Fage 0% Yogurt

My husband is dieting again and in defiance of his latest fad diet I bought myself what I percieve to be a more sensible diet book. I am not really in need of weight loss. I oscillate 5-7 pounds up or down every year. No one knows the difference except me. The size 8 pants get loose, the size 8 pants get snug in the waist.

He's following "Body for Life", a book lined with 2" x 2" photos of regular people who moved from soft and average to six pack abs and thin. This is not a diet for the Glass City Gourmet to follow. While he's eating six meals a day, including powdered shakes and protein bars, I rebel. If this house must be on a diet, I will pick a diet with meals I can tolerate. Myoplex shakes and Myoplex bars are not real food. Sorry, "Body for Life". This stuff is disgusting.

I complimented my loving mate on his drive to reshape his body, and bought a copy of "How the Rich Get Thin: Park Avenue's Top Diet Doctor Reveals the Secrets to Losing Weight and Feeling Great" by Jana Klauer, M.D. Like the Scarsdale diet and the Beverly Hills diet before it, this promises to be something that the Glass City Gourmet can take on as a culinary challenge and enjoy.

Day 1. I can't find Fage Yogurt in the Glass City. I substitute plain Stoneyfield Organic yogurt, which has a faint yellow color. In spite of the code date, it tastes sour and it seems very runny to me. I sneak a few extra calories and improve the 1 cup snack with a drop of vanilla and a few toasted, slivered almonds.

Week 2: Fortunately, Trader Joe's is in nearby Ann Arbor. Trader Joe's is a haven, or perhaps a heaven, for the Glass City gourmet. Oh, no. This is my first entry and I'm already sourcing in Ann Arbor? I must find Fage in Toledo or sacrifice my purpose...In the meantime, I left a message with the only Greek citizen I know to find out how to pronounce Fage properly.

However you say it, Fage Yogurt is museum white, mild flavored, and the consistency of sour cream. WOW!!! Long live the "New Calcium Diet" and Fage Yogurt. No need to add anything to this lovely treat.

PS 4/7/06: Sweet Success...Fage yogurt available in 7oz containers at the locally owned Italian market!

“Glass City Gourmet” is a chronicle of one woman's attempt to cook, eat, diet and entertain with both flair and whimsy while based in Toledo, Ohio. I encourage you to read on as the "Glass City Gourmet" attempts grand recipes, samples locally owned restaurants, visits indigenous markets and humbly pursues her quest to be formally recognized as the official "Glass City Gourmet".