Crème Fraîche

Many recipes call for crème fraîche, a thick, tangy French cream similar to sour cream, but smoother and richer. It's body and thickness comes from natural bacteria in unpasteurized cream. But since this is an unpasteurized process, we have to improvise here in the States by using the natural fermenting agents in buttermilk. This recipe comes from Cuisine at Home Magazine, and is mellower than other recipes I've used. Really nice, and super simple.

1 cup heavy cream

¼ cup buttermilk

1 tablespoon lemon juice

Mix together, cover and let sit at room temperature 6 to 8 hours, and then refrigerate.

Crème Fraîche is great for cooking, because of its rich flavor and stability -- it doesn't break down when heated, like sour cream.