Artichoke Dip

Christmas is always over much too fast for me. Days and weeks of preparation and buildup, then whooosh! suddenly everyone seems to be in a headlong rush of after-Christmas sales and getting ready for New Year's Eve. The Christmas moment itself is all too fleeting.

Our usual celebration of Christmas is on Christmas Eve which is my favorite part of Christmas. Perhaps it's because Christmas still lies ahead and Christmas Eve is all  anticipation. The world -- my world, I guess -- really does seem to slip into a shimmery, golden cocoon on Christmas Eve. The tree is lit, the house is filled with voices, and outside the light goes from wintery twilight to darkness. My brother-in-law Josh makes martinis, my nieces and nephew exchange presents, my mother flames brandy over the plum pudding. The everyday world seems to fall away and for the space of about twelve hours the world seems like a different place. I suppose it's my imagination but when I walk outside late on Christmas Eve I always notice the stillness; everything seems quieter and more peaceful than at any other time of the year.

Our Christmas routine has evolved into something that doesn't involve a lot of cooking. My extended family gets together on Christmas Eve and I serve a buffet of smoked salmon, smoked trout, smoked bluefish, and a sushi platter -- all of which are more about purchasing then preparing. In addition I usually serve mussels, sometimes shrimp and some other finger foods. I always have too much food because part of my Christmas Eve ritual is to panic about 24 hours before hand -- ohmygod, there won't be enough food! -- and then add yet another thing or two or ten to the menu.

Our Christmas day is pretty relaxed. Mike and I usually spend Christmas day eating leftovers -- smoked salmon is my now traditional Christmas breakfast -- although Mike likes to make English muffins with melted Stilton cheese for his breakfast. Sometimes we got to someone else's house, sometimes we don't but we don't do a big Christmas meal ourselves.

This year when I had my ohmygod-there-won't-be-enough-food moment I remembered seeing a recipe for artichoke and spinach dip on Cottage Living's site which I found after reading this post.  Because my family is as artichoke-crazed as I am (apparently there's a strong artichoke-love gene among us) I thought it would be the perfect thing. It was delicious and I even had leftovers the next morning along with my leftover smoked salmon. In the general hubbub of the evening I didn't get a picture of the dip and really it's not all that photogenic. But, hey, how about a picture of my mother and the plum pudding instead?

Artichoke and Spinach Dip

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 14-oz cans of artichoke hearts, drained and chopped

1 10-oz package of frozen spinach, cooked

1 cup freshly grated parmesan cheese

1 cup mayonnaise

1/2 cup breadcrumbs made from soft bread, crusts removed

1 to 2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

2 teaspoons prepared mustard (I substituted 1 teaspoon dry mustard)

1 to 2 tablespoons hot sauce

2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons chopped green onions (white and pale green parts only)

Salt to taste

Fresh ground pepper to taste

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees and butter a 1-quart ovenproof dish

2. Saute onions in olive oil over medium heat until they are soft and translucent.

3. In large bowl add onions to remaining ingredients and stir to combine thoroughly. Taste and add salt and pepper as needed.

4. Put mixture in buttered ovenproof dish and bake for 30 to 35 minutes until hot and bubbling at edges. Serve warm.

Notes: I didn't have green onions or hot sauce and I skipped the parsley because at that point I was running out of steam but it was still delicious.

And as always, no big gathering here is complete without a dogs-behaving-badly story.

Jack, the large and elderly dog with the bad hips and general problems getting around, seemed to be having even more problems than usual on Christmas Eve. He remained parked in one place for most of the evening and  when he stood up he needed to be helped to his feet.

Imagine my surprise then at the end of the evening when I discovered that a platter of smoked fish that had been cleared away to the kitchen table, and which only a few minute before I had carefully made sure was not close to the edge of the table where Jack could reach it, had been pulled off the table by Jack who'd not only managed to get up on his feet, but up on his hind legs. It was upended over him, and over the floor. There were bits of smoked fish stuck to his fur, and he'd also doused himself with a mustard vinaigrette sauce that had been on the tray.  Nothing says Christmas like a big, sticky dog smelling of smoked fish and vinegar.

I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas. Happy holidays!

Comments

[rachel]

I love spinach and artichoke dip! And all that smoked salmon sounds yummy. I wish we did that at Christmas.

[aria]

i positively lust after artichoke and spinache dip but never thought to make it. its one of those thing i order all the time out. this sounds delish, i have to try it!

[Kristen]

I love the picture of your dog sacked out in front of the tree. That's exactly what I feel like doing during the holidays!

[anna maria]

I loved your Christmas post, and then your bad dog story made me burst out laughing, and made me remember something that happened last week.
My big old Shepherd was just standing around by the kitchen table, minding her own business, when a glass of red wine was accidentally knocked off the table, and landed on her, drenching her back. Then what happened? She shook herself vigorously, of course, sending drops of red wine all over the kitchen walls, floor, table and chairs.

[Cazza]

Your Christmas sounds just wonderful. As it should be. Complete with dog(s)!!

I am looking forward to all the yummy posts of 2007.

Happy New Year ... and thanks for a wonderful, delicious 2006.

[kevin]

Julie,
That a great photograph of the living room -- it positively reeks of a quiet moment of Christmas comfort in the midst of the rush.

And I note you actually managed to capture the flames on the pudding -- well done!

[sherry]

I think I have that artichoke loving gene too. And I really love dip like this with mayo and parmesan cheese! Yowza! I bet that was good. Happy New year!!!! See ya next year!

[Terry B]

The dip sounds wonderful! I think the main purpose the missing parsley might have served would have been to calm the bite of raw onion. I buy a delicious, onion-laden tabbouleh at a local Greek market. Because it's also parsley-laden, you don't keep tasting onion afterwards.

The opening photograph is beautiful, by the way.

[the bee]

The dog ? That is good comedy fun.
We have not let my parents around open fire since 1982. It is too scary to think about. Sounds like you have the Christmas eve thing down. I had to work so my breakfast Christmas am was Panera bought the day before. Yummy !
Thanks for the yummy 2006 food.
We look forward to the coming year w/ knife and fork (placed correctly)at the ready !
Happy New Year from the bee and the whole bee family .

[the bee]

The bee again. I forgot to tell you that your home is just lovely.
The bee loves the Christmas drama so a story about the dog was very welcome. My sisters dogs would breathe on a respirator if that were an option but they come alive at Matt's mealtimes. He likes to spill food all over and the dogs are ready and waiting. They become Lassie ready to rescue Timmy from the well so alert are they. Then they go back to being the worlds laziest dogs. Judo, Winnie, time to go outside... yawn .......

[blue plate]

Nice picture. Your Christmas tree looks especially lovely shining on the side of the frame.

[lobstersquad]

Good for Jack, he´s a real hunter-gatherer dog. I managed to keep mine off the stuffed bird this time. Happy New Year!

[Tanna]

The picture of your mom is perfect, and wow you did get the flame! how cool is that.
Yep, I love all spinach and I love love Artichoke and Spinach Dip!
There is a wonderful quiet even with all the hulabaloo in Christmas and it is lovely.
I'm bummed - I can't seem to find any more fresh cranberries for an upside down. and I wanted to freeze some too.
Happy New Year.

[lindy]

All lovely, including the fishy dog.
My cousin Iris has proprietary rights for that dip in our family, she has been making it for all serious family gatherings since the beginning of time. (my time, anyway, since she is older.) I love it, and yet it has never occured to me that I might be allowed to make it too, as long as I don't infringe on her occasions. I think I'll do that, soon.
Happy New Year.

[ann]

uh-MAZING! what powers that dog of yours has! luckily it was warm enough Upstate for us to lock the hounds out on my mom's back porch so we had a completely drama-free christmas. I'm beginning to warm up to this whole global warming phenomenon. Happy a very Happy New Year Julie! I hope '07 is fantastic!

[FAIRFAX]

Great commentary. Those huge old houses in BH seem to come back to life at Christmas... Are your dogs Leonbergers?

Our old yellow lab somehow got ahold of a Smithfield ham delivered to the neighbours house. It was only when they came looking to see if it had been delivered to our house that we understood why our dog was guzzling gallons of water! Bad Nugget!

[Anne]

A (belated) Merry Christmas, Julie! And a Happy New Year, too.

That dip sounds delish. I had one similar at Houston's in Atlanta. D.Vive.

[bonnie]

Now bring us some figgy pudding,
Now bring us some figgy pudding,
Now bring us some figgy pudding,
and bring some right here!

Happy New Year, Julie!

[the bee]

We won't go until we get some is still my favorite line to that song.

[vasilisa]

What a smart dog :-) You have a pic?

Happy New Year!

And you're right, holidays go by way too fast. All that anticipation and then "poof!" and we are back on a regularly scheduled program...

[Julie]

Rachel, I rarely buy smoked salmon at any other time of the year so it really is an indulgence I associate with Christmas. A good way to mark the occasion.

aria, it is surprisingly simple. I made it again without the breadcrumbs or parsley (out of both) and it was still delicious.

Kristen, by the end of Christmas day, everyone is tired!

Anna Maria, funny! That's one way to make a red wine spill into a much, much larger cleanup job.

Cazza, thanks! Hope you had a wonderful (balmy!) Christmas down under.

Kevin, thanks. It looked like a quiet moment to me and that's what I was trying to capture. The flame on the pudding, though? Totally a lucky accident.

Sher, the artichoke-love gene seems to be a strong one. Of course, you are lucky enough to live (at least sort of) near Castroville, the artichoke capital of the world.

Terry, I think the parsley would have added a nice flavor note also but I had reached the point where I was just too tired to deal with washing and chopping parsley.

Bets, my dogs are good at adding comedy-drama to all sorts of things. Comedy-drama involving eating food he's not supposed to eat is Jack's specialty.

blue plate, thank you!

lobstersquad, Jack is the ultimate hunter gatherer dog, as long as his hunting can be done from table top, counter top, or perhaps a trash can.

Tanna, I heard from another friend that they were unahle to buy cranberries over Christmas. Something about a fungus, although it was unclear to me if this was just the store's supply or some larger problem. Either way, disappointing not to find cranberries!

Lindy, a cousin who always makes the dip for all family occasions is a pretty good thing, I think. Maybe I can get some member of my family started on this and my contribution can be just standing by the dip bowl and embarrassing myself with my lack of restraint.

Ann, that's a very sensible approach to dogs and holiday dinners.

Fairfax, my dogs are German shepherds but I just looked up Leonbergers and realized that that was the breed of dog one of my neighbors has. Good looking dogs. Very funny about your dog and the ham too.

Anne, thanks. Now that you mention it, I had a dip like that at Houstons also long, long ago. Good stuff.

Uh-oh, Bonnie and Bets, we better make sure you two never meet in real life! I can just see the two of you egging each other on.

Vasilisa, unfortunately I was too irritated to think of reaching for my camera. Also too busy cleaning Jack and the floor up. Would have made a great picture though.

[LeOgAhEr]

I Love you girls

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[Momloocadral]

Two blondes were going to Disneyland when they came to a fork in the road. The sign read: "Disneyland Left."
So they went home.