I get obsessed with certain foods and start eating them each day. Right now that food is a certain sandwich. Every morning before work I toast sourdough bread and spread it with Cazelle de St. Affique, a barnyardy sheep’s milk cheese. Then I slice a few cornichons in half, press them into the soft cheese, add 2 slices of French style ham, and top it off with another piece of bread spread with whole grain mustard. This is not a delicately flavored sandwich. The tangy mustard and cornichons mixed with the pungent cheese and sweet ham makes for a somewhat intense combo.

I pack my lunch almost everyday since I’ll never find Cazelle de St. Affique offered at Quizno’s, Einstein’s Bros. Bagels, or the other quality establishments surrounding the University of Texas campus. So I’ve been going through lots of mustard. It isn’t expensive, but making your own is insanely cheap and easy. You mix together mustard seeds, mustard powder, and vinegar and put it in a jar. I also threw in some honey.

I based this mustard on Hank Shaw’s recipe from Hunter Angler Gardener Cook. It’s quite rustic and sour with lots of quick.

Spicy Country Mustard

• 4 tablespoons white mustard seeds
• 2 tablespoons black mustard seeds
• 1/2 cup mustard powder
• 3 tablespoons vinegar (cider, white wine or sherry)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
• 2 tablespoons honey

1. Grind both types of mustard seeds in a food processor or spice grinder. They should be mostly whole and not ground to a powder.

2. In a bowl, combine the seeds with the mustard powder, salt, and honey. Stir in the vinegar and water until all the ingredients are well combined and the powder has dissolved completely.

3. Place the mixture in the fridge for at least 12 hours until the bitter flavor has disappeared.

That’s all there is to making mustard. You don’t even need to heat stuff! But you do need to wait for it to develop its flavor.  This recipe is unique because the black mustard seeds contribute to the spiciness. Your mustard will be milder if you substitute them with brown or white mustard seeds. Who knew different colors of mustard seeds had such different flavor?