Steve Salemson, world-traveling board member of the nonprofit National Mustard Museum, scored this rare bottle of “Galander Fine Mustard Liqueur” on his recent trip to Berlin. It is not available in the U.S., so we are thrilled to have it here at the Museum. On the back label is a recipe for “Le Martini Dijonnais”:

– 1.5 oz mustard liqueur
– 0.5 oz dry vermouth
– 1 tsp gin
– 2 dashes celery bitters

So when do we try it, and how do you get a taste? We are planning a fundraising mustard-themed dinner to raise money for the nonprofit National Mustard Museum — and everyone who attends will get to try a Martini Dijonnais. Shaken, not stirred, of course.

Stay tuned for details about this upcoming extraordinary culinary experience!

What do New York Times food writer and author Mark Bittman, “Top Chef” star Padma Lakshmi, and the Curator of the National Mustard Museum all have in common?

They are all graduates of the same university. No, no, not Poupon U. They are all graduates of Clark University (Worcester, MA). So is Jeffrey Lurie, owner of the Philadelphia Eagles. Hey Jeff — wanna be a sponsor of National Mustard Day? We’ll even throw in a second round draft pick.

This article, “A Clever Cook’s Secret Weapon”, features recipes for five sauces or dressings. Check out the recipes, but refer back to this post for some suggestions to make them even easier or even better.

* For the LEMONY MUSTARD SAUCE:

Rather than using Dijon and lemon juice as the recipe states, just stir 3 Tbl Earth & Vine Lemon Dill Mustard (EVN105) with the 1/2 cup half & half cream. This mustard is full of tart lemon flavor and the dill is quite faint — you may even want to add more dill.

  or

Again, rather than using Dijon and lemon juice, try mixing 3 Tbl Raye’s Lemon Pepper Mustard (RAY120) with the half and half for a lemony yet slightly sweet sauce with finely ground pepper notes.

* For the RASPBERRY MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE:

When you don’t have fresh raspberries in the house, try making this using Robert Rothschild’s Blackberry Honey Mustard Pretzel Dip. Just whisk together 3 Tbl of this blackberry-honey mustard with 2 Tbl Vilux White Wine Vinegar (VIL702), or Vilux Raspberry Vinegar (VIL701) for a fruitier flavor, and 1-1/2 Tbl olive oil. Add a little salt & pepper to taste.

Let us know if you try any of these out!

Many inspired mustard-artists submitted their best effort to stay in the lines and still think outside the box.

After a popular vote was tallied for our 2013 Coloring Contest, these three winners emerged. CONGRATULATIONS to Jay, Max, and Solomon!

Thanks to all of the aspiring Van Goghs for lending your talents to our golden contest… Here’s a look at the winning creations:

What would summer be without National Mustard Day? Mark your calendar and plan your pilgrimage to Middleton, Wisconsin. We will post more details in the weeks ahead.

The first Saturday in August every summer is reserved for the world’s most condimentally correct family-friendly food festival. Mustard lovers of all kinds descend upon Middleton — some are spicy, some sweet, some exotic, some hot — oh, and the mustards have a lot of variety, too!

Free hot dogs, mustard games, crazy mascots, live music… tons o’ fun.

For additional information and to signup to be a volunteer, click below.

The recently aired TLC show “My Crazy Obsession” that featured Mustard Museum Curator Barry Levenson and ketchup collector Ralph Finch may not have been cable TV’s finest hour but it did bring together two old friends.

The ‘Mustard Man’ could not resist reaching out to the ‘Ketchup Guy’. After a few minutes of light-hearted jabs, Ralph asked Barry if he remembered him. “The name is familiar,” said Barry, “but I can’t place you.” It turns out that Ralph is a retired newspaper writer. Years ago, he interviewed Barry and wrote an article, “Tales of the mustard museum: Yellow journalism at its best,” that appeared in the Detroit News on February 11, 1995.

We don’t think we’ve heard the last of these two obsessive condiment collectors…

The Curator’s Surprise delivers exactly that — delicious yummies and a little bit of fun. The best part is this is the best bang for your buck. For only $39.95, you’ll receive AT LEAST $60 worth of fine mustards and gourmet treats. Of course, there’s also the Mega Surprise for $49.95 that’ll bring you AT LEAST $75 worth…

The Curator never fails to make this surprise delicious and memorable. You know, if you have the Curator surprise your Mom, she’ll be super impressed with your good taste, which will likely make you her favorite.

Yeah, that’s it. Surprise Mom! She’ll love it. The Curator knows.

The 2013 Grand Champion is a classic Dijon — Maille Dijon Originale. You can view all the 2013 Medal Winners here.

Mrs. Mustard says to the Curator, “Do not even mention the fact that you’re going to be on the TLC network show ‘My Crazy Obsession’.” She goes on: “Under no circumstances are you to tell anyone that it will air on Wednesday night, April 24, at 10:00 EDT (9:00 CDT).”

Mrs. Mustard is understandably apprehensive. This is, after all, a show that has featured a woman obsessed by rats, another woman obsessed by squirrels, a guy obsessed with the defunct PanAm airline, and some dude obsessed with acting like an infant. These people usually do not end up looking super intelligent.

What will they do to the Curator, the man obsessed with mustard? But that’s only half the show. The other half is allegedly about a man obsessed with ketchup. Obviously, he is the crazy one.

This is all in the genre called “reality TV.” As we all know, there is usually as much reality in “reality TV” as there are grapes in Grape Nuts.

But I am not supposed to utter even a word about this impending embarrassment.

(PSSSST! If you’re obsessed with mustard, too, you can grab a fix with our GR8 Best Sellers)

Unfortunately, if you’re over 13 you are not eligible. But you can live vicariously through your kids as they complete in the 2013 National Mustard Museum Coloring Contest.

ELIGIBILITY:

Children in the following age groups are eligible to participate:

• Group 1: Ages 4, 5, 6
• Group 2: Ages 7, 8, 9
• Group 3: Ages 10, 11, 12, 13

CONTEST GUIDELINES:

PRIZES:

HOW TO ENTER:

NOTE: Entries may be used for future promotional purposes by the National Mustard Museum.