Nick guest blogs again.

Shells:

It has been awhile since we have heard from Nick. I figured a bit of background on this post might be wise. When I started dating J, he introduced me to the yogurt making process and to Lebnah, which has become one of my all time favorite comfort foods. Bug is crazy over it too, and gets quite excited when I make yogurt as she knows what is coming. So for the past year, I have been attempting to get Nick to try it, as I know his tastes and I just knew he would love it. But he just wasn’t convinced. A year later he finally gets himself on a little health kick and decides to give it a try. Here we see the results of that. (Oh, and I must add, he is doing a shortened version, using plain yogurt rather than making his own yogurt)

ETA:  J would like me to inform you all that this is a traditional Lebanese dish.  I cannot figure out how I managed to forget to add that.  He very much enjoyed Nick’s post as it showed an American perspective on a traditional dish.

Nick:

Here’s a play by play on the Lebnah… Or as I jokingly call it Lebahaha…

Get a 2lb container of Stonyfield Farms organic yogurt (low fat) and a package of cheesecloth…

Get a bowl that’s larger than the amount of yogurt you have… Open up the cheese cloth and cut it so you have two layers lining the bowl overhanging by a good amount.

Plop the yogurt into the cheesecloth lined bowl. Rinse out the yogurt container for later.

Bunch up the cheesecloth and tie the top to make a hanging “ball”….

Now tie the other end to a cabinet handle so the ball dangles above the rim of the bowl that is sitting on your counter.

Now let it hang and drain overnight.

The next morning you’ll have a bowl with this lovely yellow liquid (whey, lots of protein, but I’m not sure how it could be used) and the “yogurt” will be about a third of its original size and the consistency of cream cheese.

Cut it out of the cheesecloth “package” and plop it back in the yogurt container with a teaspoon of kosher salt mixed in.

As G. Love and Spacial Sauce once said, Stick it in the fridge…

Toast up some pita triangles in the oven (10 mins at 300 deg should do it).

But 1^st brush them with olive oil and crack some pepper on them…

When you are ready to eat spoon some out on a flat plate and spread it out with the back of your spoon. Drizzle with good olive oil…

mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm……