A discerning tongue: On being a first-time judge at the Worldwide Mustard Competition

Last weekend, Erika, Cliff and I drove to Mt. Horeb, Wisconsin, home of the Mustard Museum. There, we were greeted by shop owners Barry and Patty Levenson, and immediately put to work. You see, Barry is in charge of overseeing the Worldwide Mustard Competition (sponsored by the Napa Valley Mustard Festival), and he's willing to include a few amateur tasters in the first round of the competition. (Note: I don't think Erika, a full-fledged foodie, is counted as an amateur in that crowd.)

We sat down at one of the four tables set up for judging. At the center sat a tray of 20 or so plastic condiment containers filled with different mustards. The common denominator: they all contained some kind of herb or veggie flavors. It was our job to taste them and score their "mustard quality," "category fidelity" (how well did the herb/veggie flavors stand out and taste) and overall "yummy-ness factor." So, armed with bottled water, a bowl of pretzels, a bowl of tiny plastic spoons, pencils and score sheets, we set out to just that. 

Judging took a surprisingly long time, probably about an hour to finish that first round. I was taken aback by all the different flavors represented within this one category. There were a couple of smooth and delicious dill mustards. On the other end of the spectrum, there were a few disgustingly sweet-and-sour-y ones that reminded me of that nasty taste you get in your mouth after you vomit. There were many good mustards in between. 

We finished the second round (mustards with "spirits" in them), took a lunch break, and then headed into rounds three and four. Sometime mid-third round (dijons), I started feeling queasy from mustard. I finished, but that was it for me! I wondered around the museum and store during the fourth round (Cliff: hot pepper mustards; Erika: ???). 

From what I understand, all the scoring we and others did that day was used to help narrow things down for a second round and then, ultimately, a final round of judging. Winners of the various categories--there's a gold, silver and bronze--are entitled to put little "medals" on their product labels to help boost sales. It's pretty cool to be a part of this. 

I highly recommend visiting the Mustard Museum, and, if you get a chance, asking Barry or Patty a question or two about mustard. It's always wonderful to interact with people who feel passionately about something. If you're lucky, Barry will be wearing his mustard-on-a-hotdog tie that day, too!

Warm enough to play outside

Last monday, my book club met at School Woods, Deb Shapiro's in-home supper club, for soup night. Over bowls of vegan Italian wedding soup, fresh baked bread and beets, we discussed The Story of Edgar Sawtelle. Later, as the conversation shifted to stories about our personal lives, it came up that I am writing a blog. 

To make a short story shorter, my literary comrades convinced me to shift the focus of this blog (did I even have one?) to my pursuit of fun times here in Wisconsin. They said it would be interesting to follow, particularly in the winter, when amusement sometimes feels hard to come by. 

I have really taken this idea to heart. Already, it's made me more aware of the need to carve out time during my weekends for fun activities. Certainly, that's not a bad thing! 

I'd say things got off to a very good start this weekend. On Saturday, Cliff, Josh and I bought plastic saucers and went sledding. Then, on Sunday evening, Cliff and I met Terry, Nora and Toshi for downhill skiing at Tyrol Basin. Both outings were so much fun!

A note about saucer sledding: it's a HOOT because there are just so many ways to go down a hill on a saucer! First, we tried it on our knees, stomachs, butts. Then we tried spinning as we went down cross-legged. Next, we hit the jumps. Finally, we got the idea to go down as a unit--first with our legs linked (as if we were going down a slide together), and then with our arms linked (so we were all side-by-side, facing the bottom of the hill together). 

Here are some snaps from this weekend's adventures!

A failed experiment

So, my first bread baking experiment was a dismal failure. In the picture, the bread looks OK--rustic and handmade. However, as soon as you pick it up, it's clear that something is very, very wrong. Each loaf is heavy like a brick; there are no air bubbles to be found. And I was expecting (hoping for?) a nice, light sandwich bread-type bread!

I'll consult wiser bakers before trying this again... 

Bakin' bread

In keeping with my resolution to relax and enjoy myself on Sundays, I'm going to bake some bread today. It's actually rising in the oven right now.

I've never done this before, nor have I ever watched anyone go through the motions of kneading (etc.), so I sure hope it turns out right. I'm a little worried because I wasn't able to incorporate all the flour they recommended. However, I'm taking some comfort in the fact that the cookbook says to work in "as much as you can," so there's still a chance that it'll turn out fine!  

Perhaps I'll post a picture of the finished product, if I can figure out the technology part.

New Year's resolutions for 2009

For one, I'm going to take a stab at blogging! And more than just today's post. 

For two, I'd like to turn my Sundays into battery-recharging days. You know, do things that make me feel relaxed, things that I enjoy... like reading the Sunday paper, cooking up a big batch of soup, talking on the phone with family and friends, exercising and--if I end up liking it--blogging. 

I guess a corollary to the above resolution is that I need to find time during the work week to do some of the errands and chores that tend to eat up precious weekend time. That probably means watching less TV after dinner. I know it sounds easy to do, but this habit--turning on the computer to watch the previous evening's John Stewart and Steven Colbert shows, and then sometimes something else--is fairly ingrained. If I get up to leave "early," Cliff will sometimes throw his arms around me to keep me there a little longer. The gesture is so sweet I stay. 

These resolutions aren't overly ambitious, I'm aware, but I think they'll help make me happier. And maybe I'll come up with a few more in the ensuing days and weeks of the new year.