The Picture of Health

Okay, yogurt sans brown sugar would be a tad bit healthier, but this photo makes my mouth water so it makes the cut. I posted my recipe for plain yogurt ages ago, and still make it the same way: combine a litre of whole milk and 1/3 cup milk powder; heat it to 180ºF; cool it to 110ºF; add yogurt or yogurt starter; keep in a warm place for about six hours; refrigerate to stop the culturing process; enjoy. For all the details, see the original post.

If you are in Taiwan or somewhere else where truly plain yogurt is hard to find or prohibitively expensive, it really is worth giving this a try. I use my yogurt in any recipe that calls for buttermilk (corn bread, muffins, pancakes), and as a substitute for sour cream, both in recipes (coffee cake) and as a topping (burritos). Scoop it into a lined mesh sieve set over a bowl in the fridge for a few hours or more, and you have farmer's cheese (the volume will reduce by up to half). Add herbs, fresh minced garlic, a bit of lemon juice and some ground pepper, and you have a fabulous spread for crackers, sandwiches, or veggie sticks. Make a sweet version with honey and cinnamon and you have a high-protein breakfast spread.

Go nuts! It's good for you.