I washed the large quilt today and did some more bookwork. I picked up a couple of chairs for my new outdoor table. And I thought about journaling. Writing each day. I thought about how it is a synthesis of thoughts, an unplanned outpouring. A tapping into the subconscious. The way that things come together in ways that are not planned, or thought about. One thought leads to another, leads to another, leads to another.
I thought about how I love that free flow of associations, how sometimes sentences are not needed, the joy in discovering associations amongst ideas, thoughts, happenings that had not been apparent. I thought about what it teaches me about me, about how to be a better me, about how it sometimes settles me, grounds me.
I love having the time to play with ideas. There was a part of my life where I was busy, but in a quieter way, and often I would play with a word for a day. Or two. Or more. And then write about how I now understood that word in a very different way. It is a great practice that can totally change your outlook. You find yourself undoing the word in layers. Any word will do. Here are some to start with. Efficiency. Tolerance. Fear. Gardens. Corners. Travel. Contemplation. Parents. Choose one word, only one, and stay with it, spend a week with it.
Journaling takes time, at least 20 minutes at a time. It takes that time to draw the thinking from the depths of the mind, form thoughts and translate them onto paper. However it should not involve a lot of thinking and planning. It is a fairly fluid process.
Words do it for me. I like to play with words. For others it is pictures, or strings of words without form. or mindmaps. or collages. anything that is an expression, is done daily, is given time. and attention. and focus. It brings in a natural contemplation.
I thought about the time that I used to write a lot more. About how it would be nice to do that a lot more. It takes space. I don’t allow my self that space. Those punctuations in the day.
I thought about Simplicity and Stillness, my two favourite mantras. I thought about how my journey to them is very very slow. I thought about the richness of simple things. The joy of a telephone call from London. The sun rising. A smile. A comment on my post.
I thought about how much I love pears. Then I made a thick thick yoghurt.
I wanted to make The Budding Cook’s Rasberry Shrikand. I got as far as making the yoghurt and found it so incredibly wonderful I ate it as it was. On scones with jam. On crumpets. On some chopped fruit. It is so very very good. I am going to think about it all day tomorrow.
Thick Thick Yoghurt
Take a tub of yoghurt. Tip the yoghurt into something that will allow it to drain for at least 4 hours. I lined a sieve with a piece of muslin and sat this over a large bowl. A double layer of paper towels is Ok. Even coffee filters! A clean teatowel.
Allow the yoghurt to drain for up to 24 hours in the fridge. The whey drains off, and can be discarded or used in other ways you would normally use whey (in soups, bread baking etc). The amount that drains is surprising.
24 hours produces a very thick yoghurt, more like a soft soft cheese. 6 hours produces a thick but still liquid yoghurt. Choose the thickness to suit your taste and the way that you plan to use it.
Use as is on fruit, in place of cream, on muesli or porridge, in icecream, curd rice, yoghurt curries etc. Or, like The Budding Cook, make Rasberry Shrikand.
Ways I have used Thick Thick Yoghurt:
- I finally made a Blueberry Shrikhand. It is hard to beat.
- Stir through some Tuscan herbs, a clove of garlic, some lemon rind for a wonderful dip with Turkish bread.
People are saying:
On Garden Forum, DishesDone says:
I just saw that on tastespotting yesterday, had to check it out on the blog, looked so good…! http://vegeyum.wordpress.com/2008/05/21/thickyoghurt/
The Holiday Series
- Mint Paneer: A recipe
- Srikand: A recipe
- Creme Fraiche: How to make
- Thick Thick Yogurt (Yogurt Cheese): How to make
- Yogi Tea: A recipe
- Roasted Rosemary Pears: A Recipe
- Pomodori Gratinati (Baked Tomatoes with Cheese): A recipe
- Ginger Garlic Lentil Soup: A recipe
- Oven Baked Chickpeas: A recipe
Possibly Related Posts:
Other Posts:
19 responses so far ↓
Peter // May 22, 2008 at 12:06 am |
Nicely done and explained. This is what Greeks make Tzatziki with…overnight is best.
Thanks Peter! I thought it might be Greek as well. I will find many uses for this, I am certain.
notyet100 // May 22, 2008 at 12:45 am |
looks delicious..wann try soon…..
Come, come – I will make you some.
victoria // May 22, 2008 at 12:57 am |
I know this to be called “yogurt cheese” and it’s so easy to make, isn’t it? Sometimes I add a bit of salt and fresh herbs to a batch. Better for me than cream cheese and I like the tangy-tart of yogurt. I have also done this with goat’s milk yogurt. Lovely shot of the pears.
Hi Victoria. Mmm Yogurt cheese. I can see why. Salt and herbs, even a bit of garlic or garlic oil would go so well. This will be a staple in my kitchen now.
Thanks for commenting on the pears. Isn’t the light in autumn wonderful.
dee // May 22, 2008 at 3:40 am |
Nice penning of thoughts !! first time on ur blog.. yogurt is soul food for me…
Thank you dee. And welcome….
ranji // May 22, 2008 at 4:18 am |
yogurt looks so thick ,fresh and just perfect!!!great job.
Thank you! So glad that you like it.
Lisa // May 22, 2008 at 8:11 am |
Have not made my own yogurt yet, but this post certainly inspires me to try soon. I’m loving the thickness!
Hi Lisa – great! Oh my goodness, the thickness is so utterly …… [sound of wordlessness].
maritasays // May 22, 2008 at 12:23 pm |
Hmm, that sounds really delicious. And I have some muslin waiting to be used in the kitchen. And some yogurt!
Go to it, Bordeaux! Can’t wait to see what you do with it.
chiffOnade // May 22, 2008 at 12:58 pm |
Well, everyone knows at least TWO things about me:
(1) I am SENIOR ADVISER at SeriousEats where I advise dummies who know nothing about cooking. And, (2) I only eat Fage Yogurt.
I would never eat homemade.
But thank you for sharing your recipe.
Thank you so much for sharing, Chiffonade. We know a lot more about you now. Share your knowledge with love.
Cynthia // May 22, 2008 at 1:01 pm |
It is amazing the amount of liquid some things contain.
It sure is. This dripped and dripped and dripped.
holybasil // May 22, 2008 at 1:14 pm |
I think the way you described your yogurt is very nice – *thick* yogurt seems more descriptive than *strained* yogurt… it speaks of the texture – which is the best part. I’ve made this myself and realize it’s as good as fromage blanc in France.
I love pears too. I’ve recently become hooked on Chinese Fragrant pears that come from western China — have you tried them? They have the crisp texture of Ya Li and other Asian pears but with a honeyed sweetness and a very floral fragrance.
Oh but is so much more than “strained”. That makes it sound like it is in pain. This is thick thick and delicious. It is as good as fromage blanc, and as versatile.
I have not heard of Fragrant pears – I will have to find out some more about them. I have not heard of Ya Li either – maybe we don’t get them here or they are called something different here? We have nachi pears – I have had these in Hawaii also but they are called something quite different there. I will look harder when I am at the markets.
[update] Apparently Ya Li and Nashi are different names for the same pear.
Swati Raman // May 22, 2008 at 5:07 pm |
will have to try this.. thanks for sharing…
Thanks, Swati. I look forward to hearing of your experiences.
Aparna // May 22, 2008 at 7:14 pm |
Yogurt is not only tasty but also very heathy stuff.
And do try making the shrikhand. Its worth the effort. You can make it plain too, with only cardamom for flavouring.
Being from Palakkad, this (like the filter coffee) is a staple in my home. I make yogurt everyday but drain the whey only if I need to make something from it.
If you boil milk so it is very slightly reduced, allow it to cool till it is only just warm and then make yogurt with this milk, you get lovely thick yogurt.
Of course, the texture depends on the milk and the temperature at which it sets!
Hi Aparna, so glad you dropped by. I will make the shrikhand soon, I promise, once I get over the deliciousness of the thick yoghurt!
I am going to try making my own too. Your instructions are very clear. Thank you.
Suganya // May 23, 2008 at 3:39 pm |
I know you like to play with words. I totally admire you on that
Oh thank you Suganya, that is so lovely of you to say that. Thank you.
Holidays. Thoughts. Shrikand: A recipe « A Life (Time) of Cooking // May 24, 2008 at 12:41 am |
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Deeba // August 16, 2008 at 2:42 pm |
YUM…my fave way to eat yogugrt. I usually leave it in the fridge in a steel sieve overnight & have even made a mango cheesecake of sorts with it recently. It’s my base for a dip to eat with chips & crudites, to make a sour cream & much more. I’m glad you discovered this!
… I have some draining in the fridge right now …. Tomorrow, I will have some with honey and toasted pine nuts, I think….