Food Funnies

Afraid I have never understood the bland hot dog mustard that passes for real mustard in much of the US. We keep hot Dijon all the time but see the hot dog version only when She-who-must-be-obeyed sneaks some in and hides it in a cupboard. But then she avoids horseradish and I like it so.....

When I discovered wasabi (the fake stuff, I'm sure), I suddenly understood the allure of horseradish and have been a fan ever since.

Good point, Peter, about English mustard. I'm fond of just mixing Coleman's mustard powder with a bit of water. French's has only one place in my kitchen. I use it to make Inner Beauty hot sauce (a Jamaican-style very hot sauce) and to make South Carolina-style barbecue sauce. In both cases real mustard just doesn't work.

And regarding bland food, it's hard to get worse than the traditional meat-and-potatoes dishes commonplace in the US Northeast and Midwest in the period 1930s-60s. Next to no seasoning, and on top of it all overcooked, mushy vegetables.

-Paul W.