Arugula Shrimp Burgers

Tim bought a bounty of beautifully plump Carolina shrimp the other day. We enjoyed half of them in a stir fry and saved the rest to make shrimp burgers the next day. I had intended to use the Lee Bros. reliable recipe until I realized that I sent my books off to be signed a few weeks ago and have not yet reclaimed them.

I scanned the fridge for inspiration and found it in a large container of peppery aurgula, Graham's favorite green. From idea to first bite, our delicious dinner was ready in under 30 minutes.

Arugula Shrimp Burgers
Makes 3 for dinner (or about a 12-15 appetizers)

1 lb. fresh Carolina shrimp, peeled and deveined
1 large handful arugula
1 egg white
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs, divided
1/2-1 teaspoon hot sauce
salt and freshly ground black pepper
canola oil
3 brioche rolls or hamburger buns, toasted
mayo and mustard

Grab a large handful of arugula and place it in the workbowl of a food processor. Pulse-chop until fine but not watery.  Add the shrimp, pulse-chopping just until chunky. Do not overwork the shrimp as it will turn into an unappetizing paste. Add egg white, hot sauce, salt and pepper; pulse until just combined.

Transfer to medium bowl. Add about 1 tablespoon of the panko crumbs and stir to combine. Form into three patties. Arrange on a plate and chill about 15 minutes. (If you wish to chill longer and cook later, cover with plastic wrap.)

Pour about 3 tablespoons of canola oil into 10- or 12-inch nonstick pan over medium-high heat. While oil warms, lightly press shrimp burgers into remaining panko crumbs to create a crust. Slide patties into the oil and cook until golden brown; carefully flip over and allow the second side to become equally golden. Remove from pan and drain briefly on paper towels.

Serve immediately on toasted brioche rolls lightly coated with mayo and your favorite mustard. I'm addicted to Gulden's Zesty Honey and Graham is likewise keen on Inglehoffer stone ground. Tim goes with the flow. If seasonal, add a nice slab of tomato.

No-Knead Pizza: Part II

Yes, I know I just made pizza. And yes, it was really good. But the pies I made tonight were even better.

In advance of the publication My Pizza, Bon Appetit just published the updated version of Jim Lahey's justifiably famous no-knead pizza dough. The ratios are similar to the one I found from 2009, but for some reason this one worked came together right away, was full of lovely bubbles after the rise, and was easy to stretch into the finished product.

In fact, I was so confident of the outcome that we got a second pizza stone today.

There's not much to add since the photos say it all. Graham's pizza had white sauce, mozzarella and fresh ricotta; it was topped with a handful of arugula tossed in a lemony vinaigrette, but it was whisked away before I could snap a picture. The next one had white sauce, caramelized onions and some meaty mushrooms that had been simmered in sherry. It also had mozzarella, ricotta and arugula.

Tim craved red sauce so I cooked down some crushed organic tomatoes -- which turned out to be the best topping of all. It had mushrooms, some shredded leftover chicken and the same cheese combo.

I'm cooking the rest of the crushed tomatoes down now for tomorrow's lunch, which will be calzones made from the leftover dough.

Labneh, mean it! Falling in love with homemade yogurt

Labneh, the tangy, creamy cheese
made from strained yogurt.

I've been making my own yogurt for a few weeks now and still can't get over how easy, delicious and inexpensive it is. I'm lucky to have a warming drawer built into my gas stove, which keeps contents at a fairly consistent 106-110 degrees, the ideal temperature for slowly converting scaled milk and starter into creamy Greek-style yogurt. 

Inspired by reader interactions and helpful advice from site co-founder Merrill Stubbs, I more or less follow the directions posted on Food52. I use organic whole milk each week as directed, and used a cup of organic whole milk Greek yogurt to get the first batch started. In subsequent weeks, I've used a jar of my own yogurt to feed the next batch. Additionally, instead of nine cups of organic whole milk, I now buy a half-gallon and add 1 cup of regular 1% milk, which is what I otherwise stock. I stir in capful of vanilla before pouring into a dozen canning jars for the slow transition into yogurt. It's terrific -- and costs only about 25 cents per serving.

I enjoy a jar nearly every morning for breakfast. Sometimes I spill in onto a half-cup of granola with a handful of dried blueberries. Other times I've stirred in homemade orange curd or other preserves. My current favorite is a great dollop of peach-Grand Marnier sauce. Yup, for breakfast. Awesome.

I posted this photo last week on Facebook and it caught the eye of a co-worker who wondered if I ever use my yogurt to make labneh, a yogurt cheese. I'm familiar with labneh as a condiment at Nemomonde, one of Raleigh's best Lebanese eateries, but I never realized it was something so easily produced at home. Encouraged by the rapturous look on his face as he recalled how his siti made labneh for him as a child, I decided to give it a try.

Recipes vary, but the general rule of thumb is 1/2 teaspoon of kosher salt to every cup of yogurt. Stir well and pour into a cheesecloth-lined colander or jelly bag set over a bowl. I used the latter and poured in four cups of salted yogurt before I left for work. It dripped in a steady stream for the first 15-20 minutes then settled into a slow plunk.

There is little consensus among recipes whether the yogurt should sit on the counter or be refrigerated for the nine or so hours necessary to fully drain. Since Graham was home, I split the difference and had him transfer the jelly bag and bowl to the refrigerator after about four hours.

When I returned home at the end of the work day, the resulting cheese had stopped dripping but was still quite moist. I gave the bag a good squeeze before peeling back the cloth and freeing the ball, which was handsomely textured by the mesh and deep seam. It was stunningly delicious right away -- tangy and very creamy -- and it firms up a bit with additional refrigeration.

I brought a sandwhich for lunch today of labneh generously slathered on fresh sourdough with a layer of baby arugula. It also was great on pita chips. I shared go-cups with a few friends and already have plans to make more with this week's yogurt. I'm eager to try some mashed into a hot roasted potato and, if sufficiently solid, I plan to roll small balls of labneh into minced herbs, zatar and nuts for a special appetizer plate.