Dips/spreads

[KateW]

I always realize how inadequate my cooking skills, equipment and cookbooks are whenever I have to make something to bring to an event. I'm trying to find a dip or spread for crackers or chips that I can bring to a small Thanksgiving dinner. I don't have a food processor, and it must be served cold. I've searched online but I am leery of recipes without comments. I'm spoiled by you all! My cookbooks are sadly devoid of dip and spread recipes. I searched egullet recipes but didn't really like what I found there. Ingredients are not an issue as long as they can be found at Stop n Shop. And please, nothing with cilantro. What are your favorite dips? I will be making this today or tomorrow for Thursday...

[alanamoana]

a good friend of mine makes what i consider a "white trash" dip, but it is really very good. i don't know the exact proportions but i ithink it is something you can make by taste:

cream cheese

worcestershire sauce (few drops)

salt

pepper

lemon juice

canned crab (i think one can of crab to one pound (two packages) of cream cheese would be good)

heinz chili sauce (more like a cocktail sauce, not spicy at all)

dried parsley (garnish)

i'm working from memory here, so i could be wrong...

you cream/mix the first five ingredients and spread it into an attractive serving bowl.

then you put the crab meat on top

then you pour the chili sauce on top of the crab

sprinkle the dried parsley on top of that

my friend insists that it has to sit overnight before you can eat it, but it is great on crackers immediately! everyone who has eaten it loves it, as do i...but i love anything with cream cheese.

i'm sure if you're even semi-literate in the kitchen, you can do something with this general idea. also, because it uses canned crab it seems fancy but doesn't bust the wallet.

Edited November 25, 2003 by alanamoana (log)

[Cusina]

I like a roasted red pepper dip that is pretty simple.

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Chop, fairly small, a jar of roasted red peppers, or preferably 2-3 large red peppers off the grill

2 cloves garlic and a handful of basil, chopped

Add to about a cup each of mayo and sour cream.

Mix this all together with a little dry sherry or worcestershire and salt to taste.

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Or you could always do baked brie.

[KateW]

These ideas sound good.

Alana, when I read that recipe I imagined it all mixed together. Then I read the layer thing, and it sounded interesting. I think it's hard to find a dip or spread that isn't "white trash", unless you're going for the fancy pates, or mousses.

I have a bag of sun dried tomatoes I can't seem to use up. Maybe I can incorporate that into something.

[alanamoana]

i would definitely say that you could soak the sundried tomatoes in warm water to plump them up, then chop them finely and incorporate them into the cream cheese. it sounds like it would go well with everything. also, you could even combine the two ideas (red pepper dip) by not using the bottled heinz sauce and substituting the red pepper sauce or even using the sundrieds on top somehow. anyway, i think it will be easy to come up with something different and tastier than the usual spinach-dip-in-a-bread-bowl (which i love).

[curlywurlyfi]

tzatziki? chop cucumber, spring onion + mint into Greek yoghurt

or if you're hell-bent on using the sun dried tomatoes, what about chopping them with some black olives + a little fresh tarragon or basil and stirring into Greek yoghurt/sour cream.

[Fat Guy]

Do you have a blender?

[KateW]

Yes I have a blender but I was concerned that it might not mix things as finely or thoroughly as a food processor. Anyway, I'm about to head to the grocery store. I still have no concrete plans but if I don't come up with something I can always go tomorrow.

Edit: PS I've heard a lot about the Greek yogurt here; can it be found at everyday grocery stores? Guess I'm about to find out

Edited November 25, 2003 by KateW (log)

[Fat Guy]

If you do it in small batches, the blender often does a better job than the food processor on the standard array of Mediterranean spreads. The results can be exceptionally smooth and velvety.

This would be a very basic example of blender hummus:

http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1818,154166-237204,00.html

[curlywurlyfi]

if you fail finding Greek yoghurt you can just substitute ordinary wholemilk yoghurt, or half fat creme fraiche (this is a bit thicker though so you might end up diluting with a bit of milk).

one of my favourite dips kind of reverses the whole dip idea - prawn cocktail flavour crisps (ancient British traditional flavour, slightly alarming orange colour, no actual prawns were injured in the making of these items) as scoopers for plain Greek yoghurt. this doesn't help you at all, of course, I just mention it as an aside...

[edemuth]

You might try liptauer cheese. Super-simple and no kitchen appliances required, but it does need to chill overnight.

I use Jane and Michael Stern's version from their book American Gourmet, and this thread has another recipe.

[jackal10]

rillettes

[denise_jer]

I made a quick dip one night with kalamata olives, garlic, fresh chili pepper, parsley, 1 anchovy fillet, red wine vinager and olive oil. You just chop up everything as fine or chunky as you want it (the chili and the anchovy I made pretty fine, but everything else was pretty chunky), leave it sitting on the counter for a couple of hours, and there you go! I put it over fish one night, but we kept the leftovers in the fridge and just let it come to room temperature to put it over toasted french bread slices or anything you want.

[KateW]

Well I went the easy route and picked up some plain yogurt and bleu cheese. I may blender it, or just fold together. Actually, I'll probably blender it, or it will just taste like yogurt with bleu cheese chunks in it...

Honestly, I spent at least an hour at the grocery store. I also had a small crisis over chips. First I had some Terra potato chips which I have never tried; I've only had the original Terra chip assortment. Then I found some Stacy's pita chips which I like very much and they are very sturdy so I stuck with those.

I plan on straining the yogurt before mixing it with the bleu cheese. Of course I have to try the cheese to make sure it's okay.

Thanks everyone for your help, I really liked the ideas and making hummus did cross my mind. I may look back on this thread for my own knowledge very soon because I would like to try making my own dips and spreads for my own enjoyment

Please feel free to keep adding your thoughts..its not too late for me to make the bleu cheese thing for myself and something else for Thanksgiving.

[Fat Guy]

Sometimes the blender can wreck yogurt and make it too liquid. My suggestion would be to put a small amount of yogurt in with some of the cheese to make a puree, then mix that in with the larger body of yogurt and crumble in the rest of the cheese for texture.

[KateW]

Nice idea.

[KateW]

Found cheesecloth at stop and shop; I should have known it was going to be crappy. The holes are so big the whole mess goes through it. So I put a double layer inside my pasta strainer and put that over a bowl. Hope it works. I bought sour cream, too. I may add some. Also thinking about garlic. I tried the cheese, also from stop and shop. A little harder than I would want, but not bad. I'm not sure what consistency I want, but I want it to be a dip, so I probably won't strain all the water out of the yogurt.

[TrishCT]

Don't shoot me... But my mother makes a dip of cream cheese mixed with drained fruit cocktail from a can. I don't eat it because I don't like cream cheese, but I can't believe how many people ask her for this "recipe."

[KateW]

I don't eat it because I don't like cream cheese

I wouldn't eat it because I don't like canned fruit cocktail

[foodE]

I've heard a lot about the Greek yogurt here; can it be found at everyday grocery stores? Guess I'm about to find out

You can get Greek yogurt at Trader Joe's. I've personally never had it, but just saw it at the Wilmington, DE store on Saturday.

[hillvalley]

I would include the garlic, just make sure that it is chopped very finely or your may have a problem (depending on who is enjoying your dip).

Another suggestion: Hummus can be done in the blender as well as with a potato masher. I often substitute white beans instead just to throw people off a little.

[KateW]

Well I have already lost my fiance's vote because it is bleu cheese. I think everyone else I know loves garlic (and bleu cheese).

[KateW]

I got anxious and made the spread. It came out like, well, bleu cheese dressing, but thicker. I think it's pretty good though.

My blender must suck though, because it certainly didn't puree the cheese and yogurt. I tried mashing it, which didn't really help, so I didn't get that nice base. I dumped a whole lot of cheese in it though so I think it will be flavorful enough. I put in a couple cloves of finely minced garlic. I hope my garlic sensor isn't too low.

Hmm..I wonder if my mortar and pestle would have worked?

[Kenk]

My dip experience tells me that it is a good idea to start with allot of fresh lemon juice, lime juice and lots and lots of chopped garlic. Pull out you good olive oil and dive in.

I don't like sour cream or cream cheese dips so none are in my dips.

These are not complete recipes, but here are some of my standards

I want to start with Tzaziki. I have become very skeptical of most Greek restaurants that serve Tzaziki that is bland and does not use proper yogurt. I have been getting kits for my friend in Tsuzuki poor cities in order to give them the right tools to get them going.

Tsuzuki Kit-wire strainer big enough to hold 1 US quart of yogurt, a bag of basket coffee filters.

Tsuzuki-dump 3.25% fat yogurt in strainer covered with coffee filters (usually 4-5 filters) let drain over night. In drained yogurt add salt, oregano finally chopped cucumber lots of garlic, lemon juice, and olive oil. Be careful not to add too much cucumber (has lots of water). Result should be thick rich not too sour but very garlicky

Guacamole-avocado, garlic, salt peeper olive oil chopped onion lemon/lime juice.

Salsa-roast/broil can of tomatoes, onion, jalepeno pepper garlic. chop and add cumin, salt peeper, olive oil lemon/lime juice.

I can go on for 5 or 6 more but I will stop now.

These dips are made with a knife, fork and hands.

[Fat Guy]

My blender must suck though, because it certainly didn't puree the cheese and yogurt.

Your blender may suck; most blenders do. But there's also a whole craft to using the blender -- every blender has a liquid threshold below which it won't function particularly well. Sometimes a tablespoon or two of water or oil will break the logjam. Sometimes not.