Making Greek Yogurt

Don’t you just love Greek yogurt? It’s thick, creamy, and so satisfying. Similar to sour cream, it rivals in versatility. It’s also chock full of probiotics which aids digestion and boosting immunity. So why not keep a stock handy all the time? For one thing, it can be harder to find than it’s sugary and faux fruity counterparts; not to mention that it costs about twice as much.

But no more. You can make this delicious yogurt with the same stuff you find in your regular old grocery store, or the farmer’s market. All you need is plain yogurt, a kitchen towel (or paper towels), a small to medium strainer that can sit above a bowl, and of course a bowl.

Sit the strainer over the bowl and line the strainer with the kitchen towel. If you are using paper towels, be generous and lay paper towels over each other, leaving enough to drape on top of the yogurt. Pour as much of the plain yogurt that will fit into the strainer and let sit overnight in the refrigerator. You’ll be surprised to see how much liquid will escape. You can certainly do this with flavored yogurt such as vanilla, but I prefer to naturally flavor the yogurt myself.

Vanilla Yogurt

Add ½ teaspoon vanilla extract per cup

Orange Yogurt

Add 1 teaspoon all natural, unsweetened orange juice concentrate and ¼ teaspoon fresh orange zest per cup

Tsatziki (Greek Cucumber Dip)

1 cup strained yogurt

¼ cup diced and seeded cucumber

1 small clove garlic, grated

2 tablespoons fresh mint, chopped

½ teaspoon dill, chopped

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Mix all ingredients except the oil and let sit for at least 1 hour. When ready to serve, drizzle olive oil over the top. Serve with vegetables or grilled pita wedges.

Summer in the City

I took a stroll through the Union Square Greenmarket yesterday before the crowds began to swarm. It was really incredible to see how much the market has come alive this early in the summer. And it's only going to get better!

Gorgeous gladiolas, sunflowers, snapdragons and fresh herbs.

A rainbow of beets and carrots.

I don't eat bacon, but I do love the enthusiasm.

Zucchini and yellow summer squash come in a variety of shapes in colors.

These are biggest pattipans I've ever seen. Great for stuffing!

The squash blossoms were 4 for a dollar! So delicious stuffed with something savory (or even sweet), dipped into a tempurah batter and fried to a golden delicousness....

One of the best bread stands in the whole market. Breads are always delicious and the cookies and scones are the size of your head.

More beautiful flowers...yarrow, lavender, hydrangea...

It's the time to have berries and cherries.

Sour cherries are all over the market right now. They are a great foil for savory dishes, or even in a pie.

Fresh garlic with the stalks. I just had a really tasty dish at a Sechuan restaurant with dried smoked tofu and chopped garlic stalks. Really yummy and has a lighter garlic flavor. Lots of great fiber!

Mamasay Mamasa Mamapusa!

Regardless of how you felt about MJ you can’t deny his musical genius and indelible impact on music. To me, his music was the soundtrack of my childhood, and continues to be. I remember my older brother begging for (and getting) the MJ jacket and glittery glove to match. (I’m sure he’ll be pleased that I've shared this.) I also remember stealing his MJ cassettes so I could listen to Thriller, and at the moment of Vincent Price’s monologue I would throw my earphones across the room, because it was much too scary to hear his final eerie laughter. As an adult, I listen to Don’t Stop Till You Get Enough every year on my birthday. Rock with You even helped me cross the finish line at my first marathon.

I know MJ was a complicated man, but for today I celebrate, and remain grateful, for all the memories and happiness he gave me and countless other fans.

But it’s Fat-Free!

Lately I’ve been hearing some troubling responses from my non-foodie friends when I ask people why they are eating fake foods: “But it’s fat-free!”

I want to take this opportunity to say that fat, in good moderation, especially high quality fat, is good for you. Bad quality fats, such as anything hydrogenized (aka trans fat), or canola, corn, and soy oils are not. Fats are not created equal, and your body actually needs fat to sustain itself. One of the greatest lessons I’ve learned as a student of the Natural Gourmet institute is that certain cholesterols of the body are actually life-saving. And even more shocking to learn is that eating foods with cholesterol like butter and eggs does not raise your cholesterol!

I’ll give a brief overview of the fats I mentioned.

First, I’ll let you read about trans fats in my previous posting here. What about canola, corn or soy oils? Canola is, well it doesn’t actually exist. There’s no canola plant. Canola is another way of saying Canadians own this patent. Canola comes from the rapeseed, and without going deeply into this controversy, is a highly unstable and volatile oil. So are corn and soy oils. First and foremost, these oils are heavily genetically modified and contain a lot of synthetic chemicals such as pesticides so that farmers have the luxury of growing them in inhospitable environments. Second, they are very high in Omega 6 fatty acids. The western diet has a glut of the Omega 6’s and we therefore should be eating foods rich in Omega 3’s – like fatty fish, flax seeds, avocados and walnuts. (P.S. more good fats.)

What oils to use then? Try Olive and coconut oil - both intensely health-supportive fats.

Another high quality fat is raw, grass-fed, un-homogenized dairy from cows or goats – assuming you can tolerate dairy of course. This dairy is high in ALA, which is linked to raising your good cholesterol (HDL) and lowering your bad cholesterol (LDL). Because most people have a hard time finding raw and grass fed dairy, then I would recommend at least getting organic. You can feel a little bit better about the environment and how these cows are treated (a little). Though, pasteurized dairy will never contain the same digestive enzymes and helpful ALA’s. But do search for this dairy. Once you start looking for raw and/or grass-fed dairy, you will be surprised where you find them. I actually found organic and grass-fed milk at Fairway.

So never say fat free again. You need your fats – in moderation! I’ve barely broken through the surface about this controversial subject, so I highly recommend these books for further reading. Take a gander at Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon , Know Your Fats by Dr. Mary Enig and Real Food by Nina Planck.

Obacklash

As a follow up to my posting on Michelle Obama's organic garden I thought I would post this article from Slate on the current backlash of the garden. I think it's fantastic! The big agro's are getting so frustrated with the First Lady's effusiveness over local and organic. Getting in touch with your anger is the first step guys...

My favorite quote in the whole article, " The main problem, he says, is that local food is seasonal. For example, avocadoes grow in California during the summer months. Same with grapes. "What happens if you want some grapes during the month of December?" says Equihua. "What are you going to do? Not eat grapes?"

Hmmm. Tough one. Find this charming article here.

Article: The Gross Food Movement

Sharing a fascinating article about the "Gross Food Movement" from Gourmet online. Take the title to heart. Kind of funny, very gross.

Happy National Egg Day!

I'll hold off on any egg puns...for now. I am thrilled about today because eggs are one of my favorite foods. Oh the egg. Great as savory and great in sweets!


Coincidentally, I just took an Egg Tech class with Peter Berley last week and he began his class by quoting from Harold McGee's book, On Food and Cooking. I think this passage sums up today's excitement.

...from a light, insubstantial meringue to a dense, lingeringly rich custard. Eggs reconcile oil and water in a host of smooth sauces; they refine the texture of candies and ice creams, they give flavor, substance and nutritiousness to soups, drinks, breads, pastas and cakes; they put a shine on pastries; they clarify meat stocks and wines. On their own, they're amenable to being boiled, fried, deep-fried, baked, roasted, pickled and fermented.

What other food can do all those things? Hard to say, but that the egg makes me eggstatic. (I could only hold off for so long...) So go and eat an egg today but be sure to buy organic and pastured eggs, or straight from the farmer.