Food For Thought Friday

Its surprising this is not a food blog.  By that I mean a blog dedicated to all things food (not just my random recipe rave) because it really is one of my passions.  I am equally fine with cooking myself or eating out, as long as the ingredients are fresh and the flavors are intense. 

Last week I talked about fresh ginger and how it shouldn’t be an intimidating spice.  Well this week I thought about what ingredients sound more intimidating than they actually are.  The first thing that came to mind?

Creme fraiche.

I’ve come across many recipes that call for this dairy product that is sour cream-like but has a more buttery flavor.  My neighborhood grocery store doesn’t carry it (or at least the clerks I’ve asked say they don’t) and from what I hear, it can be pricey.  So, when the Bobby Flay recipe that I wanted to make (I’m a HUGE fan of his recipes) called for creme fraiche or sour cream, I figured it was time to learn to make it.

There are many recipes for creme fraiche and typically the ratio of heavy cream to buttermilk is the only variance.  Here is one I found:

1 cup heavy cream (not ultrapasturized – it won’t set up right)
2 tablespoons buttermilk (full fat)

• Heat over low heat until the mixture is lukewarm
• Transfer it to a bowl and cover loosely with Saran wrap
• Let it stand 24-36 hours in a warm place (over 70 degrees)
• Transfer to a plastic container with a lid and refrigerate for another 24 hours to thicken more
• This should keep for about two weeks in the refrigerator

Make sure you plan ahead!  You want to be sure your creme fraiche is the right consistency and unfortunately for those of us who want things immediately, it takes time.  But trust me, it is sooo worth the wait.  Enjoy!