Tzatziki!

For those of you stumped by my title, this entry is dedicated to an absolutely yummy sauce/dip I am quite familiar with. Tzatziki is a yogurt, cucumber and mint condiment. It can either be thick (my preference - a great dip!) or thinner, what you sometimes find in Greek restaurants. Shira asked if I had a good recipe for tzatziki, so I thought I'd just do a little blog entry. I have to say, I feel a lot like Eggface with this post.


So, this recipe is just from Byblos, a great greek cookbook that I think is no longer in print. Tzatziki is definitely something that's easily adjustable - if you like more garlic, go for it...if you like it with a little heat, my dad sometimes adds just a teeny bit of pepper (serrano, etc) chopped up very fine to the mix.

2 cups Laban or Yogurt*
1/2 cup chopped cucumber
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dried leaf mint or 1/2 tbsp fresh mint, chopped**
1 clove garlic, crushed

Combine all ingredients, blending well!

*Laban is thickened yogurt. A lot like Fage, which is what I'd recommend using if you can't find laban. Also, Fage is higher in protein than laban or regular yogurt.
** I prefer fresh mint...And, FYI, 1 tsp of dried herbs equals 1 tbsp of fresh herbs.

Oh, and if anyone else is a fan of Greek and Arabic foods, the Byblos cookbook is a great resource, as is Sahtein.