Retro Recipes and Traditional Fare

It's Not a Holiday Unless There's Dip

This weekend in the United States we celebrate Labor Day. A holiday that originated in the 1880's to give the working citizens of America a day of rest.

I think for Americans it is a more significant celebration of the end of summer.

It's not Labor Day (or any holiday) unless I have some type of "dip". It doesn't matter what kind, just as long as it exists in some shape or form in my kitchen.

Yesterday I was having a terrible salt craving so I opted for something with capers to satisfy the urge. I make this Lemon-Caper Dip in two versions, low-fat and full-of-fat. Of course my husband prefers the full-of-fat version but it's easy to make either way and is only a matter of switching out one of the ingredients.

I made the lower-fat version this time using yogurt but for the full-of-fat version just substitute mayonnaise for the yogurt, it's really good that way too.

Crunchy-skinny-sexy Waldorf

As I was making my Shepherd's pie for our book club supper last night, I started to nibble thoughtfully on a celery stick and realized with quite an epiphany what a maligned and ignored vegetable the poor celery is. All due credit to Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall who said, famously, "Celery is a bit like a gym membership." The crunch is the thing, isn't it? It's the minxy little crunch that gets you every time.

Which led (as it does, stay with me here) to my driving home this morning down the CA 170 (my very favorite freeway) absolutely ravenous after schooling three horses and wondering what could prevent me from stopping at a fast food drive-thru. Cut to twenty minutes later and a plate adorned with a skinny version of a Waldorf salad sits in front of me, proud as can be. Easy and inadvertently calorie-conscious (as I couldn't find any mayo in the bloody fridge). Here's how you make this excruciatingly simple, scrumptious, crunchy lunch:

Retro Recipes and Traditional Fare