Shrimp Burgers with Roasted Garlic Aioli

My very favorite food in the whole wide world is a perfect cheeseburger, and fortunately I am married to a man whose burger skills rival the best in the west—and that includes an I-can-die-happy-now rendition that burger queen Nancy Silverton grilled up in her backyard for our friend Carolynn’s birthday. But as much as I would love a cheeseburger just about any night of the week, I get that it’s not a great idea health wise. And so I’ve been experimenting with alternative burgers using leaner proteins than beef. So far, this Shrimp Burger with Roasted Garlic-Orange Aioli from FOOD52 takes the cake. Sautéed fennel, shallots, red pepper and meaty chopped shrimp are bound together with roasted garlic aioli (which doubles as a condiment on toasted burger buns).

The orange zest in the aioli totally makes this burger. It’s subtle but adds a brightness to the rich aioli and shrimp. More later on the actual making of the aioli—it took me FIVE attempts—but now that I’ve got the hang of it these burgers will be making the scene all summer. I served with a bottle of Stony Hill Gewürztraminer and you’d be hard-pressed to find a better pairing, but a citrusy beer like the super-smooth 60-minute IPA from Dogfish Brewery would also hit the spot.

Easy Sipping: Bonnet Bordeaux Blanc

We don’t see a ton of dry white wine coming out of the Bordeaux region—and why would we? Less than 10% of the region’s vineyards are used for producing dry whites. But, as a “savvy b” (aka Sauvignon Blanc) girl, I grab a bottle when I see it. Sauvignon Blanc and Sémillon are Bordeaux’s classic white grapes, and are most often used for those sublime Sauternes dessert wines with lofty price tags. But check this out. Currently, Whole Foods is offering a delicious dry white that’s 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 40% Sémillon and 10%Muscadelle called Chateau Bonnet Entre-Deux-Mers Blanc. It’s crisp and refreshing with light grapefruit and mineral notes—and at less than $12 a bottle, it’s priced to please. We’ve been enjoying with fish and salads, but also with salty snacks before dinner.