Fridays Sip and Dip - The Big Apple and Sun-Dried Tomato Dip I’ll admit it right from the get go – I love estate sales, and more importantly the cookbooks that people have collected over the years. Some sales I hit gold, others nothing, but the hunt is always the best part of any sale. A few weekends ago I hit payday when I found an early printing of the Escoffier Cookbook. That weekend was special it was cold enough for a fire in the fireplace and I read the book from cover to cover with a hot toddy in hand. So the question I keep getting at home is “Why do you need so many cookbooks”? – The answer is simple “Because they’re out there and I want to sample everything”. From time to time I find a recipe book on cocktails and this week’s cocktail comes from an old out of print Benson & Hedges 100’s book. It was printed in 1979, how dated is that? The cocktail is from The Cricket Club in North Miami, Florida – The Big Apple. Ingredients: 1 ounce vodka ½ ounce amaretto liqueur 4 ounces apple juice, chilled Club soda 1 apple wedge Directions: Pour all ingredients, except the club soda and the apple wedge, over ice cubes in a tall Collins glass. Stir well. Top with club soda, garnish with apple wedge. I have a long list of favorite dips, and this one is definitely one of the best for rotating and serving at various parties. The flavor of sun-dried tomatoes is rich and exciting, however, the tomatoes can be substituted with minced mushrooms, smoked oysters, black olives or pickled asparagus tips. Once the base is made the combinations are endless. Sun-Dried Tomato Dip Ingredients: 8 ounces cream cheese, at room temperature ½ cup mayonnaise ½ cup sour cream ½ cup sun-dried tomatoes in oil, roughly chopped (about 8 tomatoes) 1 teaspoon kosher salt ¾ teaspoon black pepper 10 dashes tabasco sauce 3 garlic cloves 2 green onions (white and green parts), thinly sliced Directions: Place cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, sun-dried tomatoes, salt, pepper, hot sauce and garlic in the bowl of a food processor. Puree until smooth, about 20 – 30 seconds, stopping once to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Add the green onions and pulse twice to evenly distribute them. Serve with your favorite crackers, carrots or pretzels. The dip can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Remove and let sit at room temperature for 30 minutes before serving. Enjoy, Cathy
Posted on: Fri, 19 Dec 2014 21:00:01 +0000
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