Yogurt Culture A Global Look at How to Make Bake Sip & Chill the Worlds Creamiest Healthiest Food

Ever since the early 1900s, yogurt has been associated with health and long life, butand#160;now, it is nothing less than an economic superstarandmdash;one that has outpaced any other item in the U.S. food industry. Cheryl Sternman Rule shows how to move beyond those single-serving presweetened containers, using yogurtand#160;not onlyand#160;inand#160;fruity and savory combinations, but also in dips, spreads, and dressings; in drinks; to quell heat in fiery dishes; as a base for smoothies; in soups, where it adds creaminess; as a heat bufferand#160;to keepand#160;chicken, fish, and meat juicy;and#160;and in lusciousand#160;desserts. In chapters like Flavor (Plum Allspice; Tomato, Avocado, and Cucumber Salad), Wakeand#160;(Folded Omelet with Lox, Shallot, and Yogurt),and#160;Dine (Potato-Leek Tart with Parmesan and Thyme), and Chill (Milk Chocolate Yogurt Pops with Salted Peanut Crush), she shares craveableand#160;recipes.

In addition to showing how to make yogurt and yogurt cheese (labneh) at home,and#160;Rule explores theand#160;ingredient from every angle, comparing the different kinds of yogurt, showing how to read a label, visiting large and small yogurt producers, andand#160;gaining entry toand#160;kitchens of cooks from Afghanistan, Mongolia, India, Serbia, Greece, Turkey, Israel, and more.

andquot;Yogurt is hugely popular in American supermarkets, but itandrsquo;s often sweetened to sugar-bomb status, packed into snack cups or processed into squeezable tubes. In food writer Cheryl Sternman Ruleandrsquo;s kitchen, though, we get a worldwide, whirlwind tour of the versatile ingredient...andrdquo; andmdash;The Seattle Times

andquot;Sternman Rule traveled and interviewed yogurt producers, chefs, and home cooks from a wide range of cultures while writing the book to explore how yogurt is used across the globe and just how versatile it can be in the kitchen...andquot; andndash;The Oregonian

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andquot;Part cookbook, part guide, and 100% inspiring. Whether you buy little containers of it from the store or make your own at home, Yogurt Culture will make you fall in love with the tart and creamy stuff anew...andquot; andndash;Paste.com

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andquot;[Cheryl Sternman Ruleand#39;s]and#160;anecdotes throughout give texture and context to many of the recipes, from the Eritrean spicy tomato bread salad with yogurt (called fata) to the syrup-drenched orange phyllo cake. Ruleandrsquo;s yogurt primer is comprehensive, going so far as to delve into the relationship between yogurt and gender...andquot; andndash;The San Francisco Chronicle

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andldquo;Sternman Rule shares recipes and stories from kitchens around the world and visits yogurt producers large and small to explore the scope of this booming industry. After exploring the history of yogurt, she...and#160;offers a fool-proof guide on how to take the anxiety of making yogurt from scratch. Rule also explains how to strain regular yogurt into a thick, creamy Greek version, then combines it with blood orange and kalamata olives for an outstanding dip...andquot; andndash;The Detroit News

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andquot;...and#160;[Ruleand#39;s]and#160;evocative descriptions of the people and cultures that inspire her recipes make me want to pull out my pots and pans andmdash; or my passport andmdash; just so I can taste what she tastedandhellip;Cheryl Sternman Rule delves deeply into the traditional flavors and food ways where yogurt plays a starring role, and with andldquo;Yogurt Culture,andrdquo; we are all the richer for it.andquot; andndash;The San Diego Union-Tribune

andquot;...Turning a critical eye to the history and economics of this extremely popular food, [Rule] explores global eating habits, the practices of large co-packing facilities, and the growth of notable companies such as Dannon and Chobani. In addition to this informative content, and perhaps best of all, Rule delivers outstanding recipes...andquot;and#160;andmdash;Library Journal,and#160;starred

andldquo;In the America of my lifetime, yogurt has gone from being a fringe food for andlsquo;health nutsandrsquo; to the (usually too sweet) snack of hipsters everywhere. Yet there is so much more to this profound and ancient food than most people may realize. Cherylandrsquo;s delightful and beautifully communicated book brings yogurt to center stage with the focus it deserves, as a cornerstone ingredient in its own right. And the recipes are terrific.andrdquo; andmdash;Mollie Katzen, author of Moosewood Cookbook and The Heart of the Plate

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andldquo;Yogurt Culture is rich in history and lore, big on common sense, and filled with appealing ways to use yogurt as expressed in the recipes, with clear instructions for making your own yogurt and a useful trouble-shooting guide. This is a great little book about a food that is part of so many of our lives. With it in hand, yogurt will undoubtedly have a bigger role to play in your life, too. I know it will in mine.andrdquo; andmdash;Deborah Madison, author of Vegetable Literacy and The New Vegetarian Cooking for Everyone

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andldquo;From something so simple as yogurt, Cheryl Sternman Rule has painted a picture of vast possibility. Yogurt Culture is a beautifully written book, with astute observations on the global importance of the ingredient and stunning recipes to explore.andrdquo; andmdash; Hugh Acheson, chef/author

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andldquo;Cheryl Sternman Rule not only understands that plain honest yogurt puts all the strange confections in the supermarket yogurt case to shame for flavor and versatility, but knows how to bring home the point to fellow cooks. Her worldwide Eritrea-to-Mongolia-to California quest for yogurt traditions is also a very contemporary exploration of its limitless flavor potential. If her inventive recipes for anything from waffles to cooling summer drinks, relishes to savory marinades, curries to frozen desserts help turn yogurt into the newest culinary craze andmdash; well, itand#39;s about time!andrdquo; andndash;Anne Mendelson, author, Milk

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andldquo;Through pointed research and experimentation, Cheryl distills for us a primer on at-home yogurt making, shows how she integrates it into her own day-to-day cooking, and explores and celebrates yogurtandrsquo;s traditional place in global cultures. You come away with a deeper understanding of the facets of yogurt that make it such a dynamic, adaptive, and globally loved part of our lives.andrdquo; andmdash; Heidi Swanson, author, Super Natural Every Day

In Yogurt Culture, award-winning food writer Cheryl Sternman Rule presents 115 flavorful recipes, taking yogurt farther than the breakfast table, lunchbox, or gym bag. Rule strips yogurt of its premixed accessories and brings it back to its pure, wholesome essence. In chapters likeand#160;Flavor,and#160;Slurp, Dine, and Lick, she pairs yogurt not just with fruit but with meat, not just with sugar but with salt, not just with herbs but with fragrant spices whose provenance spans the globe. She provides foolproof, step-by-step instructions for how to make yogurt, Greek yogurt, and labneh at home, though all of her recipes can also be prepared with commercial yogurt.

Rule explores yogurt from every angle, explaining how to read a label, visiting producers large and small, andand#160;gaining entry toand#160;the kitchens of cooks from around the world. Deeply researched and peppered with stories, interviews, and full-color photographs, Yogurt Culture offers a fresh, comprehensive take on a beloved food.