Dips - Dressings

Nippy, sweet, hot, tart ….this is oh-so-wicked good.
Serve with biscuits, chicken dishes, and naan and tandoori and curry specialties or spread on croissants. You can use semi-drained canned mango.

A nice cracker spread or vegetable dip.

No raw eggs nor anchovies in this spectacular Caesar salad. This is the definitive Caesar salad these days: creamy, easy, packed with garlic and fresh lemon, imported Parmesan cheese and some hot sauce for extra zest. This is a repertoire recipe of mine and I first made it for a restaurant I worked in. The regular chef fled in a disagreement one day, before the lunch trade started to arrive. Panic! They called on the pastry chef (me), pleaded for a quick Caesar dressing to soothe the lunch beasts. I decided I quickly had to make something flavorful but also a dressing that while not greasy, stayed together and coated the greens. The croutons: oven-baked chunks of fresh sourdough bread, were a cinch (Baker's always have extra bread around and a hot oven). You will make it at least once a week, get raves, and become a legend. The oven roasted croutons are addictive on their own. If you liked a pronounced anchovy taste (minus the anchovies) use the larger amount of Worcestershire. If you like less, use the lesser amount. I used to make 40 quarts of this dressing 4 times a week at the restaurant. These days, I make more modest amounts; I also rely in already peeled garlic I find at several supermarkets. A mortar and pestle does the mashing garlic part just fine.

(Part of a series on "commercial foods")The original is terrific, but in a pinch, this will work well.

This vinaigrette is similar to the one used in Japanese steak restaurants.

Two synergistic flavors - lox and olives in one handy spread. Serve on black bread, or bagel sandwiches with sliced tomato and Bermuda onion.

This spread uses a lot of tricks: natural liquid smoke for an instant BBQ taste and the microwave to speed along cooking. In BBQ weather, omit the liquid smoke and grill eggplant until softened.

This is compote for spreading on pound cake or when you want a few sweet spoonfuls of a sweet chaser to finish a meal. This is one of those recipes that should be a side dish but ends up being the legend that made the meal it was made for. It is deep wine red in color, courtesy of the cherries and Italian plums, sweet and tart and utterly sublime. Yes, of course it goes on ice-cream. Or anoint it with some crème anglaise. It calls for orange juice but if you had cherry brandy around that would do nicely too.