard to the container and cover tightly. Store in a cool, dark place (or refrigerate) for up to several months. The mustard will be quite sharp at first, but it will thicken and mellow with time.

16 Ways to Flavor Grainy Mustard

Start with 1/2 cup mustard, then stir in the following ingredients. Note that using fresh herbs, fruit, or vegetables will reduce the mustard’s storage time to a week.

1. Mustard Relish: Add 1/2 cup chopped sweet pickle and 1/4 cup each chopped red onion and red bell pepper.

2. Tarragon Mustard: Add 1 tablespoon chopped tarragon leaves.

3. Rosemary Mustard: Add 1 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary leaves.

4. Tomato Mustard: Add 1 tablespoon tomato paste.

5. Honey Mustard: Add 2 tablespoons honey.

6. Horseradish Mustard: Add 1 teaspoon freshly grated or prepared horseradish , or more to taste.

7. Molasses Mustard: Add 1 tablespoon molasses.

8. Balsamic Mustard: Add 1 to 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar, to taste.

9. Creole Mustard: Add 1/4 teaspoon cayenne, or more to taste.

Turmeric
Used in cooking since 600 b.c., turmeric is the root of a tropical plant related to ginger. Though native to the Orient, this spice is now also cultivated in India and the Caribbean.

It has a bitter, pungent flavor and an intense yellow-orange color. In Biblical times, turmeric was often used to make perfume, a comment on its rather exotic fragrance.

Today it’s used mainly to add both flavor and color to food.

Turmeric is very popular in East Indian cooking and is almost always used in curry preparations.

It’s also a primary ingredient in mustard and is what gives American-style prepared mustard its bright yellow color.

Powdered turmeric is widely available in supermarkets. As with all spices, it should be stored in a cool, dark place for no more than 6 months.

Any of several species of plant grown for its acrid seeds and leaves, which are called mustard greens. The mustard plant belongs to the same family as broccoli, Brussels sprouts, collards, kale and kohlrabi.

Down through the centuries it has been used for culinary as well as medicinal purposes; the most notable example of the latter is mustard’s purported efficacy as a curative for the common cold.

The name is said to come from a Roman mixture of crushed mustard seed and MUST (unfermented grape juice), which was called mustum ardens (”burning wine”). Likewise, the French word moutarde (”mustard”) comes from a contraction of their moust (”must”) and a form of ardent (”hot” or “fiery”).

There are two major types of mustard seed - white (or yellow ) and brown (or Asian ). A third species, the black mustard seed, has been replaced for most purposes by the brown species because the latter can be grown and harvested more economically. White mustard seeds are much larger than the brown variety but a lot less pungent. They’re the main ingredient in American-style mustards.

White and brown seeds are blended to make English Mustard. Brown mustard seeds are used for pickling and as a seasoning, and are the main ingredient in European and Chinese mustards. Mustard seeds are sold whole, ground into powder or processed further into prepared mustard.

Powdered mustard is simply finely ground mustard seed. Mustard seeds can be stored for up to a year in a dry, dark place and powdered mustard for about 6 months. Whole seeds are used for pickling, flavoring cooked meats and vegetables and as a source for freshly ground mustard.

Powdered mustards and freshly ground seeds are used in sauces, as a seasoning in main dishes and as an ingredient in salad dressings