dips

There's something I need to get off my chest: I use canned crabmeat when making crab dip. If I'm going to dilute the flavor of the crab with cheese, herbs, and mayonnaise, why not use the canned variation?

My favorite canned crab is the kind they sell in the refrigerator section of Costco. It's fresh and full of meaty chunks of crab perfect for crab dip. Although I love a hot, bubbling crab dip, when tailgating, it's easier to serve cold crab dip. This recipe from Tyler Florence pairs the chilled crab dip with herbed saltines and roasted tomatoes. Having tried these elements, let me tell you a secret: they're unnecessary! The dip is simply sublime on its own.

No fussy saltines or cherry tomatoes necessary. Seriously, my guests agreed, the creamy, tangy dip is so scrumptious by itself, you'll want to eat it with a spoon. Get the easy preparation method, after the break.

I'm trying not to be sad, but with the arrival of Labor Day comes the inevitable end of Summer. To keep my spirits up, I'm crafting the ultimate Labor Day party menu. It's full of Summer's best ingredients. To start, I recommend a surf-inspired decadent and gooey seafood dip. For the main course, burgers, specifically double cheeseburgers seasoned with smoky cheddar, fruity chutney, and peppery arugula. On the side? Classic sour cream potato salad that's full of green onions and crisp bacon and a fun take on the regular caprese salad: roasted tomato and mozzarella "burgers." Doesn't this sound like an amazing meal?! Get the recipes after the break.

I'm a sucker for dips and not just any old dip, the hot, gooey kind that is loaded with awful amounts of mayonnaise and cheese. Although I don't indulge in this sort of richness all the time, there's plenty of occasions that call for a bubbly artichoke dip. Since I'm sure some of you feel the same way that I do about dip, I'm sharing my latest favorite artichoke recipe. It's got all the classic ingredients: frozen artichokes, the aforementioned mayonnaise, and two types of cheese, parmesan and cheddar. Jalapeño, lemon zest, and a hearty does of Tabasco season the mixture. If you are in need of a really good and decadent dip, make this one! Here's the recipe.

Wondering what to make with a bounty of fresh eggplant? Take a tip from OnSugar blog Fresh Tart and put together a creamy and delicious eggplant caviar dip.

My family is more than a little obsessed with the eggplant spread — or melitzanosalata — at It's Greek to Me.  The creamy eggplant is perfectly balanced with lemon, garlic, fresh herbs, and salt.  Nathan and I could sit down with just that, and a mountain of pillowy, hot-off-the-griddle pita bread, and stuff ourselves like fat little dolmades.

Yeah.

Needless to say, when I saw a pile of gorgeous eggplants at the farmers market, I greedily snagged several, with eggplant spread fully on my mind.  I used this David Lebovitz eggplant caviar recipe, because 1) David Lebovitz recipes are always fantastic, and 2) I loved the idea of the seared, blackened eggplant skins imparting a subtle smokiness to the spread.

Always go for the smoke, right?  Perhaps a rule to live by.

To see the recipe she uses for this scrumptious eggplant dish, read more.

I'm a huge fan of dips: I serve them at all my parties and am constantly searching for the best dip recipes. Although I've made classic onion dip a couple of times, I've been disappointed with the variations I've tried. None of them tasted better than the onion dip from a seasoning packet. I was just about to give up on homemade onion dip, until one day, while browsing Katie Lee's book, The Comfort Table, I stumbled upon her recipe. It seemed simple enough and since it would pair well with brie-stuffed burgers, I decided to make it. Good thing, because — finally — I've found a wonderful onion dip! It's thick and creamy with a rich caramelized onion flavor. Lee recommends serving it with homemade potato chips, but I paired it with thick-cut Kettle Chips and it was absolutely delicious. Warning: it's an addictive dip; you might just eat it all! Here's her recipe.

While I've already found my favorite recipe for a bubbling hot and gooey spinach-artichoke dip, the search is on for the best room temperature spinach-artichoke dip. This dip could be it: my friends loved it and there was none left, so it's definitely a keeper!

The classic recipe combines marinated artichoke hearts with frozen spinach and cream cheese. White wine makes it a little gourmet, parmesan cheese enriches the flavor, and a healthy shake of Tabasco adds heat. To test this dip out for yourself get the recipe — it would be wonderful served at a Memorial Day barbecue! — after the jump.

One of our favorite guilty pleasures here in Yum land is Velveeta — after all, I named my new car after it! — and we really, really love it in queso. But in this day and age, when food revolutions, Alice Waters, and CSAs reign supreme, I decided it was high time to try a queso made from real cheese.

This Tex-Mex staple is beloved for a consistently smooth texture that I imagined would be impossible to re-create using unprocessed cheese. That is, until I discovered a version from Lone Star darling Homesick Texan that's just as addictive. The key to the recipe is patience; add more cheese only once the previous batch has fully integrated. Serve the all natural recipe on Cinco de Mayo when you keep on reading.

I'm crazy about dips, and when I spent the holidays in Costa Rica, I fell in love with a black bean dip called frijoles molidos. While this specialty is served at many places, my favorite version was in Tamarindo at Eat @ Joe's. Basically frijoles molidos are refried black beans that are pureed and seasoned with cheese, then served hot with tortilla chips.

If you love black beans, you'll love this dip. It's creamy, rich, and insanely addictive. You could use canned black beans, but taking the time to soak and cook dried beans really does make a difference in flavor. The chef at Eat @ Joe's told me the dip is made with two kinds of Costa Rican cheese, but I found a combination of pepper jack and Monterey jack works perfectly.

This dip makes a delicious start to a Central American feast and it would be a wonderful addition to a March madness spread. For the recipe, read more