KUDOS FOR KEFIR

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Kefir can be produced at home by inoculating fresh milk with a powdered culture (it's available at health food stores in 1/3ounce packets). To brew up the drink, heat one quart of milk to almost boiling (around 180°F) and-while that's warming-sterilize a quart Mason jar or other large glass container in boiling water. Let the milk cool to room temperature, and then blend in the contents of one starter package. Pour the inoculated milk into the sterilized jar, cap it, and let it stand undisturbed forabout 24 hours, or until curdling occurs. (Unlike yogurt, the kefir culture doesn't require a sustained high temperature for incubation.) At the end of one full day, you should have a jarful of thick, creamy, tangy-tasting liquid.

You can store the homemade kefir in the refrigerator, and simply stir or shake it lightly before serving each time ... but don't drink the last three tablespoons of the beverage. Then, when you're ready for a second batch of kefir, simply repeat the process ...but inoculate the new "generation" with the liquid starter you've saved.

As you progress along the chain of culturing, you'll probably notice that the finished product turns out to be more solid each time ...and after about a month you'll have to begin again, by using a new packet of powder to start the curdling. (Occasional "fresh starts" also serve to lessen the chance that foreign microbes, which can be introduced by dirty hands and vessels, will grow in the food.)

VARIATIONS ON A THEME

One of the delights of making kefir is the dairy treat's great versatility. You can produce an almost limitless variety of tastes by using different kinds of milk, varying the length of the incubation period, or adding different flavorings to the finished product. To make a thick creation that can be spooned like yogurt, for example, just drop a couple of tablespoons of powdered milk into the warm liquid and then add the starter ...or combine equal parts of whole milk and evaporated milk before you inoculate the liquid with the culture.

After your kefir sets up, you can drink it plain ... sprinkled with pepper ... flavored with vanilla ...or sweetened with honey, maple syrup, or date sugar. You can even make soft cheese by suspending the liquid in a cheesecloth bag for several hours ...until the whey drains off and a ball of semisolid kefir is left in the sack. Season the do-it-yourself "cream cheese" with your favorite herbs and use it as a sandwich spread or party dip, or crumble it over salads.

A COOK'S BEST FRIEND

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