Tangy Yogurt Cheese Spread

This is a very good spread made from yogurt. It is from Alton Brown's show, "Good Eats" on the Food Network. It has a tangy flavor, with the texture of a soft cream cheese. This spread is best on water crackers, but it works on any other cracker as well. It is a hit at parties and get-togethers.

Step 1 Get these things:

For this spread, you'll only need 5 total ingredients, 4 of which you will find in your kitchen already.

The first is a tub of plain yogurt. I like to use a whole milk yogurt, such as Mountain High. You'll need a quart of it (yes, I know that's a lot, but it reduces quite a bit). I found that 1 quart of plain yogurt weighs about 2 pounds. Yogurt is sold by weight in the bigger containers, so you can just use a 2lb tub of it, and it will be plenty. (at Safeway, that size tub sells for about $3)

The other 4 ingredients that you need (the ones you should already have in your kitchen) are:
-1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
-2 Tbsp parsley (you can either use fresh or dried for this, it doesnt matter)
-1 tsp salt
-1/2 tsp black pepper

In terms of tools, you just need a colander, a bowl that the colander will fit into nicely, and cheesecloth. I found my cheesecloth at Fred Meyer, sold in a package in the cooking utensils area, sold for about $4.

Comments

[mooseinakilt]

This sounds delicious, I'll have to try it :)

[bustedit]

pardon, but why do you stir the whey found on top into the yogurt if the procedure is intended to remove the whey?

[lonerayven]

I'm sure the reaction and flavors with the spices is improved by having the entire compound present at first, and letting it drain out after mixing.