Frozen yogurt is going through a bit of a makeover. Soft serve that tastes like ice cream is out while creamy swirls that burst with the flavor of real yogurt are in. Shops serving cups of froyo that burst with yogurt's innate natural tartness are opening everywhere. Forget my favorite college flavor of orange, which tasted more like creamy ice cream that had been melded with baby aspirin. Today's frozen yogurt highlights sweet fruit flavors and is enticingly tangy.

After a few trips to some yogurt shops where four servings cost around $20 -- because let's face it, the new frozen yogurt chains are more expensive than the old ones -- I decided to try making my own concoctions. I found that if you have an ice-cream maker (the kind where you pre-freeze the canister), frozen yogurt is remarkably easy to make. It's also nice to be able to control your own ingredients. You can choose to use organic and nonfat yogurt, or luxuriate in a treat made with creamy whole milk. You can also opt to sweeten your dessert with sugar, or go for a healthier alternative like fruit juice or honey -- it's all up to you.

I experimented with whole fat, nonfat and Greek yogurts and found that although whole fat and Greek yogurts freeze better, nonfat frozen yogurt desserts can be creamy and soft -- just eat them within an hour or two of churning. This isn't hard to do as homemade froyo tastes so rich and creamy straight out of the ice cream maker that it's easy to eat the whole batch with a few friends. But if you want to freeze it ahead of time, make your batch with whole yogurt. It will be harder than ice cream, but still scoopable. There are also some frozen yogurt recipes out there where you incorporate your yogurt into an egg custard, much as you would when making homemade ice cream. I had no desire to stand over the stove on a hot day when we all just wanted a quick and fun dessert, but those recipes are out there if you're interested.

Following are a few recipes you can try for your own frozen yogurt adventures. If you have kids or aren't super fond of yogurt's innate tartness, I suggest using vanilla or a fruit-flavored yogurt for your initiation to this homemade frozen treat. Although my kids liked my first batch of peach frozen yogurt (made with plain nonfat yogurt strained overnight), they adored all combinations made with vanilla whole yogurt.

It's also worth noting that even when I used the more expensive organic and local yogurt varieties, the cost of a batch of homemade frozen yogurt still never exceeded $5 -- a pretty nice price for a fun summer dessert that fed four people.

Peach Frozen Yogurt
This recipe uses peaches, but you could easily use any other summer stone fruit (including cherries). I used nonfat yogurt, which was perfectly creamy straight from the ice cream maker. My daughter had a second helping a couple of hours after I stuck the leftovers in the freezer and the texture was still velvety. The peach nectar measurement variation from 1/4 - 1/2 cup is dependent on how thick your yogurt is after adding the pureed peaches. If you're using regular or nonfat yogurt, you will need less, but if include Greek or strained yogurt, you'll probably need to add a bit more.

Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups strained nonfat or whole milk yogurt
1 cup peaches peeled, chopped and pureed
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 - 1/2 cup peach nectar (I used Kerns) (measurement varies according to taste and

Preparation:
1. If straining yogurt, do so at least 4-6 hours ahead of time by placing your yogurt in cheesecloth and tying it at the top. Then set the package in a strainer set over a large bowl or container to catch the liquids. After a few hours your yogurt will be so thick and creamy it will look more like cream cheese.

2. Peel, chop and puree your peaches until smooth.

3. Place peach puree and sugar in a small pot and heat until sugar melts into the peaches. Cool mixture. You can also just add simple syrup instead of sugar to the peaches if you have some on hand.

4. Once peach puree mixture is cool, set up your ice cream maker so it's ready to go.

5. Take the yogurt out of the refrigerator and place in a large bowl. Mix in the peach puree and peach nectar. Taste and add more nectar if needed.

6. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn as you would normally make ice cream. Serve when frozen and creamy or place in the freezer for 1-2 hours.

Peanut Butter Frozen Yogurt
This recipe uses a heated peanut butter, sugar and water combination, which flavors the yogurt beautifully and provides a nice backdrop for toppings, such as chocolate jimmies, crumbled peanut butter cups, or M & Ms. I used nonfat plain yogurt, but will use vanilla flavored yogurt next time as I think it will nicely compliment the peanut butter flavors. I also recommend against using strained yogurt in this recipe as the peanut butter is already thick enough.

Note: the measurements for this recipe vary according to taste. If you like your frozen yogurt light and tangy, then use 1/2 cup peanut butter and sugar; if you like a more pronounced peanut butter flavor, then go with the 3/4 measurements.

Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
1/2 - 3/4 creamy peanut butter
1/2 - 3/4 cup sugar
2 cups nonfat or whole vanilla-flavored yogurt (not strained)
1/4 cup water

Preparation:
1. Place peanut butter, sugar and water in a pot and set on medium heat. Heat mixture while constantly stirring until peanut butter and sugar are melted into each other. If mixture is too thick (you should be able to easily stir the peanut butter), add a little more water.

2. Cool peanut butter mixture. You can do this in a cold water bath (setting the mix in a bowl and then placing that bowl over a larger bowl containing ice cubes and water) or just let it cool on its on the counter. Then place it in the refrigerator so it's cool but still stirable.

3. Set up your ice cream maker so it's ready to go.

4. Take the yogurt out of the refrigerator and place in a large bowl. Stir in the peanut butter mixture.

5. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn as you would normally make ice cream. Serve when frozen and creamy or place in the freezer for 1-2 hours.

Banana Frozen Yogurt
The Banana Frozen Yogurt recipe uses vanilla yogurt mixed with bananas that have been pureed with a little juice. This was hands down my kids favorite froyo and was also the easiest to make as you don’t need to heat anything.

Makes: 4-6 servings

Ingredients:
2 cups vanilla yogurt (whole milk, lowfat or nonfat)
1/2 cup mango, apricot, orange or any other full-bodied juice
2 large or 3 medium bananas cut up

Preparation:
1. Chop up bananas and then puree with the juice.

2. Set up ice cream maker so it's ready to go.

3. Take the yogurt out of the refrigerator and place in a large bowl. Stir in the banana mixture.

4. Pour the mixture into your ice cream maker and churn as you would normally make ice cream. Serve when frozen and creamy or place in the freezer for 1-2 hours.

Open your fridge, now. Scan the shelves and tell me: how many plastic yogurt containers are in there? If your house is anything like mine, plastic yogurt tubs--the 32-ouncers from Nancy's, Wallaby, or Straus--are your default tupperware, to the point where it can take a few minutes of fridge-shelf lid-popping to find the one that's actually still filled with yogurt and not last week's curried coconut-lentil soup or last night's leftover pad thai.

Which makes me a little guilty about the amount of plastic I'm bringing home from Good Life Grocery week after week in support of my fermented-dairy habit. On one hand: calcium, probiotics and lactobacillus, good. On the other: a bobbing stream full of plastic tubs, flowing right to my doorstep. Yes, they're recyclable, but still, the process of plastic from creation to breakdown is not a pretty one.

Happily, though, there's an easy way to both save money and keep away from the tubs. You make your own.

For a long time, I put this off, until I finally found a yogurt maker for $5 at a garage sale. A yogurt maker does nothing but provide a mild, steady heat source that keeps your milk at optimal fermentation temperature, about 10 or 15 degrees above your own 98.6 F. Whatever the brand, it's just a heating pad for your jars, and while it's convenient, it can also seem like just one gadget too many.

After my own machine disappeared during my last move from Brooklyn back to San Francisco, I couldn't quite see adding yet another appliance to an already space-challenged kitchen. And why, when yogurt has been made for ages using absolutely no technology at all?

We give very little thought to the luxury (and relatively new phenomenon) of chilling milk straight from the cow, keeping it cold and fresh for a week or more at a time. Yogurt, like other ferments, makes this protein- and calcium-rich food last a lot longer, while at the same time making it easier to digest. Nomadic Mongolians fermented mare's milk in skin bags kept warm next to the saddle. All over the Mediterranean and the Middle East, yogurt was made from goat, sheep and (to a lesser extent) cow's milk. It could be made thin and tangy for use in marinades and drinks, richer and thicker for dips and sauces. In India, cooling yogurt-based lassi drinks could be salty or sweet, perfumed with aromatic spices or sweetened with pureed ripe mango.

It takes nearly no effort to make yogurt. What you need is milk (cow, goat, even sheep, depending on your preference), a little already prepared yogurt to act as a culture, a clean jar, and time.

A candy-type thermometer is useful, although not absolutely crucial. A quart of milk is a good amount to start with, along with 2 tablespoons of plain, unflavored yogurt made with live cultures (and preferably without pectin, gelatin, or other thickeners). Heat your milk up to 160 degrees, or until you can hold your (clean) fingertip in for about 10 seconds. Pour the milk into your clean jar and place the jar in a bowl of ice water to cool it down. Stir the milk frequently. When it's between 110-115F degrees, or when it feels just mildly warm to the touch, pour a little out into a small bowl. Whisk in the yogurt, then pour the mixture back into the jar. Whisk to mix, then cover the jar.

You're almost done. The last step is keeping the mixture at a more-or-less steady 110F to 115F for six to eight hours. Putting the jar into a large covered pot of 110-degree water that comes half-way up will work, as long as you periodically re-warm the water. Many people swaddle their jar in a thick towel and put it on top of the fridge or at the back of the stove, anywhere that stays reasonably toasty. That same half-filled pot of warm water could work very nicely stashed in a picnic cooler or styrofoam tub.

As the milk sits, the colonies of beneficial bacteria from the initial dose of yogurt will be digesting the lactose in the milk like crazy, kicking off a mad binge of reproduction. After some 6 to 8 hours, the once-fluid milk will be transformed into solid yogurt and a quantity of loose whey. Without stirring, put the jar into the fridge for several hours, so it can cool down and continue to set. Once the yogurt is thoroughly cold, pour off any excess whey, then stir thoroughly.

Try as you might, homemade yogurt is, in my experience, pretty runny. (So is commercial yogurt, if made from only milk, without added gelatin or pectin.) The more consistent your heat source, the better your chance for a more solid yogurt. Full-fat milk makes dreamy-rich yogurt, although I'm perfectly content using 2% milk for everyday use.

Once your yogurt is made, you can dress it up in many ways. Spooning it into a colander lined with cheesecloth, a clean tea towel, or several layers of paper towels, then letting it drain overnight in the refrigerator, will give you a fresh yogurt cheese similar to extra-thick Greek yogurt. You can sprinkle your yogurt cheese with herbs and sea salt, or drizzle it with honey and top it with toasted walnuts and oozing-ripe apricots.

Or you make your yogurt even runnier by turning it into a soup, like this chilled cucumber soup, drinkable even on the hottest East Bay days. It's also a way to redeem even the biggest, wateriest, seed-strewn cucumbers out of your garden, since the gelatinous seeds are scooped out and tossed, leaving only the cool flesh to be buzzed into a refreshingly frothy, herb-strewn puree.

Cool as a Cucumber Soup
The herbs in here are up to you. I think dill goes exceptionally well with cucumber, but basil, mint, or cilantro would all work very nicely, too.

Serves: 4

Ingredients:
3 cups plain yogurt
1/2 cup thick, drained yogurt, Greek style yogurt, or sour cream
1 garlic clove, peeled and chopped
2 tablespoons chopped chives or scallions
3 large cucumbers, peeled in alternating strips, halved, seeds scooped out
a generous handful of fresh dill, basil, cilantro or mint
a few sprigs flat-leaf parsley, optional
Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Preparation:

1. Combine yogurt, garlic, 2 cucumbers, and herbs in a blender. Puree until fairly smooth. You may have to do this in batches to avoid overloading your blender.

2. Pour soup mixture into a large pitcher and set aside. Grate or finely dice remaining cucumber and stir in for texture. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

3. Chill well. Serve very cold, topped with a little extra herbs and chives.

San Francisco is a brunch town through and through. And I'm always down for a nice eggs benedict or a stack of blueberry pancakes. But everyday can't be Sunday. Most of us have day jobs and can't lounge around cafes late into the afternoon hours. So here are a few of my favorite spots for quick, creative, inspiring breakfasts around the city. One is a bit gluttonous, the other earnestly healthy, and the last sloppy but satisfying. So while dining trends will always come and go, breakfast is staying put. Sometimes mom knew what she was talking about: it is the most important meal of the day.

The Good: Fraîche
I first stumbled across Fraîche while wandering around downtown Palo Alto. This was around the same time when frozen yogurt shops were opening on (seemingly) every street corner in San Francisco, and I’ll admit, I was one of the people in those long lines. But if you're like me, you're a little burned out on the tart treat and the neon décor. Fraîche is different. Trust me. The frozen yogurt has more of a creamy, subtly tart flavor than other competitors, they use organic Clover milk, and owner Patama Gur spent a long time perfecting her special blend of probiotic cultures--and it shows.

In addition to frozen yogurt, Fraîche also does a thick, housemade unfrozen 2% yogurt. When I first visited the shop on Fillmore recently, I ordered the frozen yogurt with pureed apricots and my friend opted for the unfrozen version with raspberries and peaches. I have to say, I had entrée envy. While mine was delicious, the unfrozen yogurt is unlike anything I've ever had. Think Greek yogurt on steroids. As we were leaving, I noticed the breakfast menu and their early morning hours, and vowed to come back for a quick and healthy breakfast before work.

You can get breakfast to eat-in or take-out. The menu is simple and centered around the unfrozen yogurt, fresh fruits, housemade granola, and steel-cut oats. I tried the Toasted Nut and Berry Sundae: yogurt with fresh berries, housemade granola, toasted almonds, and local wildflower honey ($5.50). The nice guy constructing my lovely "sundae" mentioned that the SF Chronicle Special has been the most popular, with steel-cut oatmeal and a choice of fresh yogurt and fruit and nut toppings ($5.95). And these aren't your average toppings. From bright pureed fruits and local honeys to shaved Callebaut chocolate to-order, the toppings are as conscious as the yogurt itself.

So after finishing the Nike Marathon recently and being told by many friends that I’d have to try and taper my ravenous appetite to account for the decrease in physical activity, I've tried to opt for breakfasts that don't include numerous pieces of toast or stacks of pancakes. And for that, Fraîche is here for me. With a cup of Blue Bottle coffee (they start serving the premium coffee next week) and a seat at one of the sleek wooden tables, experience morning the way it should be experienced: simple and thoughtful.

Fraîche
1910 Fillmore Street
San Francisco, CA 94115
(415) 674-6876
Hours: Mon.-Thurs. 7am-11 pm; Fri. 7am-12am;
Sat. 8:30am-12am; Sun. 8:30am-11pm

The "Bad": Dynamo Donuts
Nestled amongst the Mexican grocery stores and panaderia's on 24th St., sits Sara Spearin’s sweet little donut shop. It’s "bad" in the best possible way. There are a few critics who scoff at charging $3 for one donut. But the truth is, I'd pay $3 over and over for what Spearin and crew are doing in the Dynamo kitchen. It’s something that San Francisco has yet to see--an artisan, organic, awesome donut.

Before getting to the donuts, a quick aside: I was a vegetarian for almost fifteen years. About a year ago now, I started eating meat again. Once I decided to go for the gusto, something strange happened: I couldn't get enough bacon. And this was certainly fine timing, as bacon has become rather trendy in the last year or so. From bacon potato chips to bacon chocolate confections, it seems like the much-loved pork product is everywhere these days. So while I understand many folks are over the bacon-in-everything trend, I'm still on a bacon high.

I had my first bacon maple donut at Voodoo Doughnut in Portland, Or. I thought they were pretty good: the donut was light and airy (albeit quite large), the maple glaze rocked, and they put strips of real bacon on top. The bacon itself was a little weird and greasy, but I figured all bacon donuts were that way. Then, a few weeks ago, I went to Dynamo for the first time. Now I know: all bacon maple donuts are not created equal.

While it looks like a simple donut window from the street, there is an entrance leading to a huge open kitchen and a quaint seating area where couples sit with steaming cups of Four Barrel coffee and a donut or two. The buzz from the open kitchen is infectious: five women with cute vintage aprons are busily pumping out donuts while laughing and telling stories. They seem genuinely psyched to be there--and it shows in the product. The donuts themselves are special. For the most part, they’re cakey and have a bit of heft (think old-fashioned donuts of your childhood). I tried the chocolate saffron, which has a very light hint of citrus and a subtle warmth from the saffron. Next I moved on to the caramel del sel, flavored with nutmeg and topped with a caramel glaze and fleur de sel. Then I picked up a few of the apple bacon maple donuts to bring in to work. Unlike the one at Voodoo, the bacon was in small bits sprinkled on top of the donut and wasn’t at all greasy. And the little bits of apple are actually sautéed in bacon fat, resulting in a fabulous salty and sweet flavor. It really is the perfect donut. So with a motto of "EVERYDAY is bacon donut day!" there's not a place I'd rather frequent more at the moment. And even if you’re not a recovering vegetarian with a constant hankering for salty meats, there are many other well-crafted donuts to choose from.

Dynamo Donut
Twitter: @dynamodonut
2760 24th Street
San Francisco, CA 94110
(415) 920-1978
Hours: Tues.-Sat. 7am-5pm; Sun. 9am-4pm; closed Mon.

The Ugly: Hazel's Kitchen
Hazel's Kitchen is very Potrero Hill. For those of you familiar with the neighborhood, I know you feel me. For those who have no idea what I'm talking about, they do a lot of things right, but one of them isn’t necessarily speedy or efficient customer service. It's laid back, it’s independent, and they scoff a little if you try to pay with a credit card. Much like Farley's Coffee next door, I often get blank stares or confused looks when I ask a simple question.

But Hazel's is much loved as a little neighborhood lunch counter with great sandwiches and soups. And that they are. While they’re generally booming at lunch, not as many folks know that they do a really great breakfast burrito. Now I know some of you may be ready to stop reading right about now. I know--I get it. I have a strained relationship with the breakfast burrito as well. Sometimes they're not hot all the way through; sometimes they're soggy. There's nothing like cold, watery eggs to get you going in the morning. But Hazel's burritos are none of those things.

What Hazel's burritos are--the thing that places them in the ugly category--is deliciously messy. It's not a good choice for eating while walking to work or chowing down in the car. You must sit down with a stack of napkins (and a fork would be preferable) to enjoy a Hazels' breakfast burrito. Messiness aside, the nice thing about Hazel’s is the simplicity. The breakfast burrito has eggs, cheese, avocado, salsa and a choice of chorizo, ham, bacon or tofu ($6.95). The ratio of ingredients is perfect: not too much cheese or salsa--where many breakfast burritos fail. And I'm not sure how they get the burrito so delightfully hot without losing the integrity of the avocado, but after seventeen years in business, they obviously know what they’re doing.

Can you find a cheaper breakfast burrito over in the Mission? Sure. Can you find a more authentic, Mexican breakfast burrito? Absolutely. But I can't guarantee that it won’t be soggy, hot all the way through, or busting with fresh ingredients. You just can't help but fall a little bit in love with Hazel's pastel, vintage kitsch and the messy morning madness of the breakfast burrito. Dig in.

Hazel's Kitchen
1319 18th Street
San Francisco, CA 94107
(415) 647-7941
Hours: Mon.-Sat. 8 am-4 pm; Sun. 8:30 am-4 pm

Featured Recipe: Fraîche's Spiced Yogurt Muffin
Owner Patama Gur says they bake these muffins each morning as they really typify what Fraîche does: provide customers healthy, delicious that don't sacrifice on taste. These muffins were developed for Fraîche by Batter Bakery, and use Fraîche's low-fat unfrozen yogurt and applesauce instead of a lot of butter and oils to create an amazing treat that is less than 100 calories.

Ingredients:
2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. cinnamon
1 tsp. allspice
1 tsp. nutmeg
1 tsp. cloves
2 large eggs, at room temperature
1 ½ cups. yogurt, room temperature
4 Tbsp. melted butter
1/4 cups unsweetened applesauce
1 tsp. vanilla
(For the topping: 2 Tbsp. sugar + ¼ tsp. nutmeg)

Preparation:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
2. Line 8 large or 14 to 16 standard muffin pans with paper muffin cups.
3. Whisk together dry ingredients in a large bowl until well combined.
4. In another small bowl, whisk eggs, yogurt, butter, applesauce, and vanilla. Add to flour mixture and mix together until just combined.
5. Scoop evenly into muffin cups and sprinkle with sugar nutmeg mixture.
6. Bake 18-20 minutes or until tester comes out clean.
Serve warm.

Makes: 8 large or 14 standard-sized muffins