Conference turris::cooks

    
    I think I have a recipe somewhere, I'll look, but I never use it
    anyway, I just:
    
    Chop cucumber (as coarse or fine as you like), finely chop garlic
    ( as much as you like), add both to yoghourt ( for authenticity
    this should be sheep or goat milk yoghourt but it's nearly as good
    with cow stuff - but the thicker it is the better - homemade is
    best).
    
    Add lemon juice to taste, season and chill before serving.
    
    Options: add finely chopped fresh herbs ( I've tried mint, basil,
    oregano, parsley and coriander - separately and in combinations
    and most things taste good). I've also pepped it up by adding a
    sprinkle of cayenne, paprika etc etc.
    
    Not very scientific I'll admit, but I've tasted as many different tzatzikis
    as greek meals that I've eaten ( cos it's my favourite and I eat
    it any time I can and I've spent 8 weeks in Greece altogether. I
    think it's one of those dishes that 'runs in the family'
    
    Andy

    Tzatiki is a cucumber, garlic and yogurt sauce that the Greek people
    put on Souvalki, I know this for a fact because I was the head cook
    in a Greek restaurent for about 2 1/2 years and learned to make
    quit abit of Greek food which is very good.  When we used to make
    the sauce where I worked we grated the cucumber not chopped it and
    my boss was from Greece, I think he also put slices of onion's in
    it because I can remember sliceing a lot of onion's while makeing
    this sauce.

In Iran it's call mast(sp?) and you do add mint - lots of mint.

In India it's called raita and you may add onion, tomato, and some form
of curry or black mustard seed....

Ah yes, love 'em all.

My favorite:

cucumber (seeded, grated, and DRAINED), garlic (fresh pressed) and mint
added to cucumber to make nice lumpy sauce.  Chill for several hours
to make tastes mingle.  Add squeeze of lemon just before serving...and
you can add some diced onion and diced, drained tomato if you like.

Great sauce for chicken, veggies, and makes a nice salad dressing for
either pasta or greens.

>cucumber (seeded, grated, and DRAINED), garlic (fresh pressed) and mint
>added to YOGURT to make nice lumpy sauce.  Chill for several hours
to make tastes mingle.  Add squeeze of lemon just before serving...and
you can add some diced onion and diced, drained tomato if you like.

OOPS!  Never said I could type WELL...just fast.

    Whatever you want to put in the tzaziki (I prefer it with cucumber
    and garlic, no tomatoes etc.) you have to chop it very fine.
    
    It is supposed to be a salad, though it looks like a sauce.
    They eat it anytime they please. Don't be suprised if your
    collegues ask you to take the day of the morning after the night
    before.
    

	 The times  I've  made  it,  I  avoided  a soupy consistency by: 1)
    grating the cucumber and squeezing it dry and 2) draining the yogurt in
    a strainer lined with cheesecloth.  Overnight is best.  It ends up with
    the consistency of a very thick sauce.

	 JJRitz

    It seems like all the middle eastern countries has their version
    of it. In Turkey, it is called "cacik". There, they mix cucumber,
    garlic and yogurt (their spelling) then decorate it with herbs and
    little bit of olive oil on the top. They use vinager
    instead of lemon.  Also, if the yogurt is thick you can add ice
    cubes to thin it. It is great in summer.

	Hello,

	I find that Quark works very well in Tzatziki, it is not
	quite as liquid as yoghurt.

	Clarissa

What is Quark??????  Sounds like something from Star Trek!  ;-)

The yogurt in the U.S. is much thinner than the yogurt in Greece.  As stated in
an earlier reply, if you drain/strain the cukes and yogurt you will get the
right consistency.

B

>  What is Quark??????  Sounds like something from Star Trek!  ;-)
    
    Its a sub-atomic particle.
    
    
    Ooops, sorry, wrong context. Its a 'fermented' cheese product that's
    white, smooth and has the consitency of extra double cream or very firm
    sour cream i.e. the stuff you have to spoon. The best bit about the
    product is that it is low fat. It normally comes with two fat levels:
    8% or virtually fat free.
    
    There is a similar product called Fromage Frais, which appears to be
    more readily available in the UK. I've rarely seen Quark - need a
    damned big magnifying glass; oops, wrong context again.
    
    I use Fromage Frais (Quark) as a substitute for sour cream; especially
    in Tacos. For the Hungarian Paprika chicken dish, I'd use half Fromage
    Frais and half fat free yoghurt to produce a marvellous flavour.
    
    Angus
      

    Sound like Fromage Frais is similar to Creme Fraiche.

>    Sound like Fromage Frais is similar to Creme Fraiche.
    
    I don't think so. I've never had Creme Fraiche (well, not knowingly)
    but my understanding of Creme Fraiche is that it is a slightly tart
    cream. The lowest fat Creme Fraiche I've seen weighs in at about 29%
    fat.
    
    Angus