The Mustard Book

Book excerpt: The definitive book on one of the world’s most versatile ingredients. Mustard has a long and fascinating history weaving back through many different cultures. It was being cultivated even earlier than 4000 BC. The peppery flavored leaves of the plant can be eaten and are indeed one of the mainstays of southern American soul food cooking. Its seeds can be pressed to make oil as well as used whole. This is the first authoritative book on the subject and covers all aspects of its history, cultivation, and its many and varied uses, both culinary and medicinal. There is something here for everyone, from the professional chef, who may want to learn how to make mustard from scratch, to the home cook. The bulk of the book is dedicated to over 150 recipes using mustard as an ingredient and includes recipes for sauces, soups, starters, fish, poultry, game, meat, vegetables, pickles, baking, savories, and puddings. There is also a section on making mustard at home. Among the tempting treats to try are Mostarda di Cremona, now a fashionable relish on many tables, glazes for baked hams, chicken wings with mustard and lime, mackerel in black treacle and mustard, lapin moutarde (one of the classics of the French kitchen), glazed salt beef with mustard sauce, mustard seed sausages, mustard greens in coconut milk, piccalilli (probably one of the most famous pickles), spiced gingerbread, and mustard seed and allspice biscuits.