4 • February 2016 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.


& Prosper! FOR THE LOVE OF YOGURT First Humor Eat Well


by Executive Chef Ron Skaar ~ ronskaar@comcast.net ~ 707-490-7636


Cloverdale, CA. ~ In ancient In- dian chronicles, the combination of yogurt and honey is described as “the food of the gods”. “T e land of milk and honey” in the


reference to a fermented yogurt style drink. Abra- ham, the patriarch of the Hebrews, virility and


the milk changing bacteria came originally from its exposure to the surface of a plant or bacte- ria transferred from plant to the ud-


Bible was a der. T ru wild borne bacte- ria, nomadic Medieval


longevity were attributed to his consumption of yogurt. Ancient Greeks understood


that yogurt contained less lactose than milk which made it longer lasting and more portable. Ro- man naturalist and writer Pliny the Elder notes that “certain bar- barous nations” learned how to “thicken milk into a substance with an agreeable acidity”. Historical analysis suggests that


Turks may have spontane- ously fermented the milk they carried in goat skin bags. Frances I, king of France in the mid 16th century, suff ered from severe diarrhea which no royal doc- tor could cure. An eastern ally, Suleiman the Magnifi cent, sent a physician from his court and he restored the king’s challenges thru a yogurt diet. Yogurt remained a culinary


curiosity in most of Europe until the early 20th century. A Russian noble laureate studying Bulgar-


ian peasants concluded that their yogurt eating diets helped lead to their longevity. Singlehand- edly, Ilya Metchnikov created a yogurt craze across the continent. Around the time,


same


John Henry Kellogg was pro- moting yogurt as part of a healthy Amer- ican diet. Armenian immi-


grants on the east coast opened Colombo and Sonsbegan selling “madzoon” around New Eng- land, from a horse drawn wagon. At that time they used their word for the fermented milk rather than the Turkish term. Cows, water buff alos, goats,


ewes, mares, camels and yaks milks are now used around the world to create yogurt. Standard yogurt contains only two kinds


of bacteria and they each stimu- late growth in the other. Heating the milk to 185 degrees changes the structures of the milks pro- tein, causing them to group to- gether rather than curd. Once the mixture is cooled


the bacterial culture is mixed in and allowed to ferment for 4 to 7 hours. Reduced fat milk makes a fi rmer yogurt because manu- facturers add additional proteins to fi ll in for the fat. You can also boost the protein content by add- ing dry milk powder. Besides be- ing rich in protein, yogurt is full of calcium, ribofl avin plus vita- mins B6 and B12. Back in the 70’s, I began to make


my own yogurt, which is quite easy using your oven and a good thermometer. Now, there are so many good yogurts to buy, with the Greek kind being my favorite, although it contains a higher per- centage of fat. Stay away from the sugary fruit laced yogurts and add your own fruit instead. Tzatziki is a yogurt based con-


diment as easy as and as versatile as salsa. T is one is a great ac- companiment to grilled salmon, chicken, vegetables or has a dip.


February’s EWP Recipe!


AVOCADO TZATZIKI


Ingredients:


2 ripe Hass avocados, peeled, pitted and chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 Serrano Chile, chopped ¼ cup Greek yogurt Grated zest and juice of 1 small lemon


½ English cucumber ¼ cup fl at-leaf parsley leaves, chopped


Directions:


Put the fi rst fi ve ingredients in the bowl of food processor and run until smooth. Transfer to bowl and stir in cucumber and parsley, season with salt and pepper. Chill for 30 minutes or up to 2 hours before serving. Makes 1 cup.


4 • February 2016 • UPBEAT TIMES, INC.


A guy is sitting at home when he hears a knock at the door. He opens the door and sees a snail on the porch. He picks up the snail and throws it as far as he can. Three years later, there’s a knock on the door. He opens it and sees the same snail. The snail says “What the heck was that all about?


The Punitentiary #2 Did you hear about the new


corduroy pillows? They’re making headlines everywhere!


Two fi sh are in a tank. One turns to the other and asks “How do you drive this thing?”


What do you call a dinosaur with a extensive vocabulary? A thesaurus.


Paid Volunteer Delivery People wanted!


Scenic Route Available!


* 5 hrs, One time per month. Will Train. Must have valid drivers licence, insurance & own car! Flat fee for route & gas $ included! Send your info to:


upbeat@upbeattimes.com It’s Fun!


“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt


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