.: evil jungle prince :.

Tzadziki, a Greek yogurt dip made with fresh cucumber and garlic, must be one of my all-time favorite snack dishes. I remember my first time innocently sampling it at a Greek restaurant in Copenhagen of all places and being totally wowed by its savory and sour flavors. Paired together with a crispy baguette, this dish is pure heaven.

What's more is that making tzadziki is totally simple.

1. First, grate or julienne a crispy cucumber -- English cucumbers work better than American cucumber because they have less seeds, taste less bitter, and are less watery. Then mix in a little salt. Allow to sit so that the salt draws out the excess liquid from the cucumber. Squeeze lightly after a few minutes and then place into a bowl with a portion of Greek yogurt. (Greek, or strained yogurt, is the key ingredient here. Don't be tempted to use runny American yogurt or you'll have a watery mess at the end. In the US, Fage Brand Greek yogurt can now be purchased at Trader Joe's.)

2. Now add 1-2 cloves of grated fresh garlic to the mixture, 1 tsp olive oil, 1 tsp white wine vinegar*, 1-2 tsp fresh chopped mint, and salt to taste. Now place the tzadiki into the refrigerator so that the flavors have a chance to fully mingle. Serve with crispy baguette slices or pita. (*Lemon works just as well as a souring agent, in case you don't have white wine vinegar on hand.)

If you have leftover tzadiki, spoon it over roasted vegetables such as zucchini or eggplant -- it makes an incredible topping for either vegetable. Alternatively tzadziki works well as a vegetable dip.

Update! My kitchen restoration project is finally nearing completion. After waiting many weeks for my original cabinet hinges to be plated in chrome, their return allowed me to have the repainted cabinet doors rehung and to attach the new handles. Now the only thing left to do is add some cabinet door catches or magnets so that the doors stay shut and tile the walls in back of the stovetop and sink. Whew! Glad there's a light at the end of the tunnel...