Frozen Yogurt

Thank you, Mark Bittman. Your cookbook How to Cook Everything has been great so far.

Today, I struck a blow for frozen yogurt lovers everywhere. Those who have been to Pinkberry in West Hollywood know that traffic Nazis swarm the area like vultures over a ripe abandoned carcass. A few weeks ago, in a moment of weakness, I made J drop me off while I ran in for some yogurt. He drove off, circled a few blocks, and came back for me. Luckily, the line wasn't ridiculously long.

A few days ago, a ticket came in the mail! They ticketed him for circling the block! He didn't even stop, except to drop me off and pick me off, and the ticket was actually issued down the street so obviously they ticketed him while he was driving. Is that even legal?!

So today, I did two things. First, I send a letter of complaint to the traffic department. Then, I sat down and made myself a HUGE batch of the best frozen yogurt ever. Sweet, tangy, and full of the best ingredients money can buy. Organic milk and cream, whole fat Greek yogurt, and unbleached sugar. I topped it with frozen blueberries and frozen blackberries I picked in Portland, and a few pieces of fresh mango. All that was still cheaper than a single large yogurt at Pinkberry, and a helluva lot cheaper than a $40 ticket.

I hate them so much. I'm officially boycotting their product. Mark, you are my hero. It's not exactly like Pinkberry's, but I think with less sugar and a tangier (lower fat) yogurt it's going to come really close.

• 1 1/4 cup whole milk (I used low fat milk + cream)
• 4 gg yolks
• 3/4 cup granulated sugar (I would use 1/2 cup next time), divided in half
• 2 cups Greek yogurt (I would suggest Fage or Trader Joe's Greek Style, full fat or 2%)
• 1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Melt half the sugar in the milk and heat over low heat until steam rises from the milk. Do not boil, but don't panic if you get it to the point of bubbling a bit. Meanwhile, whisk the egg yolks with the remaining sugar until pale yellow and fluffy. Slowly, by dribbles, add half a cup of milk to the egg yolk mixture, whisking continuously to prevent curdling. When the egg yolks are thinned out, pour it slowly back into the milk, whisking continuously.

Cook the custard over medium low heat, stirring often. You'll need to cook until the mixture is somewhere between 175 and 180 degrees, or until you can coat the back of a spoon with it and the custard will hold a line if you run your finger through it. I find the spoon test more effective than my thermometer.

Cool the custard in an ice bath or uncovered until it's room temperature. Whisk in the vanilla and yogurt, then chill overnight. Churn in ice cream machine, then put in freezer.

It's not as decadent as homemade ice cream, but people who like the tang of good yogurt will probably enjoy this. I personally think it goes better with fruit than real ice cream does. And if you use low fat ingredients, less sugar, and a ton of fruit it's an incredibly delicious frozen treat that's as healthy for you as a bowl of yogurt, half an egg yolk, and no more sugar than you'd get out of a tablespoon of jam or honey. Much tastier than flavored yogurts (bleh!), and probably less sugary too.