I dip, you dip, we dip...

A chart for making dips!

Hi!

I’ve got a new chart for you today all about dips. Because dips are (a) fun (b) easy and (c) always welcome.

The basic formula for any great dip is combining something creamy + a little acid to cut through that creaminess + a strong flavor or two to season the creamy thing.

The creamy thing can of course be some wonderful dairy product like sour cream or cream cheese, but it could also be a cooked and smushed vegetable, like a whole roasted eggplant that gets wonderfully soft inside. Or it could be a handful of cashews pureed with hot water in a blender. Acid can be a little vinegar or lemon, really anything in that department. And flavorful seasonings can range from a pinch of salt to fresh herbs, ground spices, and pastes like miso or harissa.

See below for some ideas and remember that every dip is great with a potato chip, but really anything crunchy and/or carby will do the trick. The chart has ideas!

Some more specific notes for these ^ dips:

• For Sour Cream + Onion Dip: for about 2 cups of dip, finely chop a large onion (any color) and sauté over medium heat in a little olive oil until dark brown (you can also roast or air-fry the onions!). Be patient with this process!! It will take about half an hour and that time allows so much great flavor to develop. Let the onion mixture cool, then stir it into about 1 1/2 cups sour cream. Add a bunch of fresh chopped chives and season with lots of salt. If you want a bit more bite, add a minced raw garlic clove and/or a little hot sauce.

• For Whipped Feta Dip: Place 1 cup of crumbled feta in a food processor with 1/4 cup plain yogurt (Greek is great, or just regular yogurt….full-fat please!) and let the machine run until the cheese is smooth and whipped (stop now and then to scrape down the sides with a rubber spatula). Season with a splash of red wine vinegar, salt, and lots of freshly chopped dill.

• For Everything Bagel Dip: bring a block of cream cheese to room temperature (wayyyyy easier to mix that way) and either whisk in a little milk or whip the cream cheese with a little milk in a food processor (about 1/4 cup milk to 8 ounces cream cheese is a nice ratio — but do whatever amount you like). Season with a squeeze of lemon and lots of everything bagel seasoning. If your bagel seasoning doesn’t have salt (most do), add some salt, too!

• For PAID SUBSCRIBERS! My complete recipes for Smoky Eggplant Dip and Cashew-Miso Dip are at the bottom of this newsletter!

My upcoming class this Sunday is going to be a really fun BRUNCH CLASS! All vegetarian, super colorful + flavorful. We will be making:

• Mimosas

• Morning Glory Muffins

• Scrambled Eggs with Spinach, Feta + Dill

• Roasted Sweet Potatoes with Chimichurri

»»»» ALL INFO + SIGNUP HERE! ««««

Okay, that’s it for this week! Happy dipping!

xooxoxox Julia

For PAID SUBSCRIBERS! Here are my complete recipes for Smoky Eggplant Dip and Cashew-Miso Dip!