Dips for Chips and Crudités

All the pen talk over in the NIB forum is making me feel all dippy. No . . . I'm not a dipsomaniac or a pick pocket, hang in a sec while I refill my wine glass.

I rely too much on humas to which I add roasted red peppers or other flavourful additions. I also admit to buying various powders which are added to sour cream.

What I'm looking for are your favourite home made recipes for dip.

What do you like to dip . . . potato chips? Corn chips? Baked bits of pita?


To start things off here is my Sister-n-law's Dill Dip for Veggies:
1 1/2 cups Sour Cream
1/2 Cup mayonnaise
2 tbsp Dijon mustard
1/3 cup of chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
2 tsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper

Mix together and refrigerate for at least one hour.

I like dips such as Baba Ganoush, Hummus and Tzatziki.

I like salsas, especially fire roasted salsas. They are quick and really easy to make. I just roast all of the vegetables on the grill to give them a little bit of color and then blend to the desired consistency. Add salt, pepper and lime juice to taste. Guacamole is also a favorite.

I don't have recipes for any of this stuff. I just buy what ever looks good at the market and go from there.

Chips? My favorite are store bought corn tortillas that I cut into wedges and then fry, salt them as soon as they come out of the oil.

Essential:

My personal favorite is homemade Aioli. I like to eat raw or blanched vegetables, hard cooked eggs and white fish with it (of course, you can what whatever else you like with it as well and I often do!). Here's the recipe I use (from the book, Savoring Provence):

3 egg yolks
3 - 6 garlic cloves
salt & white pepper to taste
dijon mustard to taste
fresh squeezed lemon juice and/or white wine vinegar to taste
1 to 1.25 cups of olive oil

I throw all the ingredients into the food processor EXCEPT for the olive oil. I process until good and pureed. Then while the machine is running I add the olive oil in a thin stream until completely completely incorporated. You can add more or less of what you like in the flavoring to adjust. It should be a nice thick mayonnaise when complete. It seems to develop the flavor when left in the fridge over night. It keeps about a week in there. It's also great for sandwiches.

Some folks may prefer to use a vegetable oil or a blend of olive oil and vegetable oil if they don't care too much for the taste of straight olive oil. Also, I read that the traditional way of making aioli is to prepare it in a stone mortar. There's a whole ritual aspect to it like making sure you turn the mortar only one way while compounding but often I don't have time, nor more importantly the desire, to make it this way. I have found that the modern food processor makes it just as well for my tastes.

This just one version of aioli out of many. It's a regional dish in France from what I read and there are many ways to prepare it with slight variations depending on what part of France the recipe comes from. It's great stuff and good for the soul if not for the breath!

Bon appetite!

Chris

A couple of weeks ago I was in a local Indian market looking for shave cream when I discovered a great condiment: ajvar. It is an Eastern European creation that is combination of roasted red peppers, roasted egg plant, garlic and other spices. Man, that is some great stuff. It can be made mild to spicy and has definitely earned a spot in the icebox.