One of the many celebrations on the Napa Valley Mustard Festival 2010 – The Awards – A Spicy Soiree! greeted mustard lovers at the handsome Black Stallion Winery (4089 Silverado Trail, Napa) on Friday, featuring a spectacular array of international mustard competition winners.
The Grand Champion – Wild Mountain Gourmet, Inc., won gold for its sweet and spicy mustard in Sweet-Hot Mustard category, seconded by a silver medalist – Beaver Russian Mustard, which brought tears to the eyes of many, including this reporter.
Local wineries’ chefs participated in their own mustard recipe competition.
Napa Valley Chef of the Year critic’s choice award went to Richard E. Haake, chef/founder of Winery Chefs for his Dutch Mustard Soup with Speck Ham and Gouda Cheese Crouton.
Yoshihara Sogi, executive chef at The Grill at Eagle Vines won the Napa Valley Chef of the Year people’s choice award for Crispy Spicy Gulf Prawn Roll with Hot Mustard Curry Mousse and Sweet Soy Sauce.
It surely must have been hard to choose winners among other outstanding chefs, like Summer Sebastiani (All Seasons Bistro and Catering), who presented housemade ricotta gnocchi in delectable mustard sauce; Laurent P.X. Berthon (Siena at the Meritage) with his beer-braised wild boar belly accompanied by pickled red cabbage and honey mustard (yum!); and Aaron London (Ubuntu Restaurant) with his tender potato wedges baked in green onion ash and topped with wild fennel and mustard mayo (creative and fun!).
[A side note to Ian Marks with Hog Island Oyster Company – love ya, guys, no matter what you do!]
ABC 7 celebrity Don Sanchez emceed, and the National Mustard Museum curator Barry Levenson presented the awards. A number of stellar large and small Napa Valley wineries and breweries participated in the festivities, providing libations, among them Cakebread Cellars, Hagafen Cellars, Van Der Heyden Vineyards, William Harrison Vineyards & Winery, St. Barthelemy Cellars, Blue Frog Grog and Grill, and many others.
Yo el Rey locally roasted organic coffee and Patisserie Angelica delivered a sweet finale.
To find out about the upcoming Mustard Festival events, A Taste of Yountville and The Photo Finish: Grand Finale Event, and to buy tickets, visit mustardfestival.org
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