I once had a secret so shameful that, for years, I kept it carefully tucked away in the darkest corners of my mind, where it festered and multiplied, untouched by the cleansing light of day.
Over time, my secret grew to such proportions that I feared any public establishment or social engagement which might bring me face to face with its source. I knew no relief; my secret alienated me from the company of my dearest companions, leaving me isolated. Alone. Fearful.
Trapped.
And then, by chance, redemption came in the form of a curative substance which relieved me of my loathsome burden. And this evening, as a measure of my faith in you, dKossians and faithful What's For Dinner?ers, I am revealing my secret and the form of redemption which rained down upon me like cooling rains in the drought.
My secret: from approximately 1994 until the summer of 2006, I despised yogurt. I despised everything about it, from its gelatinous chunks of frankenfruit to its watery, acrid ooze.
The kicker came when I learned that most yogurts on the shelves don't even contain the active - live - cultures which distinguish real yogurt as a healthy addition to everyone's diet.
Then, in the summer of 2006, faced with a small mountain of blueberries, I began searching for new smoothie recipes --- a search which led me to Brown Cow Cream on Top Yogurt. And, oh what a discovery --- not only does it taste good, but it sports four live cultures: S. thermophilus, L. bulgaricus, L. acidophilus and Bifidus.
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Why Does This Matter?
Oh, sure, Dannon's now added a special line of yogurts called Activa which contain live cultures --- but how many millions - billions - of dollars did consumers waste buying Dannon products that they assumed were yogurt which contained no live culture and were actually nothing more than glorified sugar conveyance mechanisms?
Sorry, but if I wanted desert, I'd buy real ice cream - or chocolate.
And when I buy yogurt, I want those beneficial live cultures. Not sugar.
Witness:
And This Matters Because ...
Those cultures have important health benefits, while sugar, the primary ingredient in most yogurts for some 10-20 years now - not so much.
Not convinced? Then consider some of the benefits of yogurt with live cultures:
- Yogurt is easier to digest than milk. Many people who cannot tolerate milk, either because of a protein allergy or lactose intolerance, can enjoy yogurt. The culturing process makes yogurt more digestible than milk. [...]
- Yogurt contributes to colon health. There's a medical truism that states: "You're only as healthy as your colon." [...]
- Yogurt improves the bioavailability of other nutrients. [...]
- Yogurt can boost immunity. [...]
- Yogurt aids healing after intestinal infections. [...]
- Yogurt can decrease yeast infections. [...]
- Yogurt is a rich source of calcium. [...] Because the live-active cultures in yogurt increase the absorption of calcium, an 8-ounce serving of yogurt gets more calcium into the body than the same volume of milk can.
- Yogurt is an excellent source of protein. [...] the culturing of the milk proteins during fermentation makes these proteins easier to digest. For this reason, the proteins in yogurt are often called "predigested."
- Yogurt can lower cholesterol.
And this list barely scratches the surface of the benefits of eating yogurt. There is evidence, for example, that yogurt may play an important role in the battles against heart disease and cancer. But, if you're still not convinced, consider this: bacteria similar to those in yogurt may fight superbugs, like MRSA:
A bacterium related to those found in "bio" yoghurts may be able to restrict the growth of the so-called "superbug" MRSA.
Laboratory research, reported in New Scientist, found that a strain of the Lactobacillus fermentum bacterium, had an effect on the spread of the more dangerous Staphylococcus aureus.
This strain is similar, although not identical, to those contained in many varieties of "live" yoghurts which are marketed as a way of maintaining digestive health.
And just as important, yogurt's yummy and a versatile ingredient in the kitchen.
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But Which is Better: Homemade or Storebought?
I. Storebought Yogurt:
It's entirely possible to get great storebought yogurt. Just read your labels, and be sure to get yogurt which:
- states it has live (active) cultures;
- hasn't been heat treated;
- has a minimum of ingredients.
I think Stonyfield and Brown Cow are great choices. I prefer Brown Cow because I like its taste, but you can't go wrong with either of them.
There are likely other brands which are excellent. And if you live in a large city, you may be able to find artisan yogurts. Unfortunately here, the only artisan yogurts available are made from goat's milk --- and I love goat cheese and would find such a yogurt perfect for making faux goat cheese (see below) --- but I generally prefer a milder taste, because it makes it so much more useful in the kitchen.
II. Homemade Yogurt:
There are some advantages to making your own yogurt, however:
- You no longer have all those hundreds of plastic containers to contend with or feel guilty about.
- You can control the taste --- the longer you cook it, the tarter the taste, and for a mild flavor, just don't cook it for 8 hours.
- And it's somewhat cheaper. For me, it's working out to about a dollar less a batch --- not a lot, but not a figure to sniff at, especially if you eat a lot of yogurt.
Maybe most important, though, it's easy.
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How to Make Your Own Yogurt
Very simple: all you need is good milk, some starter and a Salton Yogurt Machine - or similar.
I've never made yogurt in the oven because I keep the gas to my oven turned off most of the time, and refuse to turn it on just to make yogurt. If you've made yogurt without a machine, though, please! Do tell! And, check out Fankhauser's Cheese Page for recipes for everything from yogurt to ricotta.
Now, being me, I don't follow the directions for the yogurt machine because I lost the manual for it almost immediately. In particular, I don't boil the milk beforehand because - well, the milk I use is organic and pasteurized, and I'm not terribly germ phobic. YMMV. And I don't add powdered milk. But its absence isn't even noticeable --- the yogurt still comes out creamy and thick.
Rather than heating it, I set the milk out until it reaches room temperature. I then mix a small bit of it with either 1/4 to 1/2 cup of a previous batch of yogurt (or storebought) or Yogourmet starter.
I then mix this in with the rest of the milk, put it into the yogurt maker, plug it in ... and let it cook for either 3-4 hours, for a mild taste, or 5-6 even 7 hours, for a tart yogurt.
See? Easy as pie. Just be sure to reserve about a cup of it to use as starter.
And if I want to make my own ...
Fruit Yogurt
I follow the steps for plain yogurt, but add 2 teaspoons vanilla, a touch of honey (warmed, maybe 2 tablespoons) and washed, drained fruit, patted dry. I cook for a little longer than 4 hours, so the yogurt is nicely set up.
You can also ...
... just add a bit of vanilla and honey, but no fruit, for a very nice treat. Mmmm.
Or ...
Line a strainer with cheesecloth and place over a bowl. Pour yogurt into it and let it drain until it reaches the desired consistency.
To this, you can add honey and almonds.
Or, if you're in the mood for some faux goat cheese, add some freshly ground black pepper and pressed garlic while it's draining. One bit of advice, though --- the faux goat cheese works best with a mild tasting yogurt. So, if you've made a tart yogurt, save it for another dish.
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Savory Dishes
Yogurt isn't only a good choice for breakfast or a healthy, tasty way to eat some fruit. It's also a great substitute for mayonnaise in salad dressings (adjust your seasonings) or alone, and a fabulous marinade for meats.
For example ...
Madhur Jaffrey's Lamb Chops with Whole Spices and Yogurt
8 lamb chops
5 tablespoons yogurt
2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use grapeseed)
10 whole black peppercorns
10 whole cloves
2 bay leaves
8 cardomon pods
2 cinnamon sticks
2 whole dried red peppers OR cayenne, to taste
Fresh ginger, 1" cube, peeled and minced
2 pressed garlic cloves
4 tablespoons chopped cilantro OR watercress OR mint (the mint's good!)
Salt, to taste
- Mix yogurt with 1 cup water.
- Heat oil in heavy pan. When hot, brown the chops on both sides and remove.
- Turn heat down and fry the peppercorns, cloves, bay, cardomon, cinnamon and red pepper (or cayenne) for 20-30 seconds.
- Add ginger and garlic, and fry for another moment.
- Add greens of your choice (cilantro, mint, whatever) and fry for another minute.
- Add lamb chops and yogurt water. Add salt if desired. Bring to a boil, stir, turn heat down and simmer for about an hour, stirring every few minutes.
This is a seriously good dish.
A lighter dish is raita --- and with summer coming, it's time to drag this old recipe out again.
Cucumber Raita
2 cucumbers
16 ounces yogurt
Salt, to taste
A dash of cayenne --- optional but highly recommended
1/8 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon ground cumin
- Peel cucumber and grate.
- Stir yogurt until it's creamy, and add spices.
- Stir in cucumber.
Serve with whatever you feel like --- this is particularly good with Madhur Jaffrey's Potato Stuffing for Cabbage, Converted to Tasty Side Dish
And if, like me, you're crazy for the feta, consider trying this improvised dish, based on two recipes (galotiri and Feta Cheese Spread with Mint and Garlic) from Diane Kochilas' The Greek Vegetarian. You need to make the galotiri a week ahead, but it's worth it.
Feta-Yogurt Cheese Spread with Mint and Garlic
1 pound feta
3 cups drained yogurt (you can substitute 1/2 cup of milk for 1/2 cup of the yogurt)
~ 1/2 cup finely chopped mint
4-6 chopped garlic cloves
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
2-3 tablespoons lemon juice
Galotiri
Crumble the feta and mix thoroughly with the yogurt. Cover and refrigerate for one week, stirring once or twice a day.
The final product
- Puree the mint, garlic, pepper and olive oil until consistency is like pesto.
- Begin stirring into the galotiri, adding lemon juice as you go and more olive oil, if needed.
Serve with raw veggies, on toast or however you feel like serving it.
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Well, there's much more to be said about yogurt, but the sun just came out after a night and morning of spring thunderstorms and I have got to get my seeds started!
Before I go, however, I wish to make amends to dkossian jillian and the entire state of California for so dismissively referring to artichoke as lowly.
Therefore, in the name of peace and goodwill and all that is good and right in this world, I hereby rechristen artichokes as FEARSOME AND YUMMY!
Oh, and a final note: if you love yogurt, but just don't have the time to make it, consider supporting the National Yogurt Association who are working to ensure you're getting actual benefit from your yogurt by establishing:
.. a Live & Active Cultures seal program for all yogurt manufacturers whose refrigerated products contain at least 100 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture, and whose frozen products contain 10 million cultures per gram at the time of manufacture.
So, um, what's cookin'?