Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, August 2, 1995 TAG: 9508020008
SECTION: EXTRA PAGE: 8 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ALMENA HUGHES FOOD EDITOR
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
"Back then, no one knew what a deli was," Russell recalled recently.
But they sure do now. The hour - around 3 p.m. - was a little late for lunch and a little early for dinner. Yet a steady stream of customers flowed into the Williamson Road deli/store, most taking seats and ordering from the sandwich, salad, desserts and drinks menu.
Russell said the top sellers are corned beef, pastrami and the "Sailor Sandwich" - hot pastrami, "switzer" cheese and a kosher frank or knockwurst. Most customers top them with a dollop of the deli's renowned hot mustard - a unique blend of brown mustard seeds, turmeric, fresh ground horseradish, garlic powder and spices that re-creates tastes found in European countries. A toned-down temperature and a basic yellow version also are offered.
For those for whom three mustards don't cut it, maybe there's something to like among Barry Levenson's more than 2,200 varieties. Levenson, founder and curator of the Mount Horeb Mustard Museum in Mount Horeb, Wisc., said recently by phone that his mustard-collecting hobby - begun in 1986 - took off like a field of wild greens. Today, his collection includes samples from all over the world, with all 50 United States represented, including eight varieties from Virginia. Among the museum's more exotic mustard makings are pineapple; cranberries; truffles; a sesame, ginger, scallion and peanut combination; and, from England, a mustard of young nettle leaves, "for people with sharp tongues," Levenson laughed.
Mustard, which is a cousin of broccoli, brussels sprouts, collards, kale and kohlrabi, adds mystery to all manner of dishes. Sharon Tyler Herbst in "The Food Lover's Tiptionary'' (Hearst Books) advises to start with a little, when adding it to dishes; you can always add more.
Prepared mustards vary widely in textures and tastes. The familiar bright yellow ballpark hot dog variety American-style is smooth-textured and mild. Clean, sharp, grayish yellow Dijon mustards tend to be spicier and more pungent than their American counterparts.
(Incidentally, only mustards from Dijon, France, can be called Dijon; other mustards made with the same process must be called Dijon-style.)
Dijon, France, has been the home of fine mustards since the 13th century. In 1777, Messers Grey and Poupon formed a formidable partnership there, which eventually earned them the status of leader in their field. Today, according to Irena Chalmers' ever-entertaining "The Great Food Almanac: A Feast of Facts from A to Z" ( CollinsPublishers San Francisco), Nabisco owns the Grey Poupon formula, which it whips up in Oxnard, Calif.
Bright yellow English mustard is very hot, while pale yellow to brown German mustard is usually spicy and slightly sweet, although also sometimes hot. And anyone who's ever singed their sinuses on it knows that Chinese mustard can be incendiary.
Use the type of mustard called for in the recipe; Tiptionary author Herbst warns. Otherwise, you could end up with a completely different flavor from the one intended.
Museum meister Levenson is steward of National Mustard Day, which will be observed Saturday. Activities at the museum will include an attempt to break the 724-foot record for the longest distance of passing a mustard jar, with proceeds benefitting public radio. There'll also be the usual "Mustardpiece Theatre" presentations, mustard tastings, stories, jokes and other fun stuff. If you can't get to the museum, at least get a free mustard catalog by calling (800) GET-MUST.
If you want to host your own Mustard Day celebration, Levenson suggests: conduct your own mustard pass; have a mustard-squirting contest; mustard wrestle; take a mustard bath; or listen to some mustard music such as "Too Much Mustard," by Teresa Brewer and Les Brown and His Band of Renown or the Beatles' "Mean Mr. Mustard."
Then, again, you could just stop by the New Yorker Delicatessen and order a heaping sandwich topped with a dollop of you know what.
Recipes for:
APPLE MUSTARD-GLAZED PORK CHOPS
RACK OF LAMB WITH MUSTARD-HERBED CRUST
SALMON WITH MUSTARD SAUCE AND POTATO CRUST
CHECKERS NAPA VALLEY SALAD WITH DIJON MUSTARD DRESSING
FRESH THYME MUSTARD WITH VERMOUTH
HOT PEPPER MUSTARD WITH BEER
TOASTED SESAME MUSTARD WITH SAKE
BAVARIAN HOT DOG MUSTARD
by CNB