hi friends, lovers + people probably related to me —
96 — i’ve been cooking & baking a lot lately. channeling really everything into something tangible, yet ephemeral. something you can hold, that you can consume, that you can share. doing it so much that i can’t remember what it feels like not to. have i put away my laundry, no. have i made arancini, dumplings, dream bars, mac & cheese, roast chickys, tortilla chips, a variety of dips, salads & cookies? yes.
three words & i’m yours
what do my house & the fast casual chain restaurant of your choosing have in common? they both probably have spinach artichoke dip. creamy, cheesy, full of vegetables & garlic. perfect for the super bowl, valentine’s day & also just because1
i like to serve this with lots of peppers, carrots, celery & tortilla chips to dip. but would also be good with pita chips & bread honestlyy
ingredients
artichokes (1 can)
cream cheese (1 block)
butter (half a stick of butter, hopefully it’s kerrygold)
a shit ton of garlic
red pepper flakes
spinach
parmesan
salt & pepper
steps
1st in a larger deep nonstick skillet (always pan is great for this) melt your butter, a grate like 5-6ish large cloves into it — stir around and add some red pep flakes till they start to sizzle a bit. drain & drop the artichokes in — stir them a bit to break them down into smaller pieces. add a lil salt & pepper. let these cook down till the look almost a lil jammy. while this going on shred some parmesan cheese like half a wedge or so.
2nd add a whole bag of spinach & wilt it down to practically nothing haha, a little more salt & pepper. once the spinach & artichokes have really melded with the garlic, butter, etc add in the cream cheese (i like to cut this into chubby lil slices so it melts easier) once it’s looking nice and creamy add in some parm and bit more pepper for sure. taste it, see if it needs anything else.
3rd scoop into an oven safe dish (i used a glass pyrex pie plate) and broil it till till the top is a lil brown & crispy and the edges are bubbling
4th burn your mouth & also maybe your hand trying to eat that first bite.
particularly good things i consumed recently
the pork chop on the restaurant week menu @ split rail, the crispy outside tasted like shake & bake and nostalgia
the annual galentine’s party — so much food, wine + good warm vibes ♥️
dollar oysters & glasses of wine w/ janel & kaitlyn on a sunny sunday afternoon @ noisette
my first popsicle — if you love food & feelings this anthology of essays is for you
chicago maybe babies — literally so wonderful & lovely to meet everyone — a great batch of strangers from the internet
these cool girl boots even though i already have two pairs of black ankle boots & this top to wear with overalls & v. high waisted pants
currently consuming
a quiet morning & cup of coffee after a v. fun/lovely/busy couple of dayz
as always,
mk
if you want to make it for just yourself or a few people the “measurements” are perfect. if you want to make it for 23 of your closest friends double the artichokes, cream cheese, butter & add a bit more spinach & seasoning (garlic, chili flake, pepper, etc.) cook to taste.
This dip must be heavenly. I can’t wait to try making it. Is it good reheated? Has Emily ever been lucky enough to indulge ?