Creme fraiche sounds more elegant than commercial sour cream, and it is. Not only that, it has the benefit of not curdling when heated in sauces.

You can buy an Americanized version of the thickened French cream in gourmet stores, but nothing could be easier to do yourself.

Mix a cup of cream with a teaspoon of buttermilk in a glass jar or bowl. Cover it and leave at room temperature for 24 hours or so until thickened. It will thicken more in the refrigerator, where it will keep for a week or two. (For subsequent batches, you can mix a teaspoon of your creme fraiche with the fresh cream, if you wish.)

Use creme fraiche as you would sour cream; in soups, deviled eggs, or to top fresh fruit or crumbles.