You are here: Home / 2010 / Archives for August 2010

Yogurt of the Gods

August 12, 2010 By 2 Comments

If you follow my other blog Running With Cake, you know how much I love Greek yogurt. Aside from the awesome health benefits of Greek yogurt, there’s just something about the rich flavor and the thick, smooth, and creamy texture that make me think I’m eating a dessert rather than yogurt for breakfast!

If you’ve ever purchased Greek yogurt or even checked out prices at the store, you know that Greek yogurt is about 3x that of regular yogurt. I assume this price difference is because anything “Greek” seems more exotic and, therefore, people will pay more for it. Or, it could be that it takes a little longer to make than standard yogurt.

Imagine my excitement when I came across an article in the latest Cooking Light magazine about how to make your own Greek yogurt using regular yogurt! I, being the frugal gourmet that I am, had to try this recipe at least once. Let’s see how my experience went…

Step 1: Line a small mesh strainer (such as for sifting powdered sugar) with a paper towel or coffee filter.

Step 2: Spoon in any brand of regular plain yogurt (low-fat, non-fat, or even full-fat) and set the strainer onto a bowl to allow for draining.

Step 3: Cover the strainer/bowl combination with plastic wrap and set in the fridge over night, or for 7-9 hours.

Step 4: Remove your the newly thickened yogurt from the paper towel/filter and put into a bowl.

Step 5: Enjoy!

So how did it taste! In one word – fantastic! I was a little skeptical that Greek yogurt could be sooo easy to make, but it was! Granted, the kind you buy from the store is a tad thicker, but I am willing to forgo a little thickness for spending considerably less money.

By the way, when you layer the homemade Greek yogurt with berries and walnuts and serve it in a martini glass, as I did in the photo above, it looks and tastes just as exotic as the kind you buy from the store.

Ciao!

Filed Under: Food & Wine Tagged With: , ,

Are You A Taste Setter?

August 9, 2010 By Leave a Comment
(Photo source)

When it comes to food, are you the type to jump on a new fad right away while you’re friends wait for your review? Or, do you sit back and wait for others to recommend a new product before you take your first bite?

According to a recent report by The Oxford Research Agency, people who test new food and drink products can be divided into three categories based on how quickly they are to try and adopt the new products.

  1. Taste Setters: They taste and people follow. Taste setters often read many foodie magazines and watch food-related television programs. Their opinions are often highly respected among their circle of friends or even in larger communities.
  2. Taste Adopters: These are the people who will try a new food product within a month after release, but only after a recommendation from a celebrity, magazine, or a Taste Setter.
  3. Taste Followers: This group tends to be fairly slow at adopting new food options and require a recommendation from family or friends to peak their interest and make them change their buying behavior.

The “Question of Taste” report was based on interviews with 1,534 people from across the United Kingdom, the United States, France, Germany, Brazil and China. Surprisingly, France, a country full of gourmet food, was in the top three of having the least amount of taste setters.  However, China and Brazil, where the Internet grapevine can determine the success or failure of a product and where certain brands are less well established, had the highest number of taste setters compared with the other countries.

The national breakdown of taste setters, taste adopters and taste followers from the report:

UK France Germany Brazil China USA
Taste setters 7% 9% 6% 20% 13% 10%
Taste adopters 21% 17% 22% 35% 39% 35%
Taste followers 72% 74% 72% 45% 48% 65%

Although I am somewhat considered a taste setter among family members and some friends, in most circumstances, I would consider myself a taste adopter. I’m not quick to jump on any foodie fad before reading about it in a respected news source of a from a taste setter. But, there are times when I just can’t pass up a new product, especially involving chocolate or cheese!

And so, my question to you is, are you a taste setter? If not, what taste category do you fall in?

Filed Under: Food & Wine Tagged With: ,

The Best Things Happen While You're Dancing…

August 5, 2010 By Leave a Comment

(Photo Source)

A few years ago when Scott and I were traveling around Europe, we had the extreme delight of spending a week in and around Barcelona, an area known as Catalunya. On our last evening in the city, just before dusk, Scott and I were wandering the streets. We were taking in the last few sites and just savoring every last moment of the city (similar to what we did in London). As what frequently happens in a foreign city, my instincts – and nose – led me right to a patisserie, which just happened to be right in the middle of a church square. Apparently, church-goers love their pastries because patisseries can often be found near churches, similar to pubs in Ireland.

I stopped in the shop to sample a few treats, with Scott perched outside waiting for his surprise and, all the while, taking pictures of my pastry-excursion. A few minutes later, we saw a band beginning to set up in the middle of the square. Oooh, live entertainment! We stood anxiously waiting for the music to begin while eating our new Spanish sweets. The music filled the medium-size square like a breeze on a cool summer night, immediately grabbing the attention of the 100 or so people milling about nearby.

We stood, captivated by the music, and seemed content to stay there all night, listening into the wee hours. But to our surprise, the entertainment had just begun. Right before our very eyes, groups of people gathered and started to form circles in the square. Some circles were small, while others were large. Some of the people seemed to know each other while others were meeting for the first time. As the tempo of the music began the change, the people in the circles threw their belongings in the middle of the circle and clasped hands. Then, the circles began to dance! Each circle of newfound friends danced in a similar fashion, kicking their feet and lifting their arms in a choreographed routine. For more than 20 minutes, the music kept playing and the people continued to dance.

As I watched the many groups dancing, I felt like an outsider looking in. I wanted so much to be a part of a circle, to be a part of a culture with so much history and one with so little inhibition that it can just spontaneously dance in a town square. But something told me it wasn’t right to intrude; it wasn’t right to assume I would be welcomed into their circle. Although Barcelena could easily feel like home to me, it wasn’t my home, it wasn’t my culture. It was their culture and I needed to respect their traditions. I realize now, that was the wise thing to do.

We later learned that the community dance we witnessed is the Sardana, a traditional and very patriotic dance among the Spanish Catalan culture. Years ago, when Franco was dictator of Spain, he saw the Catalans as a threat. He imposed many laws that stifled the language, traditions, and cultural practices of the Catalan people. After his reign, the Sardana began to symbolize pride and unity among the Catalan people and a break from Fraco’s rule.

I remember and love so many things about Barcelona – the architecture, tapas restaurants, and the famous Las Ramblas. But one thing I will never forget is the dancing!

Filed Under: Travel Tagged With: , , , , ,

What's in a French Girl's Kitchen?

August 2, 2010 By 2 Comments

Contrary to popular belief, a French girl can not live on croissants, red wine, and chocolates alone, although that would be loads of fun to try! In reality, a French girl will typically keep a kitchen full of French standards for weekly meals and for those “just in case” times when friends drop by unexpectedly. After all, eating at home with friends and family is much preferred over a restaurant meal, even for a single French girl!

So, what exactly is in a French girl’s kitchen? Unlike many Americans, you will not find frozen dinners, chips/pretzels, or even multiple bags of candy and sweets. She has more refined tastes than that. If I were a French girl, here’s what you may find me stocking my pantry with throughout the year….

Stocking the French Pantry

Daily: To guarantee freshness, a French girl will purchase these items on the day of the meal.

  • Fresh bread – A French girl knows that bread is best when it’s hot and fresh, and, preferably crusty!
  • Pastries - Although she does not overindulge in this area, a French girl will buy her pastries and other prepared desserts from her favorite local patisserie, the morning or afternoon of her special event – but just enough for her guests!
  • Fish

Weekly: A French girl will purchase most of these items on a weekly basis, depending on her storage space how much she entertains.

  • Milk
  • Fresh cut meat, poultry, sausage – She will often befriend the butcher in order to secure the best cuts of meat!
  • Cheese – Gruyere, brie, chevre, parmesan, just to name a few
  • Vegetables: Carrots, celery, potatoes, artichokes, leeks, mushrooms, spinach, beets, asparagus…the list goes on and on!
  • Wine – She will use this for cooking and drinking, but just a glass or two!
  • Fruit – Melons, berries, peaches, plums, apples, pears, grapes, and lemons for desserts, sauces, and her frothy citron presse! As always, she will buy her fruit based on the seasons, as is the custom in France.
  • Yogurt – Although French girls would prefer to make her own, it’s not uncommon for them to buy a few cartons of natural, plain yogurt per week for cooking and for breakfast.
  • Eggs
  • Fresh herbs
  • Olives and other relishes

Monthly: A French girl will buy these staples once a month or as needed during the month.

  • Cream – She can use this to whip together a last-minute sauce for crepes or even a dessert topping. Cream lasts a little longer than milk in the fridge, but it may not get to through whole month before spoiling. But then again, it may not last a week before she uses it all!
  • Butter – Even French girls don’t shy away from butter. They are notorious for using butter, and lots of it, in their dishes.
  • Onions, shallots, garlic – Like herbs, they provide much of the quintessential taste of French food, without the added salt.
  • Chicken stock – She will use this as a base for most stews, soups, and sauces. I’m sure most French girls can make their own chicken stock, but my gosh – the time! There are very good options for chicken and vegetable stock (organic and non) at Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and other specialty markets.
  • Dijon mustard – A French girl will often mustard to vinegar/oil dressings for binding and to add tons of flavor. Even if you don’t like mustard, try it with vinegar/oil and you may surprise yourself!
  • Canned items – Although a French girl prefers to buy things fresh whenever possible, canned items, such as tomatoes and beans, are often the go-to staples in a French pantry during the winter months. They are great for sauces and for thickening stews and soups.
  • Dried Items – Rice, beans/lentils, pasta, mushrooms, oats/grains
  • Nuts – Walnuts, pecans, hazelnuts, almonds, etc.
  • Unsalted butter – Overly salted food is a no-no for a French girl. She’s sticks with unsalted butter to control the salt in her food. Be warned, unsalted butter spoils faster than salted butter!

Annually: A French girl will buy the best quality of these items – but only a few times a year!

  • Olive oil – She uses it for cooking, vinaigrettes, or just for dipping!
  • Dried herbs – Flat-leaf parsley, rosemary, basil, etc.
  • Sea salt
  • Vinegar – White wine, champagne, red wine, and balsamic are some of her favorites!
  • Sugar, flour, brown sugar – for all her baking needs of course!
  • Ground chocolate and/or baking chocolate

As you can see, what’s great about French cuisine is that many of the ingredients that are typically used in French dishes are simple, easy to find at your local market, and can be stored in the pantry or the fridge for more than just a few days. Now, the real question is – How French is Your Pantry?

Ciao!

Filed Under: Food & Wine Tagged With: , , , ,