Product Description

As anyone knows who has spent time in Napa Valley, Mustard's Grill is an institution in the wine country-the friendly restaurant where locals first started going for a full plate of fabulous food and a glass of Napa's finest. Chef-owner Cindy Pawlcyn, founding chef of San Francisco's original Fog City Diner, put down her roots in Napa over 15 years ago when she brought her midwestern sensibility and flair for reinventing American food to the valley. Ever since then, Mustard's has been affectionately known as the fancy rib joint with way, way too many wines. With its ranch house feel, its roadhouse welcome, mustard fields and vineyards as a backdrop, and a dash of whimsy that defies pretentiousness, Mustard's Grill offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience in the valley. And with over 125 of the restaurant's signature dishes, Pawlcyn's MUSTARD'S GRILL COOKBOOK delivers all the flavor-with none of the fuss-that Napa is famous for.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #34684 in Books
• Published on: 2001-10
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 276 pages

Amazon.com Review
"I have always thought of Mustards as a cross between a roadside rib joint and a French country restaurant," writes chef-owner Cindy Pawlcyn, neatly characterizing the culinary pedigree of her famed Napa Valley, California, dining spot. Pawlcyn's Mustards Grill Napa Valley Cookbook, written with Brigid Callinan, offers 150 popular recipes from the restaurant, treats like Slow-Smoked BBQ Pork Sandwiches with Ooo-Eee! Sauce, Wild Mushroom "Burgers" with Apple-Jicama Slaw, and Artichokes with James Beard's Beer Batter and Tarragon Aioli. The recipes can entail a kitchen workout, but they are easy enough to do once the commitment is made. Readers wanting to treat family or guests to sophisticated down-home eating will welcome Pawlcyn's unique repertoire.

In chapters that cover appetizers, soups, and salads, Pawlcyn presents standout recipes like Crab Cakes with Red Beet and Horseradish Rémoulade; Tomato, Basil, and Tortilla Soup; and Chinese Chicken Salad with Sesame Noodles and Rice Vinegar Cucumbers. Smoker- and grill-derived specialties, including Half-Slab BBQ Baby Back Ribs with Crispy Yams and Coleslaw and Tea-Smoked Duck with 100-Almond Sauce and Ginger Pickled Mango, receive their own seductive space, as do pan and sandwich delights like Louise's Bouillabaisse with Rouille and Ahi Tuna and Shiitake Mini Burgers. Desserts such as Lemon-Lime Meringue Pie and Red Raspberry, White Peach, and Blueberry Cobbler follow in the deluxe-diner spirit of the place and should prove an irresistible finale to any meal. They're further tribute to Pawlcyn's one-of-a kind restaurant and its instantly seductive cooking. --Arthur Boehm

From Publishers Weekly
Chef Pawlcyn (Fog City Diner Cookbook) reveals the secrets behind the cuisine of wine country restaurant Mustards Grill in this latest cookbook. A Napa Valley institution, Mustards is noted for its fabulous California food and innovative wine list. The cookbook echoes this theme. Starting with the tasty Morel Mushroom and Goat Cheese Toasts through the grilled Halibut with Tomato Vinaigrette and ending with the easy Cinnamon-Oatmeal Strawberry Shortcakes, the dishes have a light, simple touch. But simple is not the same thing as easy. Many recipes, like the Wild Mushroom Burgers with Apple-Jicama Slaw, rely on previously prepared ingredients found elsewhere in the book. The food ranges from appetizers and soups through main courses to desserts, and also includes chapters on sandwiches, sides and condiments. Pawlcyn often uses smokers and grills, and devotes a separate chapter to recipes involving those methods. Many recipes in other chapters also require smoking or grilling, like the Smoked Trout with Warm Sweet Potato Salad and Horseradish Cream and the Ahi Tuna Sandwiches. The dishes even something as simple as the Roasted Potatoes, prepared with garlic and thyme are uniformly fresh and innovative. Alongside each of the recipes are enjoyable descriptions, hints, tips and anecdotes that enhance readers' know-how. However, the often lengthy lists of ingredients may put off the beginner, gearing this book toward more experienced cooks.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author
CINDY PAWLCYN was born and raised in the Midwest, where she began cooking professionally while still in high school. After earning her restaurant management degree from the University of Wiconsin, she studied in Paris at La Varenne and Cordon Bleu. In 1983, Cindy moved to Napa Valley and opened Mustard's, her first of a dozen restaurants. She has since been nominated twice for the James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef: California. She lives in Napa Valley.

Customer Reviews

Yum-Oh!
This book contains recipes from my favoriate casual restaurant in Napa Valley. You should go. In the meantime, this book has a good selection of the kinds of food they serve - well-seasoned, relatively simple, dishes that emphasize fresh ingredients.

Great book
I love this book. I collect cookbooks and read them for fun. I love her chatty style of describing recipes. She gives you such a good idea of when they are good to use, what equipment you will need. Also, her combinations are quite unique. Over and over I came across unusual ideas that sound fabulous. I recommend this to anyone who loves to cook, it's a great resource.

yummy recipes you can make at home
we are fortunate to be able to visit the restaurant several times a year the favorite of my family for their visits esp the pork chop and the ribs and the amazing lemon lime pie now, they can do these at home was a perfect gift for my sophomore and jr college grandchildren, who love to cook, and do these in their apts at school. mom and dad, too