You might think yogurt is just for snacking but in this Cooking Tip, I want to show you how to use it in baking and/or cooking. My husband used to make his own yogurt and I loved it as I always had some nice & thick unflavored yogurt on hand to use whenever I wanted it. Sadly, he has moved on to other things and his yogurt maker now sits lonely on the shelf.

Yogurt is produced by inoculating milk with a bacterial strain that starts fermentation. This thickens the milk and gives it a sour flavor. The milk can be anywhere between skim and whole. Yogurt has become so popular that plain, unflavored yogurt is just a small minority of the yogurt offered in the store. Flavored yogurts are the mainstay in the dairy aisle. You will also find Greek and non-Greek yogurt as well as non-dairy options.

When it comes to using it as an ingredient, stick to plain, unflavored yogurt. Unless your recipe calls for something different, opt for full-fat yogurt. If you can’t find it, try 2%. If possible, stay away from non-fat as you won’t get the same creaminess. This is especially true if you are trying to substitute yogurt for a different dairy product. For example, if you are making a sauce that calls for heavy cream and you try to replace it with a low- or non-fat yogurt, it might result in a mess of a sauce. The fat content is necessary to coat the proteins in the cream. If you have less fat, there is less coating of the proteins and when heated, the proteins will join together and coagulate – not a pretty sight!

Similarly, if you are trying to thicken your sauce by the reduction method, low fat products are not recommended. Once again, there is not enough fat to coat the proteins and prevent coagulation. One work-around that is recommended is to add a bit of starch to replace some of the fat. For example, adding a bit of cornstarch to your low-fat dairy and the rest of the ingredients for your sauce. Or, just use a higher fat yogurt.

How can you use yogurt in your cooking? Here are a few ideas.

• Sauces – adding a touch of yogurt to your pan sauce can add richness.
• Toppings – top your bowl of chili or soup with a dollop. Do this just before serving.
• Marinades – the enzymes in yogurt help break down proteins, which tenderizes meat and fish.
• Mayonnaise – use yogurt instead of mayo in your chicken salad or creamy dressings.
• Buttermilk – yogurt can be used in place of buttermilk. For every cup of buttermilk, mix 2/3 cup of yogurt with 1/3 cup of milk.
• Sour cream – yogurt, especially Greek, can be substituted for sour cream. Cooks Illustrated cautions that with high heat preparations, the yogurt might break due to the lower fat content as compared to sour cream.

Here are a few tips for using yogurt in your recipes:

• If adding to a hot mixture, temper it. Add a few tablespoons of the hot mixture into the yogurt first. This warms the yogurt and helps to prevent separation. Then you can stir that back into your hot mixture.
• Stir/fold the yogurt in gently to help maintain a nice texture.
• Add the yogurt in the final stages of cooking to maintain its thickness.
• If your yogurt-based salad dressing or dip is not thick enough, a rest in the refrigerator for an hour should help.

If a recipe calls for Greek-style yogurt and all you have is regular yogurt, don’t despair. Put your regular yogurt into a fine-mesh strainer lined with a paper towel or coffee filter and place over a bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and allow to drain as long as you can, preferably overnight. You will be left with delightfully thick yogurt but you will also be left with the liquid that is drained off – the whey. Don’t throw that away as you can use it in your baking.

According to King Arthur Flour, whey can be used in place of water in yeast bread recipes as the yeast likes the acidity of the whey. It can also be used as a substitute for buttermilk. Since whey is thinner, they recommend to reduce the amount by about 20% to 25%, compared to the buttermilk. If the amount of buttermilk is less than ½ cup, don’t bother with the reduction. Use the same amount of whey as buttermilk.

If you want to use yogurt in your recipes for baked goods, realize that Greek yogurt is going to have less moisture than regular yogurt. Therefore, to ensure your baked goods such as muffins do not come out dry, you need to add a bit of water. If your recipe calls for 1 cup liquid, use 2/3 cup Greek yogurt and 1/3 cup water.

For a more complete chart for how to substitute yogurt for different dairy ingredients, see this chart produced by 100DaysofRealFood.com in conjunction with Stonyfield yogurts.

Do you like to use yogurt in your cooking and baking? Let me know how you use it and any advice you have for others. The next time you walk by the yogurt aisle, not only grab some for snacking but grab some also for cooking/baking. Have fun!

Butter is a wonderful and tasty ingredient although I know it gets a bad rap for health reasons. We use it in all types of baking as well as savory applications. In this Cooking Tip, I would like to discuss whether the type of butter you choose makes a difference to your end result.

One of the main choices you will have to make when purchasing butter is whether to get salted butter or unsalted (sometimes called sweet) butter. Most chefs and food resources will tell you that you should only use unsalted butter in your cooking and baking. These are the reasons:

• You want to control how much salt goes into your item. Since all salted butters contain different amounts of salt, it is better to go with unsalted butter and then add your own salt as desired.
• Salt is used as a preservative and extends shelf life. In theory, then, unsalted butter (which has a shorter shelf life) should be fresher.
• Unsalted butter has a lower water content, something that you want in baked goods. Excess water can interfere with gluten development – a concern for some baked goods. When Cooks Illustrated did side-by-side comparisons of brownies and biscuits made with the same brand of butter – one salted and unsalted – they found that those made with salted butter were a little mushy.
• Salt can mask butter’s delicate flavor. This is a detriment where butter is the star ingredient such as in buttercream frostings, butter cookies and certain sauces such as beurre blanc.

There are times that salted butter may be preferred. It is great for spreading on bread, adding to your veggies or just when you are not concerned about the amount of salt in your dish. There are also certain recipes that have been developed using salted butter.

Does the brand of butter matter? Perhaps. Cooks Illustrated did a tasting of seven different supermarket brands of unsalted butters. They tasted the butters plain, in pound cake and in sugar cookies. Although there were definite flavor differences, they would not hesitate to recommend any of them for your use. Their ultimate winner was Challenge unsalted butter. I tend to use Land O Lakes. I especially like their half-sticks as I only need to take out a small amount at a time and leave the rest protected in the freezer.

For salted butters, Cooks Illustrated preferred Lurpak, a butter from Denmark. TheKitchn.com preferred President whereas Epicurious preferred Cabot Natural Creamery butter. I like Kerrygold as well as Kroger’s Private Selection Salted French Butter. So, what do you like? Let me know.

Some butters are termed “cultured”. In the culturing process, the cream is fermented before churning leading to that more complex flavors. This may be great for spreading on your bread but probably not so good for baking.

Another difference you will see is European-style butters (aka premium butters). They are touted for having a higher fat content than regular butters although this difference is small. Many think European-style butters are better for baking but this is a personal preference. Because of their higher fat and lower water content, King Arthur Flour cautions that if “used in a recipe not calling for it specifically, European-style butter can create a greasy, sometimes drier result than grade AA butter.”

People often wonder if they can substitute salted butter for unsalted and vice versa. As always, I strongly recommend going with whatever type is called for in your recipe, especially if it is a baked good. The usual question is if you can use salted butter when unsalted is called for. The answer is a qualified “yes” but be aware that you may want to decrease the other salt in your recipe. Try decreasing the salt by ¼ teaspoon per stick of butter.

If, by chance, your recipe calls for salted butter and all you have is unsalted, you may need to add salt. It can be difficult to know how much to add as brands vary in their salt content. Challenge recommends adding ¼ teaspoon for every stick of Challenge unsalted butter. Other brands do not always tell you what they recommend for their brand but Challenge’s suggestion is a good place to start.

Butter is a perishable food item and, therefore, should be stored properly. Most butter manufacturers recommend storing butter in the refrigerator. The American Butter Institute has a slightly different take. They say you may leave your butter at room temperature but there are cautions. First, since salted butter is less likely to go bad, if you want to leave your butter out, this is the kind to go for. If you have unsalted butter, refrigerate.

The FDA states that “traditional butter and margarine have had a long history of safety without time/temperature control.” (Time/temp control is a recommendation that tells us that foods can be dangerous to eat if not kept at the correct temperature for the correct amount of time.) When they say “traditional” butter, it means butter with at least 80% milk fat. Much more caution must be taken with products with lower fat, higher water and lower salt levels. It also presumes that the product is pasteurized.

Butter will eventually spoil. State Food Safety states “For best quality, keep butter in a covered dish and use it within 10 days. You can also refrigerate or freeze butter to extend its shelf life.” Keep butter in its original wrapping when refrigerated. For longer storage, you can freeze it. An additional wrapping of foil will help to preserve its freshness.

I must admit that I love butter for all sorts of uses. An all-butter pie crust is delicious and flaky. Adding a small pat of butter to your pan sauce gives it a wonderful silky texture and fuller taste. Yes, we may need to watch how much we eat but I could never eliminate it totally. Could you?

I would like to continue our discussion of Eggs in this Cooking Tip with a few more helpful tidbits. In last week’s Tip, I told you how to interpret the dates on the carton to determine how old your eggs are when you buy them. What if you have had them in the refrigerator for a while, how do you know if they are still fresh? Here is an easy test.

Freshness of eggs – Place the egg in a bowl of water. If it lays on its side at the bottom, it is still fresh. If it stands upright on the bottom, it should be eaten fairly soon. If it floats, it may be time to throw it away. According to the USDA, “an egg can float in water when its air cell has enlarged sufficiently to keep it buoyant. This means the egg is old, but it may be perfectly safe to use. Crack the egg into a bowl and examine it for an off-odor or unusual appearance before deciding to use or discard it. A spoiled egg will have an unpleasant odor when you break open the shell, either when raw or cooked.”

Egg Storage – When properly handled and stored, eggs rarely spoil. However, if you keep them too long, they are likely to dry up. Refrigerate eggs at 40°F or less. Store them in their original carton on an inside shelf and away from pungent foods. The temperature on an inside shelf remains more constant than one on the door, which is opened and closed frequently. The carton keeps the eggs from picking up odors or flavors from other foods and helps prevent moisture loss.

Raw eggs that have been removed from their shells should be refrigerated in a tightly covered container. Refrigerated whole egg yolks should be covered with water to prevent them from drying out; drain before using. The following chart shows how long hard-boiled eggs and raw eggs last when stored in the refrigerator.

EGG STORAGE CHART

PRODUCT REFRIGERATOR FREEZER

Raw eggs in shell 3-5 weeks Do not freeze

Raw egg whites 2-4 days 12 months

Raw egg yolks 2-4 days Yolks do not freeze well

Hard cooked eggs, in shell 1 week Do not freeze

Casseroles made with eggs 3-4 days After baking, 2-3 months

Quiche with any kind of filling 3-4 days After baking, 1-2 months

Egg sizes — Size tells you the minimum required net weight per dozen eggs. It does not refer to the dimensions of an egg or how big it looks. It is not the size of each individual egg but it is the total weight of the dozen eggs that determines the size noted on the carton.

Size of Egg Minimum net weight per dozen Weight per egg

Peewee 15 ozs 1¼ ozs
Small 18 ozs 1½ ozs
Medium 21 ozs 1¾ ozs
Large 24 ozs 2 ozs
Extra Large 27 ozs 2¼ ozs
Jumbo 30 ozs 2½ ozs

If you are wondering if you can substitute one egg size for another, the American Egg Board recommends the following.

Large Jumbo X-Large Medium Small

1 1 1 1 1
2 2 2 2 3
3 2 3 3 4
4 3 4 5 5
5 4 4 6 7
6 5 5 7 8

Peeling eggs – I’m sure you all have had the problem of peeling a hard-boiled egg and taking off a large part of the egg with the shell. Is there a solution to this? Yes, but it involves using a technique that is very different than what you have heard before or what I was taught in culinary school. This topic arose in a class I just taught about hosting an Afternoon Tea party. I do not have an Instapot but many in the class did and raved about how easy it was to peel eggs cooked in this device. I believe this as it works similarly to the following method, which is what I use.

Serious Eats did a number of tests to determine the best way to cook eggs and be able to easily peel them without creating craters in your egg. The way most of us were taught is to put the eggs in cold water and then bring that water to a boil. What this does, in reality, is to cause the egg proteins to fuse to the inside of the shell, making it very difficult to peel. To prevent this, they suggest a different method.

They found carefully dropping the eggs into boiling water (or steam), lowering the water temperature then continuing to cook in barely simmering water is the best way. After removing, peel them under running cool water. While the eggs are still hot, the membrane and egg white are more easily separated. Here is a link to the actual recipe.

In this chef’s book, The Food Lab, he recommends adding some ice to help the water cool more quickly. If you have an Instapot, let me know if you agree if it is a wonder for boiled eggs. If not, give this technique a try and I think you will be pleased.

There is much more to this wonderful foodstuff we call Eggs. However, I suspect that you have had enough. So, I will finish this second Cooking Tip on Eggs. If there are other egg-related topics that you would like for me to discuss, just let me know!

Some people love all kinds of cheese; some have a more limited palate and then some of us (including me) have definite likes and dislikes but tend towards the former. One cheese, though, that most of us probably enjoy is Parmesan – and I am not talking about powdered stuff that comes in a green can!

Parmesan is a hard, dry cheese made from skimmed or partially skimmed cow’s milk. It is made in multiple countries but the most famous and sought-after is Parmigiano-Reggiano from Italy. To be called that, there are very strict controls as to how it is made and from where it is made. Not only that, but in 2008, European courts ruled that this Parmigiano-Reggiano is the only cheese that can be called Parmesan. Most of the world followed this ruling but not the US. Here, you fill find a parmesan-style cheese called Parmesan but to be called Parmigiano-Reggiano, it must come from that specific area of Italy.

There are so many wonderful cheeses out there to eat and with which to cook. Many are European but we also have excellent cheese makers here in the US. More and more of our supermarkets are expanding their specialty cheese selection. Get out there and try some. There are bound to be cheeses that will please everyone!

Cheese lovers will tell you that you should only use the “real” thing – Parmigiano-Reggiano. If you choose a cheese labeled as such, you won’t disappointed but it will cost you more than other cheeses just labeled “Parmesan”. I encourage you to do taste tests and decide for yourself. Also, it may be worth the higher price for a cheese board but it might not if all you are doing is grating it on pasta. The choice is yours – and isn’t it wonderful to have such choices?

Another bit of advice for you is not to throw away the rind when you are finished with your Parmesan cheese. When you are finished, toss the rinds in an airtight plastic bag and put in the freezer. Then, when you are making a pot of minestrone or other soup, toss in a rind. Another ingenious use is to make a stock out of the leftover rinds. Here is a link to a recipe to do just that. Once you have the cheese broth, use it in your risottos, pasta dishes or meat dishes.