Y is for Yogurt!

Yup, YOGURT. There are not enough words to explain to anyone how much I L*O*V*E yogurt.

Growing up in an Afghani home, children graduate from mother's milk to drinking tea and eating yogurt. For many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean/North African cultures, yogurt is a staple of life. There is not one Afghan meal, whether it is at home or at a wedding or at a funeral, that I can remember where yogurt was not served. We eat it every day, multiple times per day. In our home it was called "masteh", and even to this day I'll refer to it as masteh on my grocery list.

Yogurt is Yummy. Soooooooooo Yummmmy!!!! I Yearn for Yogurt and am known to Yell if I open the fridge and realize that we've run out. Yikes!

When we were kids my mother always made yogurt at home for us. I still remember the GIANT green pot she used. I kid you not, it was a 16 quart pot! My second sister was always getting in trouble for peeling off the creamed skin top of the yogurt. The problem is that if you pull that off too soon, the yogurt doesn' t set and you end up with a giant pot of whey.

But, my sister had an impulsive streak, so it was very hard for her to control her impulse to eat the delicious yogurt top. She was playing outside in the garden one summer day, and upon entering the kitchen, she thought it would be slick to just take a little bit of the top. Problem was that she left some telltale dirt on the yogurt top, so my mom knew immediately who the culprit was.

My mom was sooooo mad at my sister, but she didn't yell or chastise her. She simply brought her into the kitchen, sat her down at the table, and proceeded to pour ALL THE YOGURT on my sister's head. To this day I crack up remembering the stunned look on my sister's face when my mother ever so calmly & lovingly covered her in yogurt. She smeared it on her good and plenty.

My mom told her to just sit there until she had her fill of yogurt and until my mom said so, and then she would return to help her wash up. Poor thing sat there for what seemed like hours crying tracks into her yogurt covered face, and then my mom walked her to the tub and cleaned her up, all the while explaining how much money it cost to buy that much milk for yogurt, and how many hours it took my mom to make yogurt. Oh man, what a crazy memory.

Anyway, I used to make yogurt myself when I was in college and law school, but my life is so busy these days that I just buy it instead. I thought it would be funny to pull out all the yogurt in my fridge and take a picture. On any given day there are at least 4 different kinds of yogurt containers in our fridge. I like plain yogurt, no fruit on the bottom, no surprise treats, no leprechauns, and no mix ins.

Plain, non-fat or lowfat yogurt is my personal staple, and I eat it with EVERYTHING. I like to mix it with fruit and cereal for breakfast/snack. I use it as a garnish or condiment on everything from rice dishes, meats, as a dip for pita chips, or just plain on its own. You probably won't believe me, but between work and home, I go through 4-6 containers of yogurt per week!

I also like everything yogurt related. "Dogh" is an Afghani drink that consists of shaved ice, yogurt, thinly slivered cucumbers, and lemon juice all blended together for the MOST refreshing drink ever! Ed can't stand it and it grosses him out when I drink it. He thinks it is too tart and the idea of a yogurt "drink" just doesn't sit well with him. I can't drink enough of it. The more tart, the better. That puckery sensation in my mouth if phenomenal! Seriously, there is nothing better on a hot summer day than and ice cold glass of dogh. Oh. My. God.

There is also "Greek" yogurt, which doesn't make sense to me because every country in that part of the world makes "Greek" yogurt, which is regular yogurt that has some of its whey removed through a cheesecloth or something similar.

My mom made "Greek" yogurt, but in Afghanistan it is called "chakha". Much thicker and more sour than regular yogurt, it is my go-to dip or condiment, similar to how sour cream could be used. It is sooo thick and creamy, and it simply enhances the flavor or everything I eat. When our first Golden Retriever, Nick, was alive, the two of us would eat apples or broccoli dipped in the "chakha" for a snack. It was soooo good! Sadly, neither Achilles or Milo ever got into that with me.

Frozen yogurt is a distinctly Americanized version of the diet staple I grew up on, and it is ever so delicious. Probably the only time that I like yogurt to have any kind of "flavor". However, many frozen yogurt places now offer a "plain tart" flavor, which is fantastically delicious! Right now my sister and I are slowly spending our life savings at the local Yogurtland, where frozen yogurt is 30 cents per ounce, we can mix and match any and all flavors, and my current favorites are Pomegranate Tart, Peanut Butter, or Blueberry Explosion. Hallelujah!

Last, but most certainly not least, there is kefir. What is kefir you ask? Well, here's a link to the Wikipedia definition: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kefir

Another site describes it as a "cultured, enzyme-rich food filled with friendly micro-organisms that help balance your "inner ecosystem." More nutritious and therapeutic than yogurt, it supplies complete protein, essential minerals, and valuable B vitamins." http://www.kefir.net/

All of that sounds like "blah, blah, blah" to me....because to me, kefir is just plain GOOD. Scratch that, kefir is GREAT. It is kind of a drinkable, more runny yogurt. Definitely a lot more tart than regular yogurt, and the cultures needed to begin a batch of kefir are more fermented than for regular yogurt. For this reason it is touted as this nutritional powerhouse, especially for digestive health, but to me it is just plain delicious, something I've grown up eating/drinking all my life.

At work, right about 2 pm or so, I start to feel sluggish and tired. I grab a glass of kefir, with a handful of garlic pita chips or some almonds, a cheese stick, and I'm good to go. My favorite kefir is Trader Joe's variety, but Lifeway makes an okay version as well:
http://www.lifeway.net/Products/Kefir/NonFatKefir/NonFatPlain.aspx

Whether it is called masteh, chakha, dogh, or kefir, it all starts off with YOGURT, and again, I don't like it flavored with anything. Just plain please.

Because I sometimes think about silly nonsense, I play mind games with myself and ask questions like, "If I had to be trapped on an island, what ONE food would I have to have with me?" My answer to myself is always....YOGURT. Not even chocolate beats it!

For more A to Z Mondays fun, and to check out what other Blogistani peeps have done with the letter "Y"...go to Jen's blog: http://unglazed.blogspot.com/

Happy Monday everyone, and eat some yogurt today! :-)