Why the love affair? Greek yogurts are triple-strained, removing excess whey. This delivers a sweeter flavor than conventional yogurts, which are known for their tartness. Thick and creamy, lowfat or nonfat Greek yogurt can also be substituted for sour cream and mayonnaise in sauces and dressings.

Whole Foods Market, which carries Greek yogurt brands such as Chobani, FAGE and Wallaby, has launched its own brand, 365 Everyday Value Greek Yogurts. The line is nonfat except as noted, and is certified kosher by OU

The flavors of 365 Everyday Value Greek Yogurt Nonfat Yogurt include:

 
The Plain varieties are also available in 17.6-ounce cartons. The 5.3-ounce flavored cups and 6-ounce plain cups are $1.39; the 17.6-ounce cartons in 0% and 2% are $3.99.

We eat a lot of Greek yogurt, and theis all-natural line (no artificial flavors, colors or preservatives) is as satisfying as any. The flavors (honey and fruit preserves) are packaged in the separate flavor container introduced by FAGE.

Find more of our favorite yogurts and recipes in our Yogurt Section.

Learn all about yogurt in our yummy Yogurt Glossary.

RECIPE: LIME OR KEY LIME & HONEY PIE WITH
PRETZEL CRUST

Here’s a sweet-and-salty recipe that uses Greek yogurt in addition to cream.

Ingredients

Preparation

1. CRUMBS. Preheat oven to 350°F. Put pretzels into a blender and blend until fine crumbs form, about 30 seconds.

2. BLEND. Transfer to a bowl, add butter and 4 teaspoons of the honey and mix until well combined. Press crumb mixture into bottom and sides of a 9-inch pie plate, leaving a 1/2-inch rim around the top. Bake until just crisp and golden, about 10 minutes. Set aside to let cool completely.

3. GELATIN. Put 1/2 cup water and gelatin into a small pot and set aside for 5 minutes. Heat over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until gelatin is dissolved, 2 to 3 minutes.

4. COMBINE. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together yogurt, remaining 1/2 cup honey, lime juice and zest. Stir warm gelatin mixture into yogurt mixture then pour filling into prepared pie crust. Refrigerate until chilled and set, about 3 hours.

5. BEAT. Beat heavy cream with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add sugar and continue to beat until stiff peaks form. Slice pie and serve topped with dollops of whipped cream and lime slices.
 
Find more of our favorite pie recipes.

Today, the tip is to repurpose the rocks glass. Elegant Affairs Caterers, which works in The Hamptons and metropolitan New York City, uses it instead of a conventional plate to layer a fish course and bean salad. The glasses are presented on trays or on a buffet table for guests to enjoy as they circulate.

For sit-down eating, use a service plate under the glass.

What’s wrong with a conventional plate of fish and bean salad? Nothing, except the rocks glass glass is more visually arresting. Use it for a smaller fish course before the main.

Instead of using a conventional plate, layer a bean salad topped with grilled fish. The grilled fish will flake easily without requiring a knife. We adapted the concept with leftover tuna skewers, balancing the skewer on top of the glass. For a vegetarian recipe, substitute diced tofu.

And have fun with it.

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. If using frozen corn, allow to defrost; drain.

2. Mix all ingredients in a bowl. Let stand at 15 minutes or longer for flavors to combine.

2. Toss and fill glasses. Top with grilled fish and garnish with a small sprig of cilantro or parsley and/or a bit of grated lemon or lime zest.
 
Find more of our favorite fish and vegetable recipes.

A glass of mineral-rich bottled water can
substitute for a glass of wine. Photo by
Groveb | IST.

But what about those who don’t drink alcohol, can’t have it at the moment, are the designated driver, and so forth?

A hearty mineral water can stand up to any steak. One we like is Ferrarelle, Italy’s #1 naturally sparkling mineral water which, along with another favorite, San Pellegrino, has fairly good national distribution.

The sturdy texture of steak mandates pairing with a full bodied mineral water—one that’s slightly salty with significant total dissolved solids (TDS), which provide each water with a unique flavor.

TDS is the breakdown of what percentage of the water is bicarbonate, chloride, fluoride, lithium, magnesium, potassium and other minerals (more about TDS). Spring waters, as opposed to mineral waters, have very low TDS, and their flavor is not heightened by tasty minerals that are naturally dissolved in the water.

At 43 milligrams per liter of potassium and 81 milligrams per liter of silica, Ferrarelle is even more distinctive in its composition. Most high TDS mineral waters have high levels of sodium and/or bicarbonates, which make the water taste saltier.

Ferrarelle is also rich in calcium, magnesium and fluoride (one liter is 2/3 of the suggested daily requirement of calcium). San Pellegrino is highest in suplhates, followed by bicarbonate and calcium.

If you enjoy mineral water, you may enjoy learning about how very different they are from each other.

Check out our Water Glossary and our Mineral Water Section.
 
  

Editor’s Note: Fagor America, whose canning product is featured in this article, ceased operations in 2018. However, the majority of the article is still relevant to home canners. You can find numerous other brands of home canning kits. Plus, enjoy the history of canning, below.

If you love to cook and teach your family how to prepare healthy food, consider taking up home canning. It’s an enjoyable family activity, and become a summer tradition in your home.

You can prepare batches of delicious soups, vegetables, pasta sauces and fruits to recall the summer bounty during the bleak winter months.

Your canned foods can also be special holiday gifts; or you can make baby food as gifts for new parents.

Kids will enjoy learning how preserve their favorite fruits and parents can feel good about giving them an empowering kitchen skill.

If you haven’t done canning before, Fagor America makes a Duo 9-Piece Pressure Canning Set, with all the equipment needed to preserve your favorite foods, except the glass canning jars.

> February 1st is National Canned Food Day.
 
 
GET A HOME CANNING KIT

There’s quite a selection of home canning kits, which range from $20 and up.

More expensive kits include a large, heavy-duty pot.

The set originally featured in this article (no longer available), the Fagor 10 Quart Duo Pressure Cooker/Canner, had a full color cookbook containing all the necessary preparation instructions and recipes for home canning, and the canning tools: canning rack, jar wrench, jar lifter, funnel, magnetic lid wand, ladle and bubble freer.

[1] Canning raspberry preserves (photo © Leonice | Amazon).

[2] Ready, set, can (photo © Fagor America).

If you already have a pressure cooker, the other kit elements are just $29.99 on Amazon. Quart-size Mason jars are $20.99 per dozen; pint jars are $14.17. There are also half gallon jars.

The pressure cooker can also be used daily to cook a variety of healthy meals in super-quick times (up to 70% faster—short ribs in 45 minutes instead of 5 hours, for example [more about pressure cookers]).  
 

Canning is the method of applying heat to food in a closed glass canning jar or a metal can, to kill the bacteria and stop the natural spoilage that would otherwise take place. The process also removes the air from the jar to create a seal so new bacteria can’t grow.

The procedure uses fresh, seasonal fruits and vegetables when they are at peak, with the most vitamins and nutrients. The  
 
THE HISTORY OF CANNING / CANNED FOOD

We take canned food for granted, but it is a relatively recent invention—and we owe it to Napoleon Bonaparte. In his time, food preservation was basically limited to salting, drying, and pickling, techniques that had existed for thousands of years.

Needing a better solution for his troops, in 1795 the French general, known for declaring that “an army marches on its stomach,” got the French government to offer 12,000 francs to anyone who invented a new way to preserve food.

Appert hermetically sealed food in airtight glass jars and heated them—a method similar to today’s home preserving in Mason jars. Appert thought that driving the air out of the containers prevented the spoilage, but 100 years later, Louis Pasteur showed that it was the elimination of bacteria through sterilization that did the trick.

Napoleon tried to keep the new process a secret so that enemy armies would not have the advantage, but the word leaked out. Appert’s method was so easy that it quickly became widespread.

The following year another Frenchman, Pierre Durand, patented a method using a tin container; the lighter, breakage-proof tin cans would become the norm. In 1812, an English company purchased both patents and began producing canned preserves.

Canning emigrated to America, where canneries began to preserve seasonal foods and perishables; but most Americans still cooked from fresh and dried staples, and canned food did not become the everyday food delivery system we known until the beginning of the 20th century.

Appert, known as the “father of canning,” also invented the bouillon cube.

More about home canning from Ball, a producer of Mason jars.
 
 

We’ve gotten a lot of inspiration from Chef Michael O’Boyle of ChickenFriedGourmet.com (alas, now closed).

When we looked at his cannelloni, we thought: inside-out spaghetti and meatballs could become a fun family favorite.

Instead of stuffing ground meat into cannelloni in the classic way, turn your meatball recipe into mini meatballs and pack them into the cannelloni tubes.
 
 
RECIPE #1: INSIDE OUT SPAGHETTI & MEATBALLS RECIPE

Ingredients

1. PREHEAT the oven to 350°F (175° C).

2. MAKE the meatballs and shape them into miniature balls that will fit into the cannelloni tubes. Bake for 15 minutes or until meatballs are cooked through (160°F)—mini meatballs will cook more quickly than conventional ones. Remove from oven and let cool until meat can be comfortably handled. Meanwhile…

3. BRING a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil; add the cannelloni and cook for 8 to 10 minutes or until al dente. Drain and set aside until meatballs are ready.

4. STUFF each cannelloni with 4 meatballs (or as many as fit) and place in a 9″ x 13″ inch baking dish. Pour tomato sauce over cannelloni and bake 20 minutes, or until sauce begins to bubble.

5. If you’d like a mozzarella top, ADD the slices in the final 10 minutes so it doesn’t overly brown. Otherwise, grate ribbons of Parmesan over the cannelloni when ready to serve (we use a Microplane ribbon grater, although you can use a conventional grater.

6. GARNISH with the optional basil chiffonade.
 
 
RECIPE #2: QUICK TOMATO SAUCE RECIPE

Ingredients

 
Preparation

1. PLACE the tomatoes and can juice in a food processor; process until smooth. Set aside.

2. HEAT the olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.

3. ADD the garlic and onion; sauté until soft. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper; sauté 5 to 10 minutes or until sauce thickens. Add fresh basil leaves and cook for 1 minute longer.