Condiments

I guess I write a lot about condiments, because I love them so much; the only person I know with more condiments in their fridge is my friend Michael in Chicago! While I have gone on and on about mustard, Sriracha and various little bottles of deliciousness, I thought I would highlight a couple of others you should consider adding to your pantry to use regularly.

Heinz Chile Sauce
One of Heinz's classics, this is ketchup with a slight kick. Enjoy it with sweet potato fries or mix with with mayonnaise for a creamy, spicy dipping sauce.  Many people also use it as a 'secret' ingredient in cocktail sauce.

Pickapeppa Sauce
A Jamaican original since 1921, Pickapeppa is like Worcestershire sauce with a little something extra. It has flavors of citrus and the oak barrels it's aged in, so brings that umami essence everyone likes to talk so much about. Basically, you can add it to anything savory. Or try the classic, 'Big Easy' which is Pickapeppa on cream cheese...just add crackers.

Cholula Lime
Cholula is a hot sauce from a recipe that claims to be over 100 years old, produced by three generations. It's been available is the US for about 20 years and is delicious on everything. I literally put it on everything. But they've added some new flavors profiles, including one with lime which is delicious on tacos, burritos, soup, i.e. on everything. Look for the green wooden top instead of the traditional blond wood one.

Herdez Salsa
A friend introduced me to Herdez salsa while I was living in Wichita; she was addicted to the green salsa they produce. I do love it, but their salsa casera is also delicious. It's what I think of as a more traditional Mexican salsa--perhaps made without the tamato sauce that is the basis of many produced in the US? So even though it is a jarred salsa, it seems very fresh. It fries up perfectly for chilaquiles and is the perfect addition to your favorite tacos.

Now, back to mustard...

Mustard

When you hear mustard, you probably think of a squeeze of bright yellow on top of your hot dog at the ballpark. It is, at the same time, one of the most common and exotic condiments you may have in your fridge. Mustard has been used in the cuisines of cultures around the world since ancient times, but it was the Romans who mixed it with a base form of vinegar to create the first 'prepared' mustard.  At its most basic, mustard is made from the seeds of the mustard plant that have been ground and mixed with vinegar and other spices; it can be subtle or bring tears to your eyes.  Classic yellow mustard is made from a very fine ground of seeds, while Dijon and other coarse ground mustards have more of the whole seeds in them. You can, of course, buy mustard prepared, or in the seed or powder form.

I guess I am a little obsessed with mustard; it's my favorite condiment and always has been. Even as a child, I preferred it's spicy flavor with my sandwiches. Mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip, as was served in our house) was great in chicken salad and ketchup was a must for fries, but if it was a burger or sandwich, I wanted mustard.  But don't relegate mustard to just your lunch, it has many other fantastic uses in the kitchen, bringing its bright, piquant flavor to an array of dishes. 

1. First of all, let's talk vinaigrette. A tablespoon of mustard added at the beginning of your preparation helps to bind and emulsify the dressing, plus adds tangy flavor. I prefer to use a whole grain mustard for vinaigrettes, and my go-to is actually a hot and spicy variety from Woeber's:

They have been making mustards for over 100 years and sell a variety of styles and flavors.  I am always looking at different mustards at the store and just found another from them, Mister Mustard, which is smooth and hot, plus has a super cute label.

2. Sauces. A mustard dill sauces is a classic for fish, but could be used to lift any protein from the simple to the superb.  And mustard is often the hidden star of many barbecue sauces.  I would say that mustard is the secret ingredient in Mildred's Bakes Beans (plus loads of garlic) that keep them from being simpering and sweet--and it's the recipe I'm always asked for.

3. With potatoes.  Yes, everyone loves a creamy potato salad, but I bet you can talk people into loving a mustardy potato salad!  Just say, "it's potato salad" and let them figure out why it's so delicious on their own.

4. A dipping sauce.  Sure, any mustard is great for dipping your corn dog in, but this mustard sauce will be delicious with just about anything from nuggets to meatballs, fried tofu to sweet potato fries.  I've served it at more than one party...

Recipe: Apricot Dipping Sauce

1/2 cup apricot preserves

1 tbsp. water

2 tsp. lime juice

1 tsp. Dijon or coarse-ground mustard

1/4 tsp. minced fresh ginger

Puree all ingredients in a blender until smooth.  Simply and delicious.

5.  When I say, 'bloody,' you say?  Mary!  The Cajun Bloody Mary is just one in a long list of drink recipes at Saveur, but it delicious and again mustard is the supporting actress that makes it so successful. 

6. Mustard caviar.  What?!  It's not really caviar, but in this recipe, mustard seeds are plumped in vinegar so they pop in the mouth like caviar, adding instant zing to a recipe.  I haven't made this yet, but it is the list to try and I am imagining it as a capricious garnish to my favorite deviled egg recipe, which of course is made with mustard--and dill!  Or perhaps with my mushroom pâté?

So whatever you're making, think about how a little bit of mustard might add just the right touch to you recipe...

Fishy

Do you use fish sauce when you cook? It's an Asian condiment that brings a salty, fermented quality to a dish. You've probably had it in Pad Thai or another dish in a restaurant somewhere and you may not have even noticed it. Something salty? A little bit of pleasant funk? Fish sauce. Now, even before I stopped eating meat, I never cared for or ate fish, and there's a long story to go along with that--but I won't bore you with it at the moment. Suffice it to say, my maternal grandfather had an odd sense of humor.

Back to the sauce. After over fifteen years of cooking without meat, I've become pretty adept at adapting anything to be meatless. It isnt that hard, but there are certain condiments, like fish sauce, that remain out of reach. Occasially, if you're shopping during the right season and in a good store, you can find a bottle of vegetarian fish sauce at the Vietnamese market (labeled chay), but those are few and far between. And there ain't no Vietnamese market in Midland--that I know of anyway! Which is why I was excited to discover a recipe for a fishless fish sauce in Mark Bittman's How to Cook Everything Vegetarian, right on my bookshelf. It is simple and adds that certain j'en sais quoi to my dishes. I'm using it this week to make my Spicy Edamame...

Recipe: Fishless Fish Sauce

1 tbsp. dulse (a form of seaweed), crumbled

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tablspoon Tamari or soy sauce

3 tablespoon water

4 limes

1 tablespoon light brown sugar

Whisk the dulce, garlic, soy sauce and water together in a small bowl. Grate the zest of two of the limes into the bowl, then juice all four limes into the mixture. Add the brown sugar, then whisk until dissolved. Decant into a small jar and let the flavors meld. Keeps for a how long? I would say a while. And that, my friends, is vegetarian fish sauce.