Yogurt

Since R. B. has expanded his blade assortment beyond an ax, a maul, and a cleaver to include a few kitchen knives, he’s more than happy to wield the Santoku for diced salad vegetables. This kitchen task is best suited for the detail oriented. Around here, that would be R. B., whose T-shirt collection is always impeccably folded, stacked, and arranged by hobby. Instead of limp baby weeds, we vote for a crisp head of chilled iceberg lettuce that cuts beautifully into bite-size pieces for serving with barbecue.

Min found her inspiration for this dressing at the end of the Indian restaurant buffet. That delicious yogurt-dressed lettuce salad is crisper around here, but it’s just as cooling with spicy meats. Garnish the salad with fresh cilantro and mint leaves.

The traditional yogurt-cucumber mix that cools Middle Eastern and Indian barbecue dishes operates the same way with cheater BBQ. This slaw is a natural side to Tandoori BBQ Chicken Thighs (page 96) and Cheater Q’Balls (page 129). When we have any leftover brisket, burgers, or turkey, it gets loaded into pita pockets with as much slaw as will fit topped with whatever hot Indian chutney happens to be in Min’s fridge door condiment collection at the time.

This refreshing chilled purée wakes up your palate with a jolt of sweet pepper essence, cooling yogurt, and the ubiquitous Middle Eastern spice sumac. Sumac is made from the dried berries of a sumac tree, and in the Middle East it’s sprinkled over everything from kabobs to yogurt to rice. The dark-crimson powder lends an acidic, lemony flavor to this soup.

My go-to salad for the fall, this simple combination tastes great with just about everything. Fresh, toasted poppy seeds release a delicious, complex nuttiness into the dressing. You can also add avocado and shrimp or chicken to turn this salad into a complete meal.

At my restaurant, we make our own yogurt, carefully culturing milk at 93°F for hours. At home, I pop open a container of good whole-milk yogurt from the store. Just be sure to stir that creamy top layer into the rest of the yogurt before using it. The richness and tanginess pair perfectly with sweet beets. While I prefer boiled beets in this dish, roasted beets work well, too.

Stripes of sweet crimson jam give otherwise ordinary-looking cupcakes a striking finish. The cupcakes are tender (thanks to yogurt in the batter) but slice easily into even layers. Serve these cheerful treats at an afternoon tea, or box them up for gift giving.

This vibrant tart heralds the arrival of spring. First-of-the-season rhubarb stalks are poached in spiced brandy, then spooned over a silken citrus-and-yogurt mousse. The cornmeal crust is baked in a springform pan for extra height. You can bake the crust one day, fill with mousse the next, then chill overnight before topping and serving. The rhubarb can also be poached a day ahead and chilled separately.

A citrusy dessert can feel like a burst of sunshine on a wintry day. For this easy tart, a ground-almond crust is quickly pulsed in a food processor, then pressed in the pan and baked until golden brown. The no-bake filling, essentially yogurt thickened with gelatin, takes mere minutes to assemble before it is poured into the shell, chilled, and topped with thinly sliced oranges.

Inspired by a beloved breakfast treat—yogurt parfait—this recipe borrows the main components (granola, yogurt, and fruit) and transforms them into a delicious dessert. The pie is not too sweet, but you can adjust it to your preference by drizzling as much honey as you like.

This sauce is the cool for our rich-and-spicy Tandoori Lamb Balls (page 40), but we also think it’s pretty stellar when served alongside The Greek (page 10) and Mediterranean Lamb Balls (page 24). Try using this sauce as a marinade on pork, chicken, or lamb at your next barbecue. The acid and enzymes work like magic—you won’t believe how tender your meat will turn. This sauce will keep for up to four days in the fridge.

If you like to wow your friends with your backyard cooking prowess, this is one showboatin’ dish you’ll want to try out. I like what happens when you marinate lamb in yogurt. The enzyme action in the yogurt does something special to the meat, tenderizing it and giving it an exotic allure.

Indian spices and tandoori cooking inspired this one. The spicy, yogurt-based marinade tenderizes skinless chicken breasts to perfection. They cook up so tender you won’t even need a knife.

This chilled soup always makes me imagine what summer in Eden must have been like: silky, verdant, bright, and refreshing. My only other need would be a glass of cava or vinho verde to go with it. The quality of your avocados is key to this recipe. Try to find the Haas or Bacon varieties from a domestic grower—the Fuerte ones from Chile (which are common in supermarkets) are too watery.

This is the perfect simple ending to an elaborate meal (or any meal, really). It requires practically no prep and is infinitely modifiable. Figs out of season? Use apples, apricots, or orange segments instead. Don’t like walnuts? Use pistachios or hazelnuts. But you will get the richest, most decadent results by sticking with Greek yogurt.

This grilled beauty is the perfect entrée for an outdoor gathering. If you prefer to stay inside, a stove top grill pan (the kind that straddles two burners) works just as well as a “real” grill, although you won’t get the smokiness that really makes this dish sing. (Pictured with Padrón Pepper Poppers, page 142.)