Dips/spreads

[Anna N]

...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.

You are so right! For years I treated my blender as a "set and forget" appliance and cursed its inefficiency. Then I RTFM'd (read the flipping manual). It talked about stopping and scraping with a spatula. Sure enough, so long as I stop and scrape and stop and scrape, and there is just enough liquid, the darn thing does indeed blend. As I have said in a previous post: blenders are the most labour-intensive labour-saving devices yet invented.

[KateW]

I had an inkling of knowledge about the stop and scrape thing, having watched my mom for years with her Cuisinart. It didn't help me in this case. I didn't add any water, because what Fat Guy said might happen was happening. The yogurt was turning watery. I didn't want it too thin, but it might have been ok once I added it to the rest of the yogurt. Oh well. Tips for next time.

Those dips sound good, Kenk. I used yogurt to make mine. I strained it for about 5 hours first.

[v_wang]

i can't believe no one has said to use a mortar and pestle! i kind of doubt ancient lebanese women making hummus plugged in their hand blenders. i always make hummus/guac/salsa/tzatziki in them unless i'm making giant batches. i think they do a much better job with little chili peppers than food processors do, and plus look at my big muscles.

i agree that draining the yogurt for tzatziki is essential.

[KateW]

I joked about using my mortar and pestle to puree a bit of yogurt and bleu cheese together. Maybe I'll make a batch with the sour cream I bought and try that

I keep checking the dip to see if it's "okay". It's a little garlicky maybe but not bad.

[Jaymes]

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."

You go, Mom. I always love it when you can toss together two things like that and haul it off somewhere and people carry on like it's some wonderful big deal. Not only is it quick and easy -- it's hugely entertaining when you announce what it is. It's like taking a great big needle and bursting a few pomposity balloons.

[therese]

I've made taramosalata using a blender (used the recipe in the new Joy of Cooking, I think) and it turned out very well. Very popular, too, with people trying to figure out what the heck it was while stuffing their faces full of it.

[rozrapp]

Forget blenders, food processors and morters & pestles! You can make excellent baba ghanoush with just a plain old fork and spoon. Prick a large eggplant all over with a fork to keep it from exploding. Broil or bake it until it's very soft. Scoop out the inside flesh, place in a bowl, and mash well. (If you happen to have an old-fashioned wooden bowl and chopper, as I do, that works even better.) Mix 3 tablespoons of tahini with a tablespoon of water and the juice of a lemon. With a spoon, thoroughly incorporate the tahini mix into the eggplant. Add salt to taste and 1 or 2 cloves of garlic, crushed in a press. Serve with pita bread. Easy and delicious!