Dip It! (6 page)

Green Olivada

makes about 1 cup

MAKE-AHEAD
: The olivada can be prepared up to 1 week ahead.

A
t first glance, olivada and tapenade seem almost similar: both are highly seasoned olive pastes. However, tapenade must always include capers (in Provençal dialect, caper is
tapenado).
Great olivada requires great green olives, so look for the meatiest, most flavorful green ones available.

what to dip

Baguette slices • Crostini (page 180) • Breadsticks, store-bought or homemade (page 184) • Flatbread crisps • Cherry tomatoes • Green beans, prepared for dipping (see page 86) • Tiny new potatoes, cooked (see page 87) • Red bell pepper strips • Zucchini rounds

1 cup pitted and coarsely chopped Mediterranean green olives

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

¼ teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Combine the olives, lemon juice, rosemary, anchovy paste, garlic, and crushed red pepper in a food processor
and process until smooth. With the processor running, slowly add the oil and process until smooth. Transfer to a bowl, cover, and refrigerate to blend the flavors, at least 2 hours, or up to 1 week (if refrigerating for longer than 2 days, cover the tapenade with a thin film of olive oil)

2. Transfer to a serving bowl. Serve at room temperature, with a small knife for spreading.

Thai Peanut Dip

makes about 1 ¾ cups

MAKE-AHEAD
: The dip can be made up to 2 days ahead.

I
learned how to make peanut sauce at one of my first restaurant jobs, a place on Manhattan’s Upper West Side with a Thai chef. Formerly considered exotic, it is now available in the Asian section of most supermarkets—but nothing beats homemade peanut sauce.

what to dip

Potato chips, store-bought or homemade (page 171 or 174) • Fried shrimp crackers (see page 169) • Broccoli or cauliflower florets, prepared for dipping (see page 85) • Carrot sticks • Celery sticks • Cucumber slices • Zucchini slices • Cooked chicken breast (skinless and boneless), cut into bite-sized cubes • Cooked shrimp (peeled and deveined)

1 tablespoon vegetable oil

3 tablespoons finely chopped shallots

1 tablespoon shredded fresh ginger (use the large holes on a box grater)

2 garlic cloves, minced

1 teaspoon Madras-style curry powder

teaspoon crushed hot red pepper

½ cup smooth peanut butter (not natural-style)

1 cup canned low-sodium chicken broth, or use homemade stock

3 tablespoons unsweetened coconut milk or heavy cream

1 tablespoon fresh lime juice

1 tablespoon Asian fish sauce (nam pla or nuoc cham) or soy sauce

1 teaspoon light brown sugar

Chopped fresh cilantro, including stems, for garnish

1. Heat the oil in a medium heavy saucepan over medium low-heat. Add the shallots, ginger, and garlic and cook, stirring often, until the shallots are golden, about 3 minutes. Add the curry powder and red pepper and stir until fragrant, about 15 seconds.

2. Whisk in the broth, peanut butter, coconut milk, lime juice, fish sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a simmer and simmer over low heat to blend the flavors, about 3 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and let cool, then cover and refrigerate until chilled, at least 2 hours or up to 2 days (if the chilled dip is too thick, thin with water or broth).

3. Transfer to a serving bowl and sprinkle with the cilantro. Serve at room temperature.

Tapenade

makes 1 cup

MAKE-AHEAD
: The tapenade can be prepared up to 1 week ahead.

O
ne of Provence’s most delicious exports, tapenade is a compendium of Mediterranean flavors in each bite—olives, capers, anchovies, garlic, thyme, and red peppers. Tapenade is only as good as the olives, so it is important to use an imported variety, not the canned ones from California. Small Niçoise olives will have the most flavor, if you have the patience to pit them (they are actually quite soft, so it is easy to pinch them to remove the pits). The more readily available vinegar-cured Kalamata olives are different, but will certainly work.

what to dip

Baguette slices • Crostini (page 180) • Breadsticks, store-bought or homemade (page 184) • Flatbread crisps • Cherry tomatoes • Fennel bulb, cut into sticks • Tiny new potatoes, cooked (see page 87) • Red bell pepper strips • Zucchini rounds

1 cup pitted and coarsely chopped Mediterranean black olives

¼ cup nonpareil capers, drained and rinsed

1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon brandy

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon anchovy paste

1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press

Pinch of crushed hot red pepper

¼ cup extra-virgin olive oil

1. Combine the olives, capers, lemon juice, brandy, mustard, anchovy paste, thyme, garlic, and red pepper in a food processor and puree. With the motor running, gradually add the oil and process until smooth. Transfer to a serving bowl, cover, and refrigerate to blend the flavors, at least 2 hours, or up to 1 week (if refrigerating for longer than 2 days, cover the tapenade with a thin film of olive oil).

2. Serve at room temperature, with a small knife for spreading.

Herbed Yogurt Dip

makes about 1¾ cups

MAKE-AHEAD
: The dip can be prepared up to 1 day ahead.

S
ome dips (and, let’s face it, many other foods too) have a direct correlation between that high calorie count and fabulous flavor. Here’s a change of pace that will make even the most fat-conscious guest at the party dive into the dip bowl, especially if served with reduced-fat chips or crudités. Drain the whey from yogurt, and the result is thick, creamy, and cheese-like—just the thing for turning into a dip.

what to dip

Potato chips, store-bought or homemade (page 171 or 174) • Broccoli and cauliflower florets, prepared for dipping (see page 85) • Carrot sticks • Celery sticks • Cherry tomatoes • Cucumber slices • Zucchini slices

1 quart plain low-fat (not nonfat) yogurt

2 scallions, white and green parts, finely chopped 2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 garlic clove, crushed through a press, optional

¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Salt to taste

1. The day you will be serving the dip, line a sieve with paper towels and place over a large bowl (the bottom of the
sieve should clear the bottom of the bowl by a few inches). Spoon the yogurt into the sieve. Place another paper towel on the yogurt, and top with a saucer that fits into the sieve. Refrigerate until about 1¾ cups whey has drained from the yogurt and the yogurt has thickened into a soft cheese-like consistency 2 to 4 hours. Discard the whey in the bowl.

2. Mix the yogurt cheese, scallions, basil, parsley, garlic, if using, and the pepper in a medium bowl. Season with the salt. Cover and refrigerate to blend the flavors, at least 2 hours, or up to 1 day.

3. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve chilled.

Basil Caesar Dip

makes about 2 cups

MAKE-AHEAD
: The dip can be prepared up to 1 day ahead.

W
hen researching an article on famous American foods, I was very surprised to learn that the first Caesar salad may have been more like a dip for Romaine lettuce leaves. This dip combines the flavors of Caesar salad dressing with basil, a very compatible herb.

what to dip

Crostini (page 180) • Breadsticks, store-bought or homemade (page 184) • Frozen artichoke hearts, thawed • Asparagus spears, prepared for dipping (see page 84) • Cherry tomatoes • Cucumber slices • Mushroom caps • Romaine lettuce hearts