My New Culinary Love

I remember one time in the early eighties, my mom read somewhere that plain yoghurt could be substituted for sour cream in recipes--resulting in food that was lower in fat, rich in "good for you" cultures, and with virtually no taste difference.

So we tried it. I remember forking up a big bite of baked potato smothered with Danon plain yoghurt and putting it in my mouth. Once that bite hit my tongue, I knew that we had been suckered into what just might be the biggest lie in culinary history. Keep in mind, I was probably eight at the time. It was disgusting.

I had never been a huge fan of yoghurt, and this solidified my distaste.

Fast forward 30ish years...

Last year, my friend, Not Your Average Jennifer, introduced me to this:

I don't think what she used was this brand, per se, but this is the equivalent that I can find in my small Midwestern town.

Now I had seen this item before. At our grocery store it is nestled among the other brands of yoghurt. The thing that draws attention to it is the price tag below it--it's roughly twice as much as the other brands of "regular" yoghurt.

As I said before, I don't particularly like yoghurt, so I didn't pay it much attention to it at all.

Well, one time while I was visiting, Jen fixed me yoghurt for breakfast. And as a polite guest, I figured I could sit down and eat a bowl...it wouldn't kill me.

What she served was pure deliciousness--plain Greek yoghurt, sprinkled with chopped raw walnuts and drizzled with raw honey.

And then I realized...THIS is what that person from the early eighties was talking about!! He or she hadn't, as I had previously assumed, destroyed his/her taste buds as a three-pack-a-day smoker in the seventies!

This stuff is creamy, and smooth, and deliciously tangy! You can get it flavored, like "regular" Danon yoghurt, and we've tried some of it, but in my humble opinion, none of those flavors hold a candle to chopped walnuts and drizzled honey.

Brian prefers it with granola and fresh blueberries...if you're looking for variations.

And I do now use it in place of sour cream in recipes. It is more expensive, but it tastes so much better and the health benefits of no fat, live yoghurt cultures, and a list of ingredients that I recognize are a real bonus.

Plus this particular brand contains recipes on the carton like this:

Blue Cheese Avocado Dip

How can you not love something this spectacular?

Thanks, Jen! My life and my dinner table are richer for knowing you!