54 | JANUARY 27 • 2022

A

s we have found
ourselves at home
more and more,
many of us have turned to
cooking things
for ourselves that
we’
d usually buy
without a second
thought.
For me, such
an item has been
yogurt; after
making a batch, you suddenly
realize that the process is so

easy and so straightforward
that you won’t need to shop for
yogurt again. (You still will, but
… you know.)
The most important note is
to keep a little bit of yogurt as
starter for your next batch —
otherwise you’ll get ready to
make a new batch of yogurt,
only to find yourself buying
one small container of plain
yogurt to make yourself one
big container of plain yogurt.
I fill my yogurt into 6-ounce

jars from old purchased
yogurts past; you can use jam
or jelly canning jars or sealable
reusable containers of any type
you like. Try to use things that
don’t pick up strong flavors —
the last thing you want is vanil-
la-onion yogurt.
This is also a great recipe for
Shabbos — once it’s been heat-
ed, there’s no more cooking.
Once it’s in the oven to fer-
ment, it’s done being touched
for at least 12 hours.

French-Style Yogurt

Aaron Egan

FOOD
FROM THE HOME KITCHEN OF CHEF AARON

FRENCH-STYLE
YOGURT
Yield: About 6-7 5-ounce
portions of yogurt

Ingredients
4¾ cups of whole milk
¾ tsp. vanilla extract
⅓ cup granulated sugar
1 Tbsp. existing yogurt

Directions
1. Pour the milk and sugar
into a saucepan and heat
on a medium-low flame
until it reaches 180°F. Hold
between 180°F-190°F for
one hour. Stir frequently
during the whole process
to avoid scorching or
cooking the milk proteins.
(I always end up with a bit
of cooked milk, so don’t
worry if it’s not perfect.
You want to avoid an
actual scorch.)
2. Turn off the heat and
let the milk cool down on
the counter or stovetop to
around 110°F.
3. Put the cultured
yogurt into a bowl and
add a quarter cup of the
warm milk, then whisk
until no lumps are left.
4. Pour the mixture and
the vanilla extract into the

saucepan and mix well.
5. Place the jars you will
be using on a sheet pan/
baking dish. Portion the
final yogurt mixture into
the jars. Cover with plastic
wrap.
6. Turn your oven on to
preheat for 90 seconds.
Turn it off, place the yogurt
tray in the oven and leave
the oven light on. If not
possible, a small paraffin
wax light or 12-hour tea
light-type candle will work
to keep the temperature in

the oven slightly warmer
than body temperature (in
that 100-110 range.)
7. Ferment, untouched,
for 12 hours (or more, my
last batch went 16 hours.)
8. Remove from the
oven and refrigerate for
several hours for the best
texture. Cover individually
once fully cooled. This
yogurt will have a thick,
creamy consistency
and should stand up
somewhat when spooned
out of the container.

Learn How to Wow
Your Employer

JVS Human Services will hold
a free Zoom webinar on Feb.
1 at 1 p.m. entitled “How to
‘Wow’ Your Future Employer
in an Interview.”
The Zoom program will
feature a human resource pro-
fessional from the med-tech
company Xoran Technologies,
along with a JVS Human
Services recruiter — both have
inside knowledge of how to
impress a potential employer
and how to avoid red flags
that could derail the hiring
process.
To register for the program,
go to the events page at www.
jvshumanservices.org. The
webinar will later be streamed
on the JVS Human Services
Facebook page.
“The New Year is typically
a time when people reset the
clock and feel excited and
hopeful about starting some-
thing new and that particu-
larly goes for employment,”
said Sherrie James, supervisor
of career counseling at JVS
Human Services. “The cur-
rent labor market, which has
employers scrambling for the
right candidates, gives job
seekers a real impetus to make
that change now.”
James explained that Metro
Detroiters also have the option
to get more detailed career
counseling, computer training
and job search assistance from
JVS Human Services. The
agency can provide direction
on the type of employment
job seekers might be qualified
for, plus personalized inter-
view practice, and advice on
resumes and LinkedIn.
Those seeking one-on-one
career counseling, computer
training or job search assis-
tance can email employmen-
thelp@jvshumanservices.org
or call (248) 233-4245.