In addition to awesome food, I get to spend the evening with great friends. It's nice to have a night to laugh, chat about what's on TV, and just catch up on life. Who knows? Maybe Jamie is right--maybe ten years from now we'll still be meeting once a month on Thursday nights. Maybe I'll be talking about who Isabelle is going to the prom with, and Amy and Sarah will be telling us where their oldest kids are applying to go to college. Maybe Liz and Jamie will have 5 or 6 kids each, and we'll have new things to laugh about. There will be new TV shows to talk about, and new reasons to rally around each other for support. I am so happy to have such incredible women as friends.
By the time we had eaten enough for at least a small army and gone through 2 liters of Diet Coke, Ava had fallen asleep in the front room under the chair. Too darn cute for words. Good thing I had my camera!
Here's the recipe for the Spinach Artichoke Dip from California Pizza Kitchen. It's the real deal, and consider yourself warned--it makes a lot!CPK Spinach Artichoke Dip
A vast majority of CPK employees list this dip as their own and their customers' favorite appetizer. If you like, try serving it with wedges of fresh-baked focaccia in place of the tortilla chips.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
· 1/4 cup olive oil
· 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
· 3/4 cup diced white or yellow onion, cut into 1/8-inch dice
· 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
· 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
· 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (preferable homemade)
· 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
· 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
· 2 tablespoons dehydrated chicken stock base or crumbled bouillon cubes
· 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
· 1 teaspoon sugar
· 3/4 cup sour cream
· 12 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted, drained, wrung out by hand, and coarsely chopped
· 6 ounces canned artichoke bottoms, drained and cut into 1/8-inch slices
· 1 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese
· 3/4 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
· Blue and white corn tortilla chips
1. In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil and butter together over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently and stopping before the onion and garlic brown.
2. Sprinkle the flour and continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the mixture turns a golden-blond color, 10 to 15 minutes. Then, whisking continuously, slowly pour in the stock until it is smoothly incorporated. When the mixture begins to simmer, stir in the cream. Let it return to the simmer. Remove from the heat, add the parmesan, chicken base or bouillon cubes, lemon juice, and sugar, and stir until thoroughly blended.
3. Add the sour cream, spinach, artichoke bottoms, Monterey Jack cheese and Tabasco sauce, and stir until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the cheese has melted. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately, accompanied by blue and white corn tortilla chips.
A vast majority of CPK employees list this dip as their own and their customers' favorite appetizer. If you like, try serving it with wedges of fresh-baked focaccia in place of the tortilla chips.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
· 1/4 cup olive oil
· 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
· 3/4 cup diced white or yellow onion, cut into 1/8-inch dice
· 1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
· 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
· 1 1/2 cups chicken stock (preferable homemade)
· 1 1/2 cups heavy cream
· 3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
· 2 tablespoons dehydrated chicken stock base or crumbled bouillon cubes
· 1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
· 1 teaspoon sugar
· 3/4 cup sour cream
· 12 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted, drained, wrung out by hand, and coarsely chopped
· 6 ounces canned artichoke bottoms, drained and cut into 1/8-inch slices
· 1 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese
· 3/4 teaspoon Tabasco Sauce
· Blue and white corn tortilla chips
1. In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil and butter together over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently and stopping before the onion and garlic brown.
2. Sprinkle the flour and continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the mixture turns a golden-blond color, 10 to 15 minutes. Then, whisking continuously, slowly pour in the stock until it is smoothly incorporated. When the mixture begins to simmer, stir in the cream. Let it return to the simmer. Remove from the heat, add the parmesan, chicken base or bouillon cubes, lemon juice, and sugar, and stir until thoroughly blended.
3. Add the sour cream, spinach, artichoke bottoms, Monterey Jack cheese and Tabasco sauce, and stir until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the cheese has melted. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately, accompanied by blue and white corn tortilla chips.
Enjoy!
3 comments:
Make me cry why don't you... I don't know about the 5 or 6 kids (maybe that would work for Liz), but I sure do hope the rest of what you said is true! What a beautiful thought!
isn't that the truth. i love dinner club - it is always such a fun night. i hope what you said comes true too! with the exception of the 5 kids thing :)
Come on, 5 kids isn't that many...
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