My 100th Recipe Welcomes in 2018 – Honey You Got The yogurt?

Honey You Got the Yogurt?

The first time I had Greek yogurt was on vacation on the island of Crete, the largest of the Greek islands located at the southern edge of the Aegean Sea. This is going back some 30 years to my twenties. I had itchy feet to travel to Europe then and to taste firsthand the cuisines from France, Spain, Italy and Greece. I wanted to immerse myself in the culture of those countries whose cuisine inspired so many great restaurants around the world. In the 1980’s and 1990’s, French cuisine still dominated the industry, and young chefs fought for positions in Paris and Lyon to work under the masters. The next best thing was to travel. I ate my way around a particular area and then choose the next country and cuisine to broaden my culinary horizons. For my mates, these trips were all about the beer, girls, sea, sand and sex. For me, it was the culture and the food.

Don’t think me a saint. Beer and girls still played a part on my travels. Believe me. Tasting my way around a new city or town by sampling the local produce, cheese, wine, cured meats, and baked goods excited me the most. This was a real education taught by the people of every region I visited. Through their food and culture, I shared in their lives and lived in their shoes for a few hours. Everything they taught me enlightened my life once I got back home. I relived the experiences as I created new and inventive dishes for the restaurants where I worked that gave customers the chance to experience the world without leaving their table. Who knows? Maybe I inspired them to fly somewhere and experience the real thing or to try a culinary adventure in their kitchen at home.

I hope you try this yogurt and honey recipe and see if it inspires you to pack your bags and head to Greece or any of the European counties that are busting with history, fabulous people, food and culture.

Honey yogurt

Serves 4

Ingredients:

2 cups of mixed fresh fruit, figs, grapes, apples, raspberries, pomegranate seeds, melon, strawberries – your choice

4 mint leaves chopped

2 cups low if fat Greek yogurt

4 tablespoons local honey with honey comb

2 tablespoon pistachio nuts, crushed

How to make:

Take four to go cups or glass bowls, add the fruit, and then scatter over the chopped mint leaves, spoon in equal amounts of yogurt over the fruit. Drizzle with the local honey then top with a small piece of honey comb and crushed pistachio nuts – enjoy!!!!