Labne is a Middle-Eastern strained yogurt that is rich and smooth, so I snatched it up when I saw some in the fridge at Kalustyan's (in New York City) and made an extra-garlicky tzatziki. With the juice of a lemon and a grated cucumber, I had to restrain myself from breaking out the pita early.

    • 3 cups labne, Greek yogurt, or plain, whole-fat yogurt
    • 1 cucumber (about 1 pound's worth) peeled and seeded
    • 3 garlic cloves
    • juice of one lemon
    • 1 tbsp dried oregano
    • 1 tbsp dried basil

If you're using whole-fat yogurt, line a colander with cheesecloth and fill it with yogurt. Let drain at least 2 hours (more is always better).

Grate cucumber on a coarse grater, place in a few layers of paper towel and ring forcefully, to drain out excess water. (If you have a lot of time, use the same technique as with the yogurt, above.)

Grate the garlic cloves on a microplane, if you have one, or mince very fine. Mix all ingredients together and serve with a drizzle of your finest olive oil. Excellent with Lamb Tagine or other Moroccan entrees.