Food for thought: Recipes for budget-minded bon vivants, Part 2

Creme fraiche*
For some reason, perhaps since we have sour cream, creme fraiche is very difficult to find. When it's available, it's really expensive. Creme fraiche, and the spectrum of sour cream, yogurts and other milk cultures are replicable at home.

I learned that on an overcast days getting the fermentation going can be hard. But persevere! Making a luscious creamy yogurt or creme fraiche is its own reward. Plus, you can really save money!

Now that I think about it, this may not technically be creme fraiche, but it tastes great! My goal was to have a creme-fraiche-style finished product with a wee bit less fat. I took 1/3 cup plain yogurt with active cultures and added about 1 cup half-and-half and 1/2 cup heavy cream. After trying to ferment it by putting on the windowsill with no sunlight whatsoever, I left it by the toaster oven while I cooked a lasagne, then put the container atop the lasagne while it cooled(!), then left out on the counter overnight. The key is to let the cream ferment in a warm environment (85-90 degrees air temperature). The result was an unctuous thick cream with a touch of twang. Just what I wanted!

So, what does one do with creme fraiche? All that you would do with sour cream and a luscious yogurt, and then some. Try hot buttered bread with honey and creme fraiche. Creme fraiche is a star in many French, Scandanavian and Russian recipes, paired with potato latkes and smoked salmon, beets, summer fruits, sweet and savory tarts and soups. In France, it is a standard soup thickener, as it doesn't curdle. If you want to use creme fraiche for this purpose, use heavy cream exclusively when making at home; otherwise, it may curdle.

High-end vodka
No, don't go rushing out to buy potatoes and a still. Just use a Brita carafe and filter. Make sure it is only for this purpose. Buy the cheapest vodka you can find (plastic bottles and a name that makes you laugh out loud are good indicators of low quality.) Filter the vodka three times in the carafe, then pour the finished vodka in an expensive bottle!!! This public service message is brought to you in time for the holiday season.

Crab, lobster and chantarelle ravioli
No, I don't have a way to make this ravioli cheaper. But I do have a suggestion for how to get the taste of super-expensive raviolis with less fuss, muss and coin: lasagne. Think about it: minus the tomatoes, with a nice Bechamel or "white sauce", you could enjoy the sumptuous flavors of your favorite raviolis. I make the "good stuff" in an 8x8 square pan to conserve ingredients and save time. Plus, I can pop it right in the toaster oven. If you assemble and refrigerate the night before, you can bake it in the evening in time for dinner. Try it with this white lasagne recipe as a springboard, then cram it with your favorite posh ingredients.

*I am a stickler for using the right accents, but I didn't want to mess up the posting in case it converted badly for some readers. Crème fraîche. Béchamel. Ahh, now I feel better!