Sweet Endings

Text and Photos by : Füsun Atalay © Copyright 2007

I’ve always been curious about the difference between a tart and a torte; and oftentimes I don’t know which is which. Pies, on the other hand are a little more familiar— at least I think of them as baked pastries which contain savory or sweet fillings. But the jargon becomes somewhat more mystifying especially when we add the crisp, crostata (from Italian), crumble (from English), galette and tartelette (from French) into the mix.

A little research revealed that torte-derived from German- is a rich cake made with eggs, ground nuts, sugar and flour. The Hungarian Dobos Tort is a labour-intensive six, sometimes seven layer basic sponge cake supporting a butter cream between each layer. The final top layer is coated with chocolate and hazelnut cream. As with many cakes, the layers are moistened with a simple sugar syrup during assembly.

A tart, however, is an open topped pastry which can be filled with sweets such as fruits — or savory fillings such as onions, cheese and eggs. On the other hand a crostata, although not baked in a pan but rather "free form", is another name for 'tart' . Go figure !

But, what’s in a name? All that matters is baking your cake (or tart) and eating it too by taking advantage of the season’s ripe fruits. Pears, plums and apples are at their peek now. Besides biting into one of these juicy ripe fruits, what better way to use them than in these spectacular sweet finalés to a special meal?

The following recipes are not half as confusing as their names, and the results are truly something to be proud of when you present them at the table .

Linzertorte

Born in Linz, Austria, almost three centuries ago Linzertorte , with its beautiful golden brown crust filled with ruby red raspberry preserves shimmering through the lattice design, is a distinctive classic.

1 /2 cup blanched ground almonds
1 -1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 /2 cup butter, softened
1 egg
1 tsp almond extract
2/3 cup raspberry jam
1 Tbsp freshly squeezed lemon juice

Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Combine flour, almonds, cinnamon, granulated sugar and butter in the bowl of a food processor. Process until mixture resembles coarse meal.. Add in egg and pulse to blend with the flour mixture.

Spoon 2/3 of dough onto bottom of 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom. Pat dough evenly over bottom and up side of pan. Combine lemon juice with jam; spread jam over bottom of dough. On lightly floured surface roll remaining third of dough into 10x5-inch rectangle ; cut ten 1/2-inch-wide strips.

Arrange strips in lattice pattern, trim and press ends into edge of crust. Bake 25 -35mins or until crust is golden brown. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Remove torte from pan. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Cut into wedges. Store, tightly covered, at room temperature upto 2 days.

Pear Frangipane Tart

Prangipane refers to a filling made from almonds which can be used in cakes, tarts, croissants and other pastries. It’s a great fall dessert when pears are plenty.

Base:
1-1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup butter
1 egg yolk

Frangipane:
5 Tbsp butter, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar
2 eggs
1/2 cup natural almonds, ground
1/4 tsp almond extract

Tart:
3- 4 pears, halved , peeled and cored
2 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp sugar
3 Tbsp apricot jam

Combine flour, sugar and butter in a food processor ; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Add the yolk and pulse until all is combined into a ball. Flatten into a disk between sheets of plastic wrap and refrigerate for an hour. Roll out to to fit into an 8 inch tart pan with a removable bottom and with floured fingertips push dough up and down the sides and bottom of the pan . Cover with aluminum or parchment paper, top with dry beans and "blind bake"at 350 degrees for about 25 minutes. Remove beans. Cool.

Meanwhile prepare frangipane by creaming together butter and sugar. Add eggs and cream some more, stir in ground almonds and extract, and mix well. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Fill baked tart shell with the frangipane.

Cut the pear halves, lengthwise into thin slices, keeping them together at the stem end.
Fan the pears slightly and place over the frangipane filling in a petal pattern.
Sprinkle the 2 tablespoons of sugar over the pears. Bake the tart for 50 minutes.
Melt apricot jam and brush over the warm pears. Serve at room temperature.

Apple Tarte Tatin

The result of forgetfulness rescued by ingenuity, this tarte was created by sisters Stéphanie and Caroline Tatin who operated a hotel in Lamotte-Beuvron in the early part of the 19th century. It was such a success that it found its way to Maxim's of Paris in no time.

Short crust pastry

1-1/2 cups flour
1/3 cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces
2 Tbsp sugar
3-4 Tbsp ice water

Combine flour and sugar in the bowl of a food processor. Add butter; pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. While the motor’s running, slowly add ice water and process until dough begins to come together. Remove from processor and pat into a disk. Wrap in plastic wrap ; chill 30 minutes.

On a lightly floured surface roll out pastry to a 10-inch circle of 1/4-inch thickness. Chill until use.

Filling:

4 Golden or Red Delicious apples
1/3 cup butter
1 /2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 375º F.
Peel, core and quarter apples.
Melt butter in a pan over medium-high heat. Add brown sugar and cinnamon, stirring until bubbly. Add vanilla. Spoon into the pie or cake pan.
Arrange apples cut sides up on sugar.
Poke holes in pastry and place on top of apples.
Place pan on a baking sheet. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes, until crust is rich golden brown and apples are tender.
Turn out onto a plate, so that apples show on top. Watch for hot syrup that might drip. Serve warm.

Italian Plum Tart

Easiest of the three, the base isn't even rolled out for this tart that showcases purple Italian plums.
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup walnuts
3/4 cup light brown sugar, lightly packed
3/4 cups cold butter, diced
1 egg
2 pounds (about 12) firm, ripe Italian prune plums, pitted and quartered lengthwise

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Combine flour, walnuts, sugar and butter in the food processor. Process until mixture resembles coarse meal. . Add the egg and pulse on-off until egg is combined but the dough is somewhat still crumbly.

Press 1-1/2 cups of the crumbly mixture in an even layer into the bottom of a 9 inch tart pan. Arrange the plums in the pan, skin side up, in a circle; starting from outside, work to the middle.
Sprinkle rest of the crumb mixture evenly over the plums. Bake the tart for 45 to 50 minutes, or until it's lightly browned and the plum juices are bubbling. Remove from the oven and cool for 10 minutes. Dust with powdered sugar ; serve warm or at room temperature

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Yummy Yogurt

A food from the ages with a modern-day cachet!

Story and Photo by: FÜSUN ATALAY Copyright © 2007

Yogurt has been the soul food in my family ever since I can remember, but we consumed it in its most modest form: plain. Occasionally we’d be adventurous and spike its flavour with crushed garlic, salt and mint to serve with what Turkish cuisine classifies as summer vegetables, since green beans, eggplants, bell peppers or zucchini did not grow in Anatolian winters.

Yogurt’s use is not limited to being a flavourful topping for eggplants fried in olive oil, or a refreshing accompaniment with cucumbers and garlic or stuffed bell peppers and wine leaves. Grilled meats or spinach-filled phyllo would be considered incomplete without a side dish of yogurt.

Ottoman Emperor Sultan Süleyman introduced yogurt to France’s ailing King François I in 1542. According to “History of Food,” by Maguelonne Toussaint-Samat (translated by Anthea Bell in 1992), after the health of the French king improved, the Ottoman envoy returned home taking the secret of yogurt making back with them, “and yogurt was forgotten for nearly four centuries.”

John F. Mariani, in the “Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink,” credits Turkish immigrants with the introduction of yogurt to the States in 1784. But its popularity wouldn’t arrive until 1940, when a man named “... Daniel Carasso emigrated to the United States and took over a small yogurt factory in the Bronx, New York. He was soon joined by Juan Metzger, and the two sold their yogurt under the name Dannon.”

Craig Claiborne’s “The New York Times Food Encyclopedia” states that “(Yogurt) first gained international prominence in the early 1900s when Ilya Metchnikov, a Russian bacteriologist, observed that the lifespan of Bulgarians, whose diet included the consumption of large quantities of soured milk, was 87 years and beyond.”

Today, the culinary versatility of yogurt is acclaimed worldwide. Yogurt is more than a fruit-flavoured light dessert or a healthy smoothie base. It enhances soups, marinates meats, dresses salads, moistens pancakes and replaces fatty creams in many recipes.

I was beside myself with joy when I recently saw “ayran” pronounced (I-run), on the dairy shelves of some Middle Eastern markets. Ayran is a national yogurt drink that refreshes the thirst of many during sizzling Anatolian summers. We made it by stirring one part yogurt to four parts of ice-cold water and a good pinch of salt. Served with extra ice, it is a healthy, thirst-quenching drink which is also an antidote against sunstroke.

Yogurt cheese is another product gaining in popularity and replacing cream cheese on bagels and toast or traditional cheese cake recipes in low-fat versions. I remember my father turning his homemade yogurt into a cheese-cloth lined sieve set over a large ceramic bowl, placing a dinner plate on top and leaving it in the fridge, overnight. By next morning we’d have a thick, creamy spread for bread.

Whenever I was on antibiotics, I was given yogurt. As a child, I never questioned the explanation that it would protect me against bacteria. Now I know that antibiotics kill not only the bad, but also some of the beneficial bacteria in the intestines, causing diarrhea and gastrointestinal infections, and the “Lactobacillus acidophilus in yogurt produce bacteriocins, restoring natural intestinal cultures.”

Aside from its gastronomical and medicinal virtues, yogurt has its practical uses. Some sources claim that two servings a day clears canker sores, while others advise spreading yogurt on the skin and waiting 20 minutes before rinsing it off with lukewarm water to soothe the pain of sunburn, cleanse the skin and tighten up pores.

But, I’d rather eat yogurt than wear it

Although many varieties and flavours fill the market, I prefer low-fat, plain yogurt containing active and living cultures. This gives me a base which I can turn into yogurt cheese, healthy drinks, incorporate into salad dressings, sauces or baking. Whether it’s eaten plain, served with fruits, drunk as a smoothie or baked into a whole grain muffin, I could not imagine a day without yogurt.


Orange Yogurt Crepes with Maple Yogurt Cheese
4 eggs
3/4 cup milk
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 Tablespoons oil
1 cup flour
3/4 teaspoon salt
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 Tablespoon grated orange rind
Filling
1- small package instant vanilla pudding
2 cups low fat yogurt
sliced fresh fruit of choice

In a large bowl combine instant pudding and yogurt. Beat until mixture thickens. Refrigerate until use.

In a large bowl, beat eggs; add milk, yogurt, oil, flour, salt, sugar and rind. Beat until smooth. Leave at room temperature for one hour.
Heat a 10 inch skillet.

Brush with oil or butter and spoon in 3 Tablespoons of batter.

Tilt skillet to spread the batter evenly in the pan.

Cook 15 to 20 seconds or edges of crepe pull away from sides of pan, over medium heat. Lift crepe with fingers and turn immediately onto waxed paper.

Repeat until batter is used up, oiling pan after each crepe.
Place 4 tablespoons of refrigerated filling in one half of the crepe and top with fresh fruit. Fold the other half over.

Dust with powdered sugar.

Serve with maple yogurt cheese.

Maple Yogurt Cheese
1 cup firm yogurt cheese
2 Tablespoons maple syrup
1 teaspoon vanilla
Using a fork or wire whisk, beat the ingredients together until creamy.

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Whirling into Ecstasy

From Africa to Russia, from Australia to North America the world has been celebrating the 800th anniversary of the great Sufi philosopher and mystic poet Mevlâna Jalaluddin Rumî (1207-1273).

Story and Photos by: Füsun Atalay ~ Copyright © 2007

Celebrating the 8OOth anniversary of their philosopher’s birth, followers of Mevlâna Jalaluddin Rumî have travelled the world sharing his ideas of peace and spitiual freedom.With them, Whirling Dervishes joined in to take participants for a spin.

I was fortunate enough to attend Rumî’s 8OOth birthday symposium held at Concordia University, Montreal: the Mevlâna Rumî and Intercultural and Civilization Dialogue dedicated to the International Year of Rumi, 2007 UNESCO. The symposium was sponsored by Dialog Foundation Canada — the first of its kind in Montréal — and was followed by a magnificent Sufi music and Whirling Dervish ceremony at Oscar Peterson Concert Hall.

A panel of Canadian and Turkish scholars — Kenan Gürsoy, Bilâl Kuspinar, Lynda Clarke and Samir Salha — discussed Rumî from ethical, epistemological, political and ecological points of view and showed how his messages to humanity have transcended history, religion, political and geographical tensions, and are more alive and relevant in the contemporary world. They demonstrated the universality of Rumi’s words on the unification of humanity and how peace, dialogue and enlightened knowledge can transcend all nations and religions and overshadow all political misunderstandings.

Natural wisdom

Concordia’s Clarke explained how Rumî perceived nature as an entity that possesses wisdom and communicates with God, its creator. He wrote that processes of nature are controlled by God, and all atoms of Earth and heaven are God’s army. Nature is articulate — it speaks (literally) and only the mystic (enlightened) mind hears it.

Rumî believed the unenlightened man lives as a slave to the dictates of the material world. The spiritual practices his followers pursue are aimed at achieving enlightenment through submission to a higher order of spirituality, without which the real self is but a slave to the ego and is destined to live in an eternal state of conflict.

The true self, he said, cannot receive spiritual guidance and nourishment if it’s cut off from the heart, which is the centre of divine love, faith, music and poetry. Humanity is nurtured by overcoming the enslavement of the soul. Thus, in Rumî philosophy, “… the love of God leads to the lover forgetting himself in the love of the Beloved.” (Source: “The Life and Spiritual Milieu of Mevlâna Jalaluddin Rumî,” translated by Camille and Kabir Helminski)

Whirling Dervishes are known as Semazen after the whirling dance ceremony. They are members of an Islamic sect, the Sufi, and followers of the order Rumî founded. The philosopher lived in Konya, Turkey during the Seljuk period (13th Century). The Mevlevî Order influenced many aspects of Ottoman culture from the 14th to the 20th century,xleaving indelible marks in calligraphy, visual arts and poetry, although its greatest impact is probably in music.

In his voluminous verses, Mevlâna emphasized that “music uplifts our spirit to realms above, and we hear the tunes of the Gates of Paradise.” Consequently, the meeting places of dervishes became academies of art, dance and music.

World tour

Whirling Dervishes have been travelling around the world in 2007 to offer an insight into Rumî philosophy. Through the whirling ceremony called Sema, they seek unification of the three principal components of man’s nature: emotion, mind and spirit, and the purification of all three by turning to Divine Unity.

A fundamental premise of Rumî philosophy maintains that everything in life revolves within its structural atoms, and humans live — however natural and unconsciously — by means of the revolution of these particles. Since everything in the universe, from the minutest cells to the largest planets, is constantly revolving, the Semazen participate consciously in the shared revolution of existence because they believe free will and intellect are what distinguish human beings from other creatures.

Observing the Whirling Dervishes was one the most captivating spiritual ceremonies I have seen in my life. The Sema ceremony started with very deliberate, gentle turns.

The unique attires of the dervishes were just as symbolic as the ceremony: their conical hats represented the tombstone of their egos. White robes with full skirts symbolized the shrouds of their egos.

Over these, they wore full black cloaks which they removed before they started their whirling. These black cloaks were representations of the worldly tombs which they shed as an indication of their will to be born to spiritual truth and be delivered from the attachments of the material world.

The Semazen stood very straight, with their arms crossed over their chests — a posture which symbolizes the number one, expressing God’s singularity. Then they greeted their sheikh (the leader of the order), who symbolizes the sun illuminating the universe.

One by one they shed their black cloaks, greeted their sheikh and each other before they started whirling.Their arms unfolded gently like the wings of a bird as they turned like Earth turns around its own axis. With one foot grounded on the Earth and other giving them momentum and encompassing all nations, they started spinning into a trance, through which they seek divine love, truth and self-transformation to unite with their Creator before returning to life as servants to all creation.

Although I couldn’t understand all of the words in their chants, I was fascinated by the hauntingly beautiful music and the voice of the singer. Five musicians played Turkish instruments: the ney, which is a type of flute; the tanbur, a long-necked lute; kemenche, a three-stringed fiddle; an ud, which is akin to a lute, and the kanun, a zither.

The Sema ended with a reading from the Qu’ran as the sheikh and dervishes greeted each other once more with a gesture of peace and left to the accompaniment of joyful music.

Mevlâna symposiums and Sema ceremonies are scheduled to continue in Edmonton and Vancouver.

Anyone who would like organize Rumî panel presentations and Sema ceremonies in St. John’s, NL can contact the Dialog Foundation at http://www.dialogfoundation.ca/

A short clip of a Sema can be viewed on YouTube at :

http://www.istanbullife.org/whirling-dervish-ceromony


Copyrighted Material. All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay Copyright © 2007

Spectacular Squash

SPECTACULAR SQUASH

Winter squash comes in elongated, round, pear-shaped and scalloped shapes with flesh ranging from golden-yellow to brilliant orange. It can be stored for months in a cool basement and enjoyed in a multitude of recipes.

Text and Photo by FÜSUN ATALAY © 2007

When markets and roadside stands are piled high with mountains of colourful squash and pumpkins of many sizes and shapes, my thoughts invariably turn to Halloween and jack-o'-lanterns before images of pumpkin pies or spicy squash medleys dance before my eyes.

Then, to find solace in bidding farewell to yet another summer, I seek out recipes to welcome these ambassadors of autumn. Squash is one among many foods native North Americans introduced when Europeans first arrived. What's called squash in English actually comes from "askutasquash," the Narragansett Indian word which means green-raw-unripe. And that's how Narragansetts ate it. They probably didn't know how to use butternut squash in curried soups, acorn squash stuffed with cooked grains and dry fruits, or pumpkins in breads or coffee cakes.

Today, we identify squash as one of the many fruits of the gourd family and divide it into summer and winter squash. Both types are nutritionally healthy. The edible skin of summer squash such as zucchini or yellow crookneck provides lots of beta-carotene, whereas winter squash, whose skin is hard and inedible, is higher in iron, vitamin A, riboflavin and complex carbohydrates.

The peak season for winter squash is October through December. Most, like acorn, butternut, Hubbard and sugar pumpkins, vary slightly in texture and flavour, so they can be used interchangeably in recipes. The spaghetti squash, which requires unique treatment because of its stringy flesh, is an exception.

Watch for ...

When you shop for winter squash, look for hard, blemish-free, deep-coloured skins. The squash should feel heavy for its size and have a shiny complexion.

Cooking winter squash is as easy as cooking potatoes. You can bake, fry, mash, microwave, steam or purée squash. Boiling causes a loss in flavour and nutrients. Baking, on the other hand, concentrates the flavour and retains the nutrients. To bake, cut squash in two, remove seeds and place cut side down on a baking sheet. Add a few tablespoons of water and cover with foil. Bake in a 350 F oven for 45-60 minutes or until the pulp is tender.

Another delicious method for squash is roasting it. Peel and cut a butternut or acorn squash into chunks, toss with olive oil, salt, pepper and thyme. Place in a casserole and roast at 375 F for 35-40 minutes. You can offer the delicious yield as a side dish or puree and for a satisfying roasted butternut squash soup.

Don't forget to save the pumpkin and squash seeds to make delicious, protein-rich snacks. Rinse all pulp and strings from the seeds, spread them on a double layer of paper towels to dry for several hours. Toss with 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil and coarse salt to taste. Spread in a single layer on a baking sheet, and bake at 350 F for about 30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes. Cool. Store in an air-tight container.


Chicken and Pasta in Creamy Pumpkin Sauce Serves 6

3 cups uncooked bow tie pasta
2 Tbsp butter + 1 Tbsp oil
4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves, cut crosswise into 2-cm strips
1 garlic clove, chopped
1 cup cooked, mashed pumpkin or squash
1/2 cup chicken broth
3/4 cup 15 per cent cream
5-6 fresh sage leaves, julienned
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup walnuts, roughly chopped and toasted

Cook pasta according to package directions. Drain; keep warm.Meanwhile, melt butter in 12-inch skillet until it bubbles; add oil, chicken and garlic. Cook over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until chicken is no longer pink in centre (8 to 10 minutes).

Add cooked pasta.Combine pumpkin, chicken broth, whipping cream, pepper, sage and salt in medium bowl. Pour over pasta mixture; gently toss to coat. Cook over medium heat until heated through (3 to 5 minutes). Sprinkle with walnuts before serving.

Pumpkin-Spice Muffins Makes 12 muffins

2 eggs
1 /2 cup plain yogurt
1-1/4 cups pumpkin purée (canned is OK)
3/4 cup packed light brown sugar
1 /2 cup butter, melted
2-1/4 cups all-purpose flour
3 tsp baking powder
1 /2 tsp baking soda
1 /2 tsp salt
3 tsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp ground ginger
1 /2 tsp cloves
Pinch of white pepper
2/3 cups raisins

Heat oven to 350 F. Spray muffin tin with non-stick vegetable spray, set aside. In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, yogurt, pumpkin purée, brown sugar and butter. In another bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and pepper. Add the dry ingredients slowly to the wet, stirring until just mixed. Fold in the raisins.

Spoon batter equally into prepared muffin tin.Bake muffins in the middle of the oven until firm to the touch and a toothpick inserted into them comes out clean (20- 25 minutes).Remove from the tin when they're cool enough to handle. They freeze well.

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Friendly Bacteria

Text and Photography By: Füsun Atalay ~ © 2004

Yogurt is known and consumed in almost all parts of the world. However, Mediterranean countries use a lot in their cuisine. They usually eat plain, unsweetened yogurt with main dishes such as spinach or wine leaves stuffed with meat and rice. It is also added to salads or used to make traditional “meze” (appetizers).

There are generally three types of yogurt on the market: regular, low-fat and non-fat. The main difference between them is the fat content before addition of flavour.

To be yogurt, it must contain active and living cultures composed of unique living micro-organisms which are responsible for many health and nutritional benefits. These friendly bacteria become an intrinsic part of live yogurt, when it is homemade and fermented for at least 24 hours.

Since it’s a fresh dairy product, yogurt must be stored in the refrigerator. Heat-treated yogurt has a longer shelf life but, as heat processing destroys the cultures, it fails to supply the nutritional benefits of yogurt with live cultures. To get the most health benefit from yogurt, look for a “live and active cultures” seal on the label.

Yogurt made from whole milk has at least 3.25 per cent milk fat. Low-fat yogurt made from low-fat milk, reduced-fat milk or part-skim milk has between 0.5 and 2 per cent milk fat. Non-fat yogurt must contain less than 0.5 per cent milk fat.

In 1965, the term “probiotics” (the opposite of antibiotics) was coined to describe substances that favour the growth of beneficial micro-organisms in the body. Probiotics help to digest food in the gut the same way they partially digest fats, proteins and carbs in milk to create yogurt.

Because yogurt cultures flourish in the digestive tract, their natural antibiotic effect helps combat infections and protect the stomach lining from toxins. Containing high levels of natural enzymes, yogurt can also prevent diarrhea and dysentery — especially in infants. Itself an antibiotic, yogurt is known to help prevent or control diarrhea caused by bacteria or by taking antibiotic drugs.

Probiotics appear to be useful in treating a variety of gastrointestinal problems, including inflammatory bowel disease (such as Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis), ulcers and irritable bowel syndrome. Scientists now believe the live cultures in yogurt are exceptional probiotics that are beneficial to health, with research show- ing that live yogurt can stimulate the human immune system as well as kill harmful bacteria.

Yogurt suppresses activity that converts harmless chemicals into carcinogenic agents. Thus, it is credited with helping in the prevention of colon cancer. It is also known to discourage yeast infections such as Candida albicans and vaginal thrush.

Live yogurt is an outstanding source of protein, calcium, potassium, phosphorus, vitamin B6, B12, niacin, folic acid and potassium. As a source of calcium, yogurt can even help prevent osteoporosis.

Many doctors recommend live yogurt for patients on antibiotics to replenish good bacteria, and some argue that live yogurt cultures may also reduce the occurrence of colds, allergies and hay fever.

Finally, according to a new study published in The Lancet, the British Medical Association Journal, treating pregnant women with “good bacteria” such as Lactobacillus in yogurt may prevent thousands of children from contracting asthma by strengthening the vulnerable immune systems of babies before birth.

Refreshing yogurt drinks are made by combining plain yogurt, salt and water — and served mostly with meat kebabs. Fried vegetables such as eggplant, green pepper or zucchini are eaten with yogurt to which salt and crushed garlic have been added. The popular cucumber and yogurt salad is prepared with yogurt, cucumbers, fresh or dried mint, garlic, salt and a swirl of olive oil.

Before you buy yogurt, check the label for the sell-by date. Plain, unflavored yogurt in larger containers is the best buy and the most versatile. It’s handy for salad dressings, dips, sauces, desserts and baked goods. You can mix it with fruit or jams for a flavoured version.

You can integrate this friendly bacteria in a variety of ways into your diet and to keep your mind and body strong, try these healthier alternatives:

• Dips made with yogurt instead of sour-cream are just as tasty at much less fat calories.
• Using yogurt to replace mayonnaise or dressings adds a healthy, low-fat tang to your salads.
• Replace milkshakes with frozen yogurt or mixed fruit yogurt smoothies.
• Yogurt cheese in place of cream cheese is quite the trendy way to ingest calcium.
• Yogurt, due to its high acidity, makes a deliciously tenderizing marinade for meat and poultry.
• Use instead of sour cream to reduce the fat in muffins and coffee cake recipes and still maintain the desired moistness.

A word of caution: Heating yogurt to high temperatures destroys the beneficial bacteria that it contains. To preserve this good bacteria, avoid adding yogurt to a hot mixture. Instead, stir a few tablespoons of the hot food into the yogurt, tempering it gradually. Then stir the warmed yogurt back into the hot mixture such as soups or sauces.
• • •

So, are you ready to add more yogurt to your diet? Would you like to make it at home? It’s simple.

Homemade Yogurt ~ The way my Father used to make ~

4 cups 2 per cent milk
1/2 cup instant powdered milk
1 Tbsp. honey
1/2 cup plain yogurt at room temperature (for starter culture)

Pour milk into a saucepan and whisk in powdered milk and honey. Place over medium heat and bring to 50 C on an instant read thermometer. Once milk has reached 50 C, pour into a plastic container, reserving half a cup. Whisk in the reserved half-cup into the yogurt until the mixture is smooth and of buttermilk consistency.

Add this back to the milk mixture.

Place container in a draft-free place (a cold oven is good) with a heating pad set at medium, or a blanket wrapped around it to keep its temperature as close to 45 degrees C as possible. Leave the mixture to ferment for five to eight hours or overnight.

After fermentation is complete, place in the refrigerator for eight hours. You can save a half cup of this yogurt as a starter for the next batch.

Your homemade yogurt is now ready for consumption or for using in the following delicious recipes.

First two come from Taste of Home Cooking magazine:

Very Berry Smoothie

1 cup fresh or frozen berries
1 cup plain low-fat, or vanilla yogurt
1 cup orange juice
4 ice cubes

Place ingredients into blender and mix on high until smooth. Garnish with a fresh strawberry. Makes 2 smoothies.

Pineapple Smoothie

1 20-oz. can unsweetened
pineapple chunks
1 cup plain low-fat yogurt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1-2 Tbsp. liquid honey

Drain pineapple, reserving 3/4 cup of the liquid. Freeze the chunks. In a blender combine frozen pineapple chunks, reserved liquid, honey, vanilla and yogurt. Blend until smooth. Pour into glasses and garnish with a mint sprig. Makes 5 servings.
• • •

Blueberry Yogurt Muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1/4 cups sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. cinnamon
2 eggs
1 1/4 cup plain yogurt
1/4 cup butter, melted
1 Tbsp. lemon zest, grated
1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries

Preheat the oven to 375 F and butter the muffin tins. In a mixing bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, combine the sugar, yogurt, eggs, melted butter, cinnamon and lemon zest. Beat until thoroughly mixed. Add the dry ingredients and mix just until blended. Do not over mix. Fold in blueberries gently. Spoon the batter into the greased muffin tins, filling each cup about two-thirds full. Bake for approximately 15 minutes, or until the tops are browned, and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Let cool in the pan before serving warm. Makes 1 dozen.
• • •
This is a cool and refreshing accompaniment to spicy foods such as curries.

Raita

2 cups plain yogurt
1 seedless English cucumber, peeled
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
Sprig of fresh mint, coarsely chopped, plus more for garnish

Place yogurt in a medium-size mixing bowl. On the large holes of a box grater, grate cucumber directly into the bowl. Season the mixture with salt, cumin, and mint, stirring well. Chill the raita slightly. Garnish with chopped mint, and serve.
• • •
Here’s another recipe from Taste of Home Cooking magazine.

Coffee Cake

1 cup butter, softened
2- 2/3 cup sugar, divided
2 tsp. vanilla extract
4 large eggs
3 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
2 cups plain yogurt
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans)
2 Tbsp. cinnamon

Grease a 25-centimetre tube pan, set aside. Turn oven on to 350 F. Combine nuts, 3/4 cup of the sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl and set aside. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt; set aside.
Cream butter with 2 cups sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition.

Add the flour mixture alternately with yogurt, beating just enough after each addition to keep the batter smooth. Spoon one-third of this batter into the prepared pan. Sprinkle one-third of the cinnamon-nut mixture over the batter in pan. Repeat layers two more times.

Bake the cake for 70 minutes or until it tests done. Cool for 15 minutes before removing onto a wire rack to cool completely.

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Copyrighted Material ~ All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay ~ Copyright © 2004

Living her innate Passion

Text and Photo By: Füsun Atalay ~ Copyright © 2004

In 1987, it was the words of a fourteen year old in her art class which suddenly confronted Pamela Carter with her life-changing question. At the time she was demonstrating portrait drawing to her secondary three students, when a boy exclaimed, "Miss, you’re really good ! You should become an artist and sell your drawings!"

It would take another ten years before Carter decided to give up teaching and start living passionately by embracing her art full time.

Now when she looks back at what is history, Carter has no regrets. In fact she has words of wisdom for those who are caught between the complacence of the security of a job, and the angst of their unfulfilled passion in life.

"There is nothing like the routine of a job that robs you out of your innate passion," she says. "I had to find out what it would be that made me jump out of bed in the morning and do it."

With no prior planning at all, Carter found herself looking at a light at the end of the tunnel, and felt she should get out while she had her wits about her. She admits that leaving teaching to become a full time artist was one of the most daring yet the best things she did in her life.

Pamela Carter,1967 alumni of Concordia University, Montréal, has been working in the pastel medium for 18 years. The seeds of her life changing decision were sawn in February 1987, when she took an intensive workshop with Daniel Greene, a world renown New York artist.

"That week, in the company if equally passionate pastelists changed my life," recalls Carter. "The kind of person who lives in the present, I had no ideas of quitting teaching. Yet here I was, confronted with a very strong appeal."

Having decided to immerse herself in her art, Carter took an early retirement from teaching in 1997 and hasn’t regretted move for one moment.

"I’m quite a dynamic leader and I never really knew that," says Carter. "A lot more of the emotional and the spiritual side of my personality is coming out and being validated by my peers. I’m better now in every way than I ever was. I gave my best to teaching and I valued it. But at certain point, the returns weren’t worth it."

She gets a lot of pleasure from teaching adults who have been waiting all their lives to do what they want to do.

"They are so hungry and starving," she says. "They’re not just painting pictures, there’s a poetry into it."

As an artist Carter feels that her evolution is just at the beginning. She can see how it is developing and where it is going. That may be why she feels that everything she does in her life is now connected and her life is a hole instead of disconnected bits and pieces.

"I don’t want to waste one second of my life to an unappreciative audience - be they students, family, or whotever, "she says. "Whatever society you’re brought up in, you’re stamped with guilt for not doing what you’re assigned to do. But once you break the conventions and step out of that mould, you can find your purpose and follow it."

Pamela Carter’s list of accomplishments is long and impressive. Her prize-winning paintings have been exhibited and collected throughout Canada and in Europe; and have been shown at the National Arts Club and the Salmagundi Club in New York. She has been invited to demonstrate her techniques at international conventions in Albuquerque, New Mexico and Rouen, France.

While she continues to find delight in painting, she also makes time to teach and give workshops where she can share her techniques and insights with students who return year after year to benefit from her generosity and joy of living that are so beautifully reflected in her works.

Copyrighted Material. All Rights belong to Füsun Atalay ~ © 2004

The Beet Goes On . . .

Text and Photos by: FÜSUN ATALAY ~ Copyright 2007

"The beet is the most intense of vegetables. The radish admittedly is more feverish, but the fire of the radish is a cold fire, the fire of discontent, not of passion. Tomatoes are lusty enough, yet there runs through tomatoes an undercurrent of frivolity. Beets are deadly serious."

~ Tom Robbins ~

Easy to prepare, delicious to eat, beats are a great bargain when you buy them with their greens attached. Many of us think of only the beet roots, pickled or boiled as a side dish, when we speak of beets. But did you know that you can also use the greens in many ways ?

Consider yourself getting a two-for-one deal when you buy beets with their green tops attached because you can use both the leaves and the roots in separate recipes. Beat greens are very much like Swiss chard; so treat them the same in cooking. Chop the tougher red stems into 2 cm pieces, saute an onion in a little oil and add the chopped stems. After about ten minutes, add the chopped greens, 1/4 cup of liquid, a pinch of salt and cook for another ten minutes

Surprisingly, neither the stems nor the leaves lose much of their color during the cooking process and you end up with a nutritious, vibrant green and red cooked vegetable to serve with chicken, meat or eggs; or use as a filling to replace spinach in phyllo pastry.

roots are just as versatile as the greens. They can be baked, boiled, braised, pickled, roasted, steamed or used raw in salads. Roasting in their skins keeps their natural sweetness and color intact. Wrap each beet in foil, place on a baking sheet and bake in a 400 degree oven for about 40 minutes.

After they have cooled, you can rub the skins off by holding the beet between a paper towel or using a paring knife.

Now the possibilities are many. A little drizzle of olive oil and a pinch of sea salt turns these ruby red jewels, diced or sliced, into a perfect side dish.

Raw or cooked, beets lend themselves to many stunning salad recipes that look as good on the plate as they taste on the palate. Grated or sliced they pair favorably with Feta or blue cheese; pecans or walnuts; fresh mint, dill or coriander. Red onions or scallions give them a zing and orange, lime or lemon juice, as well as balsamic vinegar emulsified with olive oil offer a light vinaigrette. Sliced apples, pears, orange segments love to appear next to these intensely colored vegetables on a bed of endives or bib lettuce

Then there is Borscht.

Although there are many variations of this Eastern European Jewish dish, borscht is basically a simple broth-based soup mixed with diced beets cooked in their liquid, citrus juice, salt, fresh herbs, chopped onions and a dollop of sour cream.

I like serving my own version of cold borscht in the summer. With the addition of plain yogurt, chicken broth , chopped cucumbers, scallion and fresh dill it makes a light, nourishing and refreshing soup— a perfect food for the hot summer days.

You can find many recipes on the web, in cook books or magazines showing how to use these versatile roots and their greens. From soups to salads to even chocolate cakes, beets are indeed tough to beat.

Summer Borscht Serves 6

4 medium fresh beets
2 teaspoons sea salt
2 cups fat-free chicken stock
1-1/2 cups beet cooking liquid
1 cup plain yogurt
2 Tablespoons sugar
2 Tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 English cucumber, peeled and diced
2 scallions, chopped
1 Tablespoon fresh coriander, chopped
5 sprigs fresh dill

Cook beets in a large pot of water for 30 to 40 minutes or until the beets are tender. Remove the beets to a bowl and set aside to cool. Strain the cooking liquid through a fine sieve and allow to cool.

In a large bowl, whisk together 1 1/2 cups of the beet cooking liquid, the chicken stock, yogurt, sugar, lime juice, salt, and the pepper.

Peel and dice cooled beets. Add the beets, cucumber, coriander, dill and scallions to the bowl. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for 4 to 8 hours. Adjust seasoning, stir and serve cold with a sprig of fresh dill.

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