The Napa Valley Mustard Festival not only celebrates the warmth of the yellow mustard flowers in bloom, but also the wealth of great chefs that we have in the Napa Valley.  Chef Gingrass-Paik of Brix Restaurant loves the slight bitterness and heat of mustard and over her illustrious career at Spago, Postrio and Hawthorne Lane, has made it in several ways.  She loves the sweet-hot of Italian Mostardo di frutta which is made with candied fruit, a great contrast served with salty prosciutto.  She also makes an asian style mustard with …

While the vines go dormant in the winter, the mustard blooms in the Napa Valley, carpeting the landscape in bright and warming yellow and stimulating the senses.  Against what better backdrop to celebrate Napa Valley food, wine and the arts than with the 17th annual Napa Valley Mustard Festival coming up later this month.  The festival launches officially on January 30th with the Mustard Magic Grand Opening Event at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone and continues on to the end of March with a variety of events from competitions to jazz fests, art exhibits to gala …