There’s renewed enthusiasm about the cultured dairy products of our forefathers. Food historian Anne Mendelson - author of the book Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages^[1] - thinks the interest in ancient milkways may stem from the “growing “know your food” movement.”

A keen advocate for whole, unhomogenized milk, she says there’s immense interest in fermentation on the whole in the United States. Cheryl Sternman Rule, author of Yogurt Culture^[2], adds: “We're in the midst of a widespread DIY love affair across many food categories, but in the fermented foods sphere especially.”

Inspired by my recent trip to a dairy farm in Iceland, here’s a round up of 10 (out of infinite) cultured dairy products to try.

1. Icelandic Skyr

I visit Efstidalur^[3], an Icelandic working farm owned by the same family since the 17th Century, to learn about skyr. Skyr is the famed 1000-year-old Icelandic cultured diary product somewhat similar to thick yoghurt, but closer to a cheese in reality. Its origins can be traced to the Viking settlers, around 874 AD. Versions, long ceased, were made in nearby Scandinavian countries too. Guðrún Snæbjörnsdóttir, daughter of the current farm owners, tells me about Sundays when the family ate skyr whipped with fresh cream and brown sugar.

The skyr at the farm is thicker than any I’ve tried - it needs to be flicked, or licked off the spoon to get it to budge. Combined with bacteria in the saddlebag and the galloping of the horse, the milk separated into curds and whey. Et voilà: skyr. That’s one popular version about skyr, and how yogurt as we know it, came about.

2. African Amasi

Eaten in Southern Africa, particularly in South Africa and Zimbabwe, amasi is traditionally made from gourd-fermented cow’s milk. Inside of the gourd, sometimes smoked with wood ash (skipped in standard commercial preparation), a soured milk, the texture of wet, lumpy cottage cheese forms. It can be blended into a drinkable yogurt too.

3. Turkish Ayran

Food writer and Turkish food expert, Robyn Eckhardt calls ayran the thin, smooth, salty yoghurt drink loved around Turkey “refreshing and reviving”. The sourness, she says, wakes up the palate; the salt quenches thirst, and the creaminess soothes after a spicy meal. Widely available in supermarkets and restaurants, ayran is still made from scratch in small quantities from goat, sheep and cow’s milk in villages around Lake Van and the northeast. It’s the main ingredient in some soups and stews too, she says.

4. Scottish Blaand

If you ask Scots about their treasured national drink, many may say whisky. But long before whisky production, when the fearsome Vikings arrived in the 9th Century, they brought blaand with them. Alcoholic in nature, but neither a wine, beer nor spirit, blaand is made by fermenting whey, left over from cheese or butter making, in wooden casks.

5. Indian Dahi

Dahi or curd, is a yogurt consumed daily in many parts of India, and usually prepared at home. Made with boiled, cooled buffalo or cow’s milk (mostly the latter nowadays), curds form an integral part of the diet in Tamil Nadu, for instance. Eaten mixed with rice for its digestive, cooling properties, curd is usually the last bite of an Indian meal.

6. Anatolian Kurut

Derived from kuru, which means dry in Turkish, kurut from Anatolia - known as qurut in Van and in other parts of Central Asia - is a dried, salted, drained yoghurt or sour milk, often in the form of balls and patties. The food, like many from the same period, preserved the sour milk in a way that could be consumed long after, as is, dissolved in water or in stews. It’s remained a beloved and treasured food source, Eckhardt explains.

7.Kefir

Sandor Katz, author and fermentation expert (Wild Fermentation; The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from Around the World^[4]) explains that milk fermented to make sour, effervescent kefir relies on a symbiotic community of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY), commonly called kefir grains. “Kefir grains embody incredible biodiversity, with more than 30 distinct organisms that have been identified,” he says.

8. Armenian Matzoon

Matzoon, or matsoni, originating in Armenia and enjoyed in Georgia and the Caucasus, is made by fermenting milk at room temperature (between 20 – 26 degrees Celsius) for up to 48 hours. It produces a mildly tart, spoonable yogurt.

9. Scandinavian Viili

Finish viili, which originated in the Scandinavian countries, is a “ropy” yogurt that trails long, viscous strings when a spoon is dipped into it. This is a result of mesophilic bacterial mutations, and can be a challenging texture for some. It’s mild and creamy and is eaten with a spoon by Finns.

10. Yogurt

Yogurt, found in countless countries across the world, deserves an honorary mention. Rule’s book Yogurt Culture was inspired by the growing popularity of yogurt in American supermarkets and the move away from the single-serve cups. “I wanted to create a book inspired by plain yogurt's culinary versatility and uses in cuisines throughout the globe,” she says.

Katz, whose popular classes have him teaching students how to prepare a wide range of fermented edibles, says that he “loves yogurt and all its incredible derivative products, like doogh, Persian yogurt soda.”

References

1. ^{^} Milk: The Surprising Story of Milk Through the Ages (www.amazon.com)
2. ^{^} Yogurt Culture (www.amazon.com)
3. ^{^} Efstidalur (efstidalur.is)
4. ^{^} Wild Fermentation; The Art of Fermentation: An In-Depth Exploration of Essential Concepts and Processes from Around the World (www.amazon.com)

If you don't have an Italian nonna around to teach you secret family dishes, these recipes for Italian Seafood dishes are the next best thing. Enjoy seafood the way the Italians do, with simplicity and freshness.

You won't find fried calamari in the list below. Instead, you'll find plenty of other Italian seafood dishes to whet your appetite.

From pan fried squid to roased monkfish these are the Italian seafood dishes that capture a taste of Italy.

Buon appetito! 

Impress dinner guests with an appetizer recipe from chef Ezio Santin for marinated shrimps with caviar and spring onion.

A refreshing salad made with potatoes and octopus dressed with lemon, herbs and olive oil.

Try this unusual take on a 'fritto mistol using  eel instead.

Chef Theo Randall gave us the recipe for this fresh crab salad dressed in lemon and olive oil brings the best of summer to your table.

The simplest of dishes there's nowhere to hide with this simple recipe. Perfection must be had from both the shrimps and al dente pasta.

This Roman recipe will have you enjoying the delights of Italy's finest bounties of shellfish, artichokes and pasta.

Italian chef Moreno Cedroni shares this exquisite recipe for for some seafood favourites in squid ink.

This wholesome rustic dish incluses roasted red mullet is served on a bed of potatoes, fennel, olives, capers and parsley.

If you love squid try this dish with pan fried squid and plump borlotti beans.

Oven baked monkfish baked with the Italian delicacy of proscuitto.

More: Still hungry? Browse our Recipes^[1] section to find hundreds of mouthwatering recipes perfect for a family dinner or entertaining friends. 

References

1. ^{^} Recipes (finedininglovers.com)

Last year we brought you the news^[1] about how Thomas Keller ^[2]at his French Laundry restaurant had built himself a clever temporary kitchen to give the team space during a refurbishment.

Now, it seems the new kitchen inside the restaurant is finally ready and Keller is planning to sell off the temporary kitchen to the highest bidder.

In a post on Facebook^[3], the chef said: “As of today, this kitchen, the fourth in the restaurant’s history, is officially for sale…To the new owner: This kitchen is a unique piece of culinary history. It touched the lives of many guests and played a significant role in the lives of the chefs who have spent time working here before moving on to their own projects. My hope is that it finds a home where it continues to impact the lives of those who walk through its door.”

The four shipping containers that house the kitchen hit 1120 square feet and come fitted with all the mod cons one would expect from a three-star kitchen. On top of this Keller explained that the space will also come with the chef’s famous five brass stars above the pass, a‘Sense of Urgency’ plaque and a blue apron.

There’s no word on the price of the kitchen but anyone truly interested in purchasing it should email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it." style="color: inherit; text-decoration: none;" name="readabilityLink-4" target="_blank">This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..^[4]

References

1. ^{^} brought you the news (www.finedininglovers.com)
2. ^{^} Thomas Keller (www.finedininglovers.com)
3. ^{^} a post on Facebook (www.facebook.com)
4. ^{^} This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. (www.finedininglovers.com)
5. ^{^} For Sale: The French Laundry Temporary Kitchen (www.facebook.com)
6. ^{^} Thomas Keller (www.facebook.com)

Intrepid foodies with a love of the great outdoors are increasingly being spoilt for choice when it comes to dining well in the wild, from pack up kitchens^[1] to gourmet camping provisions^[2], taste buds no longer need suffer. 

The next bit of kit worth a mention is a kitchen on two wheels. The British bespoke made bike, aptly named the 'forager^[3]', designed for adventurous foodies getting back in touch with their inner hunter gatherer.

Designed to go off road, straying across fields and forests on the hunt for mother nature's tasty morsels will pose no problems for budding Bear Gryll's on this bike.

Design input came from the famous foraging British chef, Hugh Fernley-Whittingstall, who told bike radar^[4] I'm incredibly pleased with The Forager....I'm very much looking forward to a full-scale two-wheeled foraging expedition as soon as the first green shoots appear in the hedgerow.."

Needless to say, the bike comes fully loaded with a range of foraging, cooking and eating equipment including a fold-up barbecue, pots and pans, plates and utensils, chopping board, mushroom knife and a hip flask. Much of it recycled.

The bikes are made to order by Sven Cycles^[5] and cost approximately £3900 (approx $5600 USD).

References

1. ^{^} pack up kitchens (www.finedininglovers.com)
2. ^{^} gourmet camping provisions (www.finedininglovers.com)
3. ^{^} forager (www.svencycles.com)
4. ^{^} bike radar (www.bikeradar.com)
5. ^{^} Sven Cycles (www.svencycles.com)