 |
 |
|
 |
1-800-438-6878 | |
|
|
|
|
|
|
1-800-438-6878 | |
|
NEWSLETTER INDEX
2. Bashing the French – The Curator Opines 4. Restaurant Review: La Toque ($$$$ in Napa) 5. The Police Beat – Villainy in Mount Horeb 8: Recipe: Donna's Honey Mustard Chicken with Pecans
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Mrs. Mustard and I have just returned from the Napa Valley Mustard Festival where we presented the medals to this year’s winners of the World-Wide Mustard Competition. We know you have been waiting patiently for the results so without further adieu, here they are –
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
2. French Bashing – The Curator Opines
It has become almost fashionable to bash anything and everything French these days, even to the point in engaging in an absurd campaign of “linguistic cleansing.” You know what I mean – renaming “French Fries” as “Freedom Fries,” etc. What’s next – no more French cuffs?
It has gotten out of hand. A friend of ours at French’s Mustard reports that one business has stopped serving French’s just because of the name, even though French’s Mustard has nothing to do with France and is as American an institution as you will find. I received an email this week applauding one person’s insistence that a restaurant not serve Grey Poupon. Guess what – Grey Poupon is also an American-made mustard, manufactured by Kraft Foods. And it doesn’t get a whole lot more American than that.
As for the boycott of French goods, that’s another matter. While people are free to buy whatever they want and for whatever reason they want, consider this: a boycott of French-made goods here in the U.S. has the most direct and immediate impact on American merchants who have invested a lot of money in these products at a time when it was perfectly okay to buy French products. Is that who the anti-France groups really want to hurt?
The second line of impact is, of course, on French manufacturers. Many of these companies are very small and have no say in the foreign policy of the French government. If the anti-France groups want to hurt these companies because they happen to live in France but may be opposed to French foreign policy, so be it.
As a leading purveyor of Dijon mustards, the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum does not “relish” the idea of a boycott of French mustards. Have we forgotten that it was a French woman, Hermis Moutardier, who prevented the shoe bomber on that American Airlines plane from detonating the bomb in his tennis shoe?
Make no mistake about it – a boycott is a powerful weapon but it can harm innocent people along the way. If it just makes you “feel good,” go ahead. But consider some other alternatives that may make you feel just as good. Why not just throw rotten fruit at old pictures of Maurice Chevalier? What’s next? Pasteurized milk? (Yes, Louis Pasteur was as French as they get.)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Several of you have pointed out that we are mentioned in “The Onion,” America’s leading political humor newspaper. Remember – whatever you read in “The Onion” will likely be funny but is probably not exactly true. Here’s what they said about us:
“This month the National Mustard Museum in Mt. Horeb, WI, is unveiling a new exhibit honoring those slain while serving the mustard industry. It is a moving tribute to America’s mustard dead and is highly recommended.”
Not really. But we are still highly recommended.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
We met up with some Madison friends at one of the Napa Valley’s most prestigious restaurants, La Toque, and thought you’d like a report on what’s for dinner at this elegant eatery. It’s a “prix fixe” menu at La Toque, meaning that there are only a few choices. Of course, with only fifteen tables, you should not be expecting the kind of menu selections you see at the giant chain restaurants.
The service is attentive without being fussy. The décor is comfy but still elegant. The prices are – well, they are very high. The menu is “prix fixe,” meaning that it is a set price with limited choices. Is it worth it? You decide.
There are two choices for each of the five courses and they recommend that each couple share the two choices. But some choices are so obvious and we didn’t feel like sharing. So here’s what we liked, along with the recommended wine pairing:
Seared Artisan Foie Gras with Celery Root Apple Puree and Mustard Spiced Cider (1998 Chateau Suduiraut Sauternes) – WOW! Chef Ken Frank is famous for his foie gras dishes and no wonder. Unbelievable flavor and textures. The wine is classic but perfect. Yum.
Local Sand Dab Sautéed in Brown Butter with Sweet Onions and Sultanas (2001 Tandem Chardonnay) – Superb! Whole sand dab on the bone – sweet and intoxicating flavor. We have rarely tasted fish this good.
Parmesan and Black Truffle “Chawan Mushi” with Port Truffle Sauce (2000 Palmina Niebbiolo) – The most unique dish of the evening. This is a variant on a classic Asian dish, consisting of a rich broth topped with an equally rich savory custard. An incredible mélange of dynamic flavors. The other choice, Liberty Farms Duck Breast with Calamata Olive and Red Wine, was also superb.
Wild Striped Bass with Leek Fondue, Yellow Footed Chanterelles and Red Wine Sauce (2000 Barlow Merlot) – This is one robust fish dish, well prepared and full of flavor. It was not up to the first three courses (as is often the case when comparing main courses with smaller first courses) but still very nice. The other choice, Jamison Farms Lamb with Sautéed Pea Shoots, Chick Pea Frites (unusual!) and Cabernet Foie Gras Sauce, was almost too rich.
Dessert: Both were execellent – Gateau Concorde au Chocolate and Roasted Pineapple Fritters with Rum Raisin Ice Cream. (Wines with dessert are extra).
Dinner takes nearly three hours and is more than just dinner, it is a festive event. We walked through the kitchen and were impressed by the detail given to each portion. Make no mistake about it, this is high cuisine at a high price but an experience worthy of a special occasion.
La Toque is at 1140 Rutherford Road in Rutherford, CA, just down from Highway 29 and the Rutherford Grill (also one of our favorite eating places in the Napa Valley). Reservations are recommended. (707-963-9770).
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
I am not making this up. Our local weekly newspaper, The Mount Horeb Mail, contains a police blotter column, describing some of the calls our constabulary gets. A recent edition reports that the police responded to a call from a distraught man who wanted the cops to arrest his wife because she refused to do the dishes.
Serious crime in Mount Horeb!
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
A recent email:
Dear Mustard People:
Last summer my parents took an extensive, lengthy trip through the upper Midwest and what did I hear about the most? Not the Great Lakes, not Canada, not Chicago. No. I heard about mustard and your museum. And then I heard about it and heard about it some more. Then Mom sent me your Broadway catalog, which was when I decided this: you people are crazy and you infected my Mom. Finally, I ordered some mustard, primarily as one of those Mom-pleasing things you have to do. Now here I am ordering some more mustard. For me. I think I have caught something from Mom. Is there any hope for a cure: Please let me know, as I am beginning to refer friends to your website and they are beginning to think I am crazy.
Thanks.
D.Z.
Click here to request a copy of our current catalog.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
It’s not too early to plan your summer vacation so why not come to Mount Horeb for National Mustard Day? NMD is Saturday, August 2, 2003. We will have music, food, games, and lots of good mustard cheer.
There are bed & breakfasts in Mount Horeb, hotel rooms available in nearby communities, and excellent camping facilities in several state and county parks.
Come cut the mustard in Mount Horeb this summer. E-mail us with any questions you might have or if we can help you with travel questions.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
8. Recipe: Donna's Honey Mustard Chicken with Pecans
This recipe was developed by Donna Weihofen, Nutritionist at the University of Wisconsin Hospital & Clinics and friend of the Mustard Museum, to honor the Gold Medal winner in the World Wide Mustard Competition in 2002 -- a honey mustard from Findlay Market in Cincinnati. Honey mustard is combined with apricot preserves and balsamic vinegar to make a wonder caramelized sauce for chicken.
1/2 cup flour 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/2 teaspoon salt 1/2 teaspoon pepper 4 chicken breast halves without skin 1 tablespoon canola oil
Sauce 1/3 cup honey mustard (Findlay Market Honey Mustard) 1/3 cup apricot preserves 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar (Shop for Vinegar) 1/4 teaspoon curry powder
Topping 1/4 cup chopped pecans, toasted
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 4 small individual baking dishes or one 9x9 inch baking pan.
Combine flour, paprika, salt, and pepper in a plastic bag. Add chicken breasts and toss until well coated. In a large skillet, heat canola oil. Add chicken and cook until brown on both sides of each piece.
Remove from heat. Place one chicken breast in each individual baking dish or combine chicken in a larger baking dish. (Chicken does not have to be completely cooked at this point.)
Combine all sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Spoon sauce evenly over the chicken breasts. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes or until chicken is cooked through and sauce begins to brown and caramelize. Important: Check frequently to prevent sauce from burning. Remove from oven and top with pecans. Serve any remaining sauce at the table.
Note: The Sauce is also wonderful used as a glaze for cooked carrots.
Serves 4
Nutritional Information per serving: Calories 260 Fat, gm. 8 Protein, gm. 23 Carb. gm. 23 Cholesterol, mg. 50 Fiber, gm. 1
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Why not try a selection of this year’s Gold Medal winners? We are proud to announce the 2003 Gold Medal Gift Box, anchored by the new Grand Champion, Smith & Riley Sweet ‘n Hot Mustard. In this year’s gift box are six other Gold Medal mustards:
Cucina Viansa Peppercorn Parmesan Wisconsin Wilderness Cranberry Mustard.
We have also included the Gold Medal Mustard Dressing (this year’s new category) - Robert Rothschild’s Raspberry Wasabi Mustard Dressing.
The price is only $44.00 (plus shipping). You can order directly off our web site or by calling us at 1-800-438-6878. Ask for item GG22.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ |
Online Catalog
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||
| Comments to [email protected] 1-800-438-6878 |
Copyright © 1999-2003 The Mount Horeb Mustard Museum. All rights reserved. | Mount Horeb Mustard Museum P.O. Box 468 100 West Main Street Mount Horeb, WI 53572 |
