What is salad, Part 2: What is dip?The promise of dip for dinner is, often, the promise of no cooking at all. And when it's hot out, I haven't slept enough, I'm in a rush or some lethal combination of all three, I want that promise kept. Short of cracking open a container of store-bought hummus, perhaps the most minimal-effort dip you could dig into is Ali Slagle's latest, this fresh tomato and yogurt dip (above). Imagine if the creamy, tangy satisfaction of a fresh caprese salad linked up with the subtle garlicky bite and sweet acidity of pan con tomate. That's the dream realized by Ali's two-step recipe: Grate the season's best tomato over a shallow pool of yogurt, season everything with salt and pepper and then scoop it all up with toasted, garlic-rubbed bread. I know what you're thinking: Is toasting bread "cooking?" A very scientific survey of experts (I asked the four New York Times Cooking colleagues sitting near me) says no. Fresh Tomato and Yogurt DipWhile I'm quite content to sit down to a meal of no-cook dip and any assortment of dip vehicles, I know we cannot always eat this way. This isn't my first dinner-dip rodeo. The heat eventually breaks. A good night's rest miraculously befalls us. Life slows down, and we feel, dare I say, a little bored. But the hankering for dip for dinner persists. That's when I like to prepare something that challenges my beliefs about both dips and dinners. Ali's cheesy green chile bean bake is one of those recipes. Packed with canned pinto beans, chopped poblanos, salsa verde and cilantro and showered with Monterey Jack cheese, it's hearty, sitting pretty at the vegetarian intersection of enchiladas verdes and chile con queso. But I'm going to eat it with tortilla chips, so now what? Hetty Lui McKinnon's new tzatziki chickpea salad evokes another conundrum: If dip behaves as dressing, where does dip end and salad begin? Something to consider as you season yogurt to toss with cucumbers, chickpeas, dill, mint and scallions. And I'm just going to come out and say it. If I'm scooping up shakshuka or eggs in purgatory with toast? That's dip. Melissa Clark's skillet eggs with garam masala and tomatoes is not just dip for dinner — it's dip for breakfast on a Sunday morning. But perhaps you find yourself somewhere in between a no-cook dip and a warm is-it-dip skillet meal. For that, I recommend Ham El-Waylly's cherry tomato labneh dip, simple, summery and luscious. You'll simmer the tomatoes — along with a little garlic, thyme and oregano — in olive oil for a minute on the stove before popping the pot into the oven for 30 minutes. Spoon the results over cool labneh, letting some residual oil pool around it. "I made this tonight with no modifications and it was absolutely delicious with toasted pita on the side," wrote Amy, a reader, in the recipe's comment section. "Super easy, loads of flavor, and the leftover oil will be fantastic in a dressing later this week." Happy dipping.
Cheesy Green Chile Bean Bake
Tzatziki Chickpea Salad
Skillet Eggs With Garam Masala and Tomatoes
Cherry Tomato Labneh DipOne More Thing!I'd like to draw your attention to some handy news you can use from the pages of the Food section this week. Here's the best way to save money when cooking for one. Here are five tips for making a school lunch your kid will actually want to eat. And for those in New York or visiting soon, here's a restaurant with exceptional regional Indian food — the vegetarian options are some of the best dishes on the menu — courtesy of Priya Krishna's first review as an interim restaurant critic for The New York Times. Thanks for reading, and see you next week! Email us at theveggie@nytimes.com. Newsletters will be archived here. Reach out to my colleagues at cookingcare@nytimes.com if you have questions about your account.
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Thursday, August 22, 2024
The Veggie: A deep dive on dip for dinner
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