Make Those Dips, Get Out The Chips; It’s Super Bowl Time

Unbelievable as it may seem, fans of televised football did not invent dips. No matter how comforting the consumption ritual may be - dip in, crunch down, yell loudly - dips were not created just to soothe the savage viewer.

Millions of Americans apparently consider dips to be among the major food groups, part of nature’s bounty. However, these seductive blends of fat and flavoring have been popular in the United States for a mere four decades.

The Thomas J. Lipton Co. claims that California dip, a simple amalgam of sour cream and Lipton’s dried onion soup mix, single-handedly created a nation of devoted chippers and dippers in the mid-1950s.

The dip began to appear at parties throughout California, and the recipe was printed in local newspapers. When sales of potato chips, sour cream and the soup mix began to rise, Lipton took notice.

The original recipe combined a small amount of sour cream with a large amount of soup mix - “enough to blow your head off,” according to notes kept by Lipton’s testers.

The company reformulated the recipe, eventually settling on two cups of sour cream to one envelope of mix. By 1958 the recipe was printed on the back of every box of Lipton’s onion soup mix, where it remains.

Jane and Michael Stern, food writers who chronicle America’s eating habits, devoted an entire chapter to dry onion soup mix in “Square Meals” (Knopf), calling it “the cornerstone of the cuisine of suburbia.”

As connoisseurs of California dip, they discussed two styles of preparation: mixing it an hour before serving for a softened onion effect, or what they called “the punkier approach” in which the ingredients are combined right before serving, producing sour cream “streaked with veins of zest, little nuggets radiating a raunchy salt sting.”

In the past 20 years, dips from many cultures - from hummus to baba ghannouj to Asian dipping sauces - have been incorporated into the American diet.

One woman who entertains crowds on little money often whips up parties in which seven or eight bowls of vibrant dips of different colors are placed on a long table. Interspersed among the bowls are baskets of breads and raw and blanched vegetables.

She leads her guests to the table in a triumphant march and, in a gesture worthy of Moses pointing to the Promised Land, flings her arms out wide and says - really - “Do dip in.”

Round loaves of crusty bread and heads of red and green cabbage can be used as dip bowls. Cut a large horizontal slice off the top; using a sharp knife, hollow out the inside by cutting out pieces in sections. Leave a thick shell. Fill with dip right before serving.

Cream cheese, Neufchatel, goat cheese, feta cheese, cottage cheese, ricotta, yogurt and sour cream can be used as the base for an infinite number of dips.

Put softened cheese in a blender or food processor, thin with a little milk and then mix with salsa, chili sauce, roasted garlic, hot pepper sauce, horseradish, roasted red peppers, mustard, ketchup, fresh herbs or any other flavoring.

For dippers, consider the following: crackers, toast, breadsticks, matzo, bagel chips, tortilla chips, pretzel rods, cooked shrimp, cherry tomatoes, carrot sticks, celery stalks, blanched cauliflower and broccoli florets, radishes, slices of turnip, cucumber or jicama or cooked artichoke leaves.

Health Dip

2 cups low-fat or nonfat cottage cheese

1 carrot, peeled and sliced in rounds

2 tablespoons chopped scallions

1/2 cup parsley leaves

1 to 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar or rice wine vinegar

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

In a blender or food processor, combine cottage cheese, carrot, scallions, parsley, and 1 tablespoon vinegar. Blend until smooth. Adjust seasoning with pepper and the additional tablespoon of vinegar, if desired.

Dip may be made and refrigerated, covered, up to a day in advance. Serve with raw vegetables.

Yield: 10 servings

Nutrition information per serving: 35 calories, no fat (using nonfat cottage cheese), 2 milligrams cholesterol, 190 milligrams sodium, 6 grams protein, 2 grams carbohydrate.

White Bean and Herb Dip

1 can (16 ounces) cannellini beans or small white beans, or 1-3/4 cups cooked white beans

Finely grated rind of one lemon

2 to 3 tablespoons lemon juice

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1/4 teaspoon fine sea salt

Freshly ground black pepper to taste

2 to 3 tablespoons water

1/4 cup fresh minced herbs such as parsley, basil or oregano

If using canned beans, drain and rinse in cool water.

Combine all ingredients except water and herbs in a blender or food processor until smooth. With motor running, gradually add water until a smooth, light consistency is reached.

Dip can be made a day in advance, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature and stir in the herbs right before serving.

Yield: 8 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 55 calories, 2 grams fat (33 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 160 milligrams sodium, 2 grams protein, 7 grams carbohydrate.

Sweet Potato Butter

2 garlic cloves

2 sweet potatoes

2 medium carrots

1/2 to 3/4 cup vegetable broth

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

2 tablespoons chopped parsley or 2 tablespoons chopped cilantro, optional

Put unpeeled garlic cloves on aluminum foil and bake in a 350-degree oven or toaster oven for about 10 minutes, until soft.

Microwave or boil unpeeled potatoes until done.

Peel carrots, cut into large chunks and microwave or boil until soft.

Drain carrots, peel potatoes and put both in a food processor. Squeeze in the baked garlic. Add 1/2 cup broth and blend. With motor running, add oil and keep blending, adding more broth until puree is fairly smooth and full. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Dip can be made up to a day in advance, covered and refrigerated. Bring to room temperature for serving and stir in the optional herbs right before serving.

Yield: 6 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 75 calories, 2 grams fat (25 percent fat calories), no cholesterol, 20 milligrams sodium (before optional salting), 1 gram protein, 13 grams carbohydrate.

Yogurt and Dill Dip

1 cup low-fat yogurt

1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil

2 tablespoons minced fresh dill

Combine ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until smooth.

Yield: 4 servings.

Nutrition information per serving: 65 calories, 4 grams fat (55 percent fat calories), 4 milligrams cholesterol, 40 milligrams sodium, 3 grams protein, 4 grams carbohydrate.