Variety Of Flavors Enhance Homemade Mustard
Dear Laura: I would like to have some recipes for making my own mustard. Could you print some? Thank you. - Kitty, Spokane
Dear Kitty: Mustard provides an opportunity for creative cookery. Start with the basic recipe, then vary the flavors with one of the suggested variations or create your own unique blend.
Use glass, enameled plastic and/or stainless steel when working with mustard. Avoid any other metal, especially aluminum, when selecting measurers, stirrers, containers and lids; the metal could corrode and give the mustard an off-taste.
Mustard is at its most pungent immediately after preparation. It you prefer it this way, seal in a suitable jar and refrigerate. If a milder mustard is desired, let it age in a cool, dark place for 3 to 8 weeks. Refrigerate when the desired pungency is reached.
Basic Dijon-Style Mustard
Adapted from Helene Sawyer’s “Gourmet Mustards” (Culinary Arts Ltd.)
2 cups dry white wine
1 large onion, chopped
3 cloves garlic, pressed
1 cup (4 ounces) dry mustard
3 tablespoons honey
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 teaspoons salt
Combine wine, onion and garlic in a saucepan; heat to boiling and simmer 5 minutes. Cool, strain and discard solids.
In the saucepan, combine liquid with the dry mustard, stirring constantly until smooth. Blend in honey, oil and salt. Heat slowly, stirring constantly, until thickened (hold face away from steam to avoid irritating eyes).
Cool; place in covered jar. Age in cool, dark place 2 weeks or more until desired pungency is reached, then refrigerate.
Yield: 1-1/2 cups.
Cook’s note: The following variations may be prepared using this basic mustard recipe or a jar of good quality commercially prepared Dijon-style mustard.
Honey Dijon Mustard: Blend equal amounts of Dijon-style mustard and honey. Bottle, age and refrigerate as above.
Herbed Mustard: Combine 1 tablespoon dry vermouth and 1 tablespoon of a dried herb such as tarragon, dill weed, lemon thyme, rosemary or basil; let stand 20 minutes. Stir into 1 cup Dijon-style mustard. Bottle as above, age 2 weeks and then refrigerate.
Citrus Mustard: To each cup of Dijon-style mustard add 1 tablespoon fresh lemon, lime or orange juice, 2 teaspoons honey and a bit of grated peel (zest) of lemon, lime or orange. Bottle, age for 2 weeks, then refrigerate.
Shallot Mustard: Chop 3 large shallots and combine with 1 cup Dijon-style mustard. Seal, age 2 to 8 weeks, then refrigerate.
Jalapeno Mustard: Combine 2 tablespoons chopped canned jalapeno peppers, 1 tablespoon jalapeno liquid and 1 cup Dijon-style mustard. Seal, age 2 to 4 weeks, then refrigerate.
Dear Laura: I need a light cheesecake recipe that can be prepared in a rectangular baking pan. I’d like to garnish it with fresh seasonal fruits for serving large groups. Can you help me? - Kimberly, Moscow
Dear Kimberly: Jane Brody’s Lemon Cheesecake fits your requirement for light but is designed for baking in a standard 9-inch diameter and 3-inch deep springform pan. The 9-inch springform’s capacity is 16 cups. If you must substitute a rectangular pan, a 13- by 9- by 2-inch pan, which holds 15 cups, is the nearest size.
You may need to increase the amount of crumb crust and adjust baking time slightly to accommodate the different pan shape and size. The filling will probably fit; if not, just bake the extra in another container, such as a buttered or crumb-crust-lined custard cup.
Jane Brody’s Lemon Cheesecake
Adapted from “Jane Brody’s Good Food Book.” Brody says: “Here’s a light cheesecake you can eat with a minimum of guilt, since each serving has very little fat and fewer calories than half a sandwich.”
Crust:
1 cup graham cracker crumbs
2 tablespoons butter or margarine, melted
Filling:
2 cups low-fat creamed cottage cheese (1 pound)
2 egg whites
2 whole eggs
1/2 cup evaporated skim milk
1/3 cup sugar
1 tablespoon grated lemon rind
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup flour
Garnish of sliced lemon or kiwi, or other fresh seasonal fruits or berries
To prepare the crust, combine the crumbs and butter or margarine in a small bowl. Press the mixture into the bottom of a greased 9-inch loose-bottomed or springform pan. Place the pan in the freezer while you prepare the filling.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.
In a blender or food processor, combine all remaining ingredients except the flour and garnish. Process until ingredients are smooth. Add the flour and process mixture a few seconds longer to blend the ingredients thoroughly. Pour the filling into the prepared chilled crust.
Bake for 1 hour or until the filling has set. Cool the cake in the pan on a rack. Loosen edges of the cake with a thin knife before removing sides (but not the bottom) of the pan from the cake. Place cake on a serving platter and garnish as desired.
Yield: 10 to 12 servings.
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The following fields overflowed: SUPCAT = COLUMN, QUESTION & ANSWER, RECIPE CREDIT = Laura Carnie The Spokesman-Review