Appetizing Muse

The June issue of Bon Appétit Magazine has some interesting ideas for dips:

• Blue Cheese & Basil: Add crumbled blue cheese and chopped fresh basil to cottage cheese and puree in a food processor.

• Chickpea-Sesame: Puree drained canned chickpeas, oriental sesame oil, chopped garlic and fresh lemon juice in a food processor.

• Creamy Pesto: Whip together mascarpone cheese, pesto and a bit of dry vermouth; season with white pepper.

• Cucumber & Green Onion: Stir grated cucumber, chopped green onions and dill into sour cream.

• Red Pepper-Cumin: In a food processor, mix grated sharp cheddar cheese, jarred red peppers and mayonnaise until smooth. Add cumin seeds.

• Sun-Dried Tomato & Anchovy: Add chopped sun-dried tomatoes and chopped anchovy fillets to cream cheese. Moisten with a bit of milk.

I could do without the last dip - I'm not a big fan of anchovies.

However, one of my favorite dips is a bit I throw together with sour cream, two cans of drained clams, lemon juice, salt and a healthy dose of black pepper. See Shenanchie's Clam Dip recipe.