About a Yogurt Sauce

Let's talk ridiculously easy, shall we? Like, so ridiculously easy that I actually made up this entire recipe ALL BY MYSELF, and its ingredients are so interchangeable it might as well not even be a recipe at all. IN FACT, it doesn't even need to be a sauce! By leaving out the olive oil (we'll get to that) I've actually served this as a dip. And leftovers? Make a great substitute for mayo in your potato salad! Or your tuna salad! Or your chicken salad! Or your . . . well, you get the idea.

This recipe is ridiculously easy, yes, but because of its ridiculous easiness it's important that we spend a couple minutes talking about ingredients. And the main ingredient is yogurt. Generally I use a plain Greek yogurt, because if you've never had Greek yogurt before man, do I feel sorry for you. It's thick (heh) and creamy (heh) and tangy (heh) and delicious. But if you don't have Greek yogurt in middle America do not fret, or rather, do fret, because you have some work ahead of you.

Recipe Within a Recipe: How to Fake Greek Yogurt

It's pretty easy, actually. Just set that fine mesh strainer of yours over a bowl, line it with a couple layers of cheesecloth, and dump a tub of plain yogurt in there. Cover it up with plastic wrap (fats absorb odors like you wouldn't believe, so if you don't cover your yogurt it will end up tasting vaguely like just about everything in your fridge; this is also the number one reason why you should store your extra sticks of butter in the freezer) and put the whole thing in the fridge overnight. Next day you'll see that the bowl is full of whey (which you don't need) and that your yogurt is thick (heh) and creamy (heh) and tangy (heh) and delicious.

The other main ingredient is herbs. Now, I don't care which herbs you use because in this recipe I've used just about every herb known to humankind (lies). But since there is no actual cooking going on whatsoever, you really, really, REALLY MUST use fresh herbs. I'll even give you some suggestions: tarragon goes great with beef, mint is a natural with lamb, dill plays well with fish, chives are awesome with potatoes, AND SO ON AND SO FORTH.

Let's go shopping.

• 1 small container of plain Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons of shallots, minced finely
• 3-4 tablespoons of chopped fresh herbs (here I used dill)
• A squeeze of lemon juice
• A drizzle of olive oil
• Salt and pepper to taste.

Mix everything up in a bowl, give it a taste, and adjust the seasonings to your liking. Need more lemon? Add more lemon. Not salty enough? Add more salt. Too tangy? Add more olive oil. YOU GET IT.

Cover with plastic wrap and let it sit in the fridge for a bit to let all the flavors flavor each other. When you're ready to serve, remove the plastic wrap, give it another stir, and, um, serve.