Probably one of the most addictive dips out there – serve with bags of pretzels and watch people just go to town. Truly awesome.

I made these for a party this weekend and they were a total hit and gone before any other app.

I just love an aioli – I almost never can resist the temptation of fries with garlic aioli at an upscale restaurant. Although I have previously made aioli and mayonnaise by hand, I had never used a blender or processor! What a difference it makes – a laborious time consuming task takes just a few moments and ends with garlicky goodness.

I recommend trying this with freshly roasted fingerling potatoes.

Enjoy!

This is a fantastic dip – you can cheat and just add a jar of pesto to fresh goats cheese but this is so much more delicious and totally worth all the extra effort.

There is nothing like yummy chinese dumplings, unfortunately it is very hard to recreate them as good as a yum cha restaurant but these are pretty damn good!

Enjoy!

The university (which I have been employed for 31 years) department I work in (six of us) hosts a holiday open house every December (which I have made food for 25 years). We invite all university faculty and staff, our 30+ tutors and close to 300 students (these are students ONLY enrolled in our department). The six of us bake ALL the food; therefore, we’ve gotten older and WISER, finding easy recipes! This is one I found this year that went over well!

This was once artichoke dip, but exposure to top secret toxic waste has mutated it into something horrible, terrifying… and delicious!

Gingersnaps and mushrooms give these tender meatballs a special old-world flavor. This is an easy recipe to double and share with friends at a party. They can be frozen for a convenient meal at a latter time too if wanted.

This recipe is from a friend of mine, Bruce, who served this up at his Halloween Party the other week. It was a good party, and an even better dip. Helen should post pictures from the party soon, but until then give this a try.

Chai is an experience rather than a food or a drink. The Indians, from India, drink gallons of it and cannot start the day without it. A wonderful aroma pervades the kitchen whilst it is being prepared and to partake of it is just an assailing of the senses.

This is a wonderful, before dinner dip. It consists of nuts and herbs and is ultra healthy. Serve with warm bread, dip bread in olive oil and then into the dukka.

Learned how to make this little twist on a classic salsa in a Mexican Class the other day. Roasting the peppers adds a sweetness to counteract the tang of the tomatillos, and the mint adds a lovely accent.

Hint – if you’re going to store this overnight, keep the onions separate and mix them in upon serving. Don’t want the onions to take over.

This is my favourite way to have mashed potato. And, before you all start wrinkling your nose over the anchovies this recipe has been tested by staunch anti-anchovy activists and come up a winner.

These are really putzy but your belly will thank you.