Dip

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The Mexican mash came from a shiva call! Aunt Lee was paying a condolence call on a friend when in Chicago and someone had made the dish. She asked for the recipe and I stole it from her. Now it's going to the Super Bowl!

My mother's neighbor Beth Yaffe serves this dip often at parties and barbecues. It's always the first thing to go!

Surround the dip with carrots sticks, cauliflower, fennel, yellow squash and zucchini slices for a colorful presentation. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This was inspired by a similar dish served at the now defunct China Moon restaurant in San Francisco. Serve the salsa with a bowl of Parmesan Pita Crisps.

Start making this dip one day before you plan to serve it, since the yogurt has to drain and thicken overnight. A piece of cheesecloth is needed for the first step of the recipe.

This works equally well with raw vegetables or chips — or as a sauce for cold poached salmon or shrimp.

For a more colorful presentation of this down-home dip, we reserved some bacon, bell pepper, scallions, and basil for garnish. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Bacalao (salt cod) has been popular in Spain for centuries, especially among the Basques (they brought it back from whaling voyages to northern Europe) and the Catalans (the southern French shared it with them). Although Spain is surrounded by water, in days gone by fresh fish never made it to the interior and sometimes wasn't available - or any good - on the coasts. So, in this strict Catholic country where meat and poultry were not allowed on Fridays, or during Lent, Bacalao became an integral part of the staple diet. Bradade - salt cod pureed with potatoes, olive oil and sometimes milk - is a specialty of France's Provence area that has made its way into the Catalan culinary repertoire as Brandada. If you've never tried salt cod, this is a good initiation. Start soaking the dried fish a day ahead.

In this modified version of the Middle Eastern garbanzo bean dip, yogurt is used to replace some of the high-fat tahini (sesame seed paste). The dip is great with fresh vegetables or toasted pita bread wedges. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

If fresh figs are difficult to find, a delicious alternative would be toasts or crackers spread with preserves-fig or peach, for example. If opting for preserves, use only half the honey called for in the goat cheese mixture. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Lovers of hummus will appreciate this reduced-fat version. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Hummus, a dip/spread traditional in many Middle Eastern countries, is usually made with chick-peas (garbanzo beans), but we use white beans for a change of pace. It is delicious with steamed potatoes and artichokes as well as blanched broccoli, cauliflower and green beans.

This recipe was created to accompany Sauteed Sea Bass.