Congratulations to ChefJune, whose Mussels Dijonnaise (Steamed Mussels with Mustard Sauce) won the contest for Your Best Recipe with Mustard!
![Mussels Dijonnaise (Steamed Mussels with Mustard)](https://images.food52.com/tJ42WpqOWStRG5lZmy7YP2Rf7R8=/5f9cffc3-23e1-43ba-bc6f-f9a92c4b82e0--2014-0325_finalist_mussels-dijonnaise-028.jpg)
Describe an early food experience that has influenced the way you think about food and/or cooking.
When I was 10 and a new Girl Scout, I decided I wanted to get my Farmer Badge. This wouldn't have seemed strange, but I lived in Chicago! I did have several aunts and uncles who had farms in Central Illinois, where I often vacationed, so Aunt June and Uncle Lester took me on to do the badge work that summer. The exercise that impressed me most (to this day) was killing a chicken, preparing it for cooking, frying it up, and serving it.
Dressed in an oversized slicker, I went out to the chicken coop and reined in a hen with a crook. With my uncle's arms around me, I swung the chicken with one hand and the axe with the other. Beginner's luck -- we hit it on the first try. I realized later that experiences I had on the farm gave me an understanding of where my food came that was different from that of other city kids who didn't have similar opportunities. I am forever grateful.
What's your least favorite kitchen task?
Cleaning the stove. But it's got to be done!
![](https://images.food52.com/2U2uLa49GrcaRoIsYwoLujv3OUM=/a572c48f-8473-476b-bba0-0d4d22254fbf--winner_june.jpg)
Your favorite kitchen tool?
It's a tie. I reach for my Wusthof chef's knife (10-inch) without thinking -- but also my Cuisinart food processor, because it is such a time and energy saver.
What is your idea of comfort food?
My ultimate comfort food is chicken soup with matzo balls, but pretty much any food I grew up with and loved would qualify -- like spaghetti and meatballs, mashed potatoes, and chicken salad sandwiches.
What is your greatest kitchen disaster?
I really don't recall too many of those, but just recently, I made dymnyno's wonderful Sicilian Blood Orange Marmalade. As I was ladling the hot jam into jars, one of them slipped off the counter and crashed onto the tile floor. What a mess! Even worse than having to clean it up was that I lost a precious jar of marmalade.
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