My Citizens, it would seem at first glance that we are interrupting the week of “Divine Swine” whole hog recipes – but not so, if you look a bit deeper and think along the warped punning mind of the equally Divine TFD! After all, what is the nickname for a football but a “pigskin”? 😉
With that said, we continue honoring the upcoming Chinese New Year of the Earth Pig in our own unique way!
Dips have been made for thousands of years. One of the earliest dips to become popular long before chips ever came into existence is the Greek tzatziki, a combination of yogurt, cucumbers, garlic, salt and olive oil. Greeks still eat tzatziki with meats and bread, but since the invention of the potato chip in the mid-19th century, it and many variations of it have also become popular chip dips. Guacamole, yet another iconic chip dip, that was first made by the Aztecs.
The potato chip itself is believed to have been invented in 1853 by a cook named George Crum whose potato wedges were repeatedly sent back to the kitchen by an unsatisfied customer who claimed they were too thick. Crum eventually became irritated and decided to serve the man potato slices so thin he could see through them fried to a crisp, topped with a rather excessive amount of salt. Surprisingly, the customer absolutely loved them, and chips were born. At first, chips were made only in restaurants, but by the 20th they began to be mass-produced.
As noted on the excellent blog thechoppingblock.com, where the ancient history and etymology of the word ‘dip’ is explained:
Date of Origin Old English [OE]
Like deep, dip comes ultimately from a Germanic base *d(e)up- ‘deep, hollow’. The derived verb, *dupjan, produced Old English dyppan, ancestor of modern English dip. It originally meant quite specifically ‘immerse’ in Old English, sometimes with reference to baptism; the sense ‘incline downwards’ is a 17th-century development.
French Onion as a flavor emerged in the 17th century. Sour cream was invented in the U.S. between 1815 – 1825. Somewhere around there, the first dip as we know it must have come into being. No one has laid claim to that distinction, but if we were around then, we surely would have!
Many cuisine-related sources claim that hummus is one of the oldest known prepared foods in the Middle East. Some say it was made in the 18th-century Damascus while others claimed that it was first prepared in the 12th century by Saladin. Hummus is a dip made from chickpeas and is mixed with garlic, vinegar and sometimes lemon juice. The Egyptians ate chickpeas, so maybe even Moses ate “dip”!
- The potato chip was first invented in 1853.
- Dips for chips first become popular in the 1950s serving as finger food.
- Choices of chips to go with tips can be tortilla chips, potato chips, or pretzels.
- It takes 10,000 pounds of potatoes to make 3,500 pounds of potato chips.
Few things excite the soul of the sports fan more than the Super Bowl – even if you’re not a fan, the commercials alone justify watching this epic battle (even if the Saints were robbed of their rightful place in the football firmament this year).
What could be a more enjoyable way to watch the ultimate game than with the ULTIMATE party dip?
As is becoming traditional for Super Bowl Sunday, therefore and herein BEHOLD in ecstasy my latest dip recipe – a way to recreate the classic flavors of packaged dip mix but made fresh.
What is lacking are the ludicrous amounts of salt, MSG, anti-caking ingredients and mutagenic compounds that are part of the usual package of dip mix.
I don’t miss any of them – and this is one awesome way to enjoy the Super Bowl with friends and family!
I have every confidence you will LOVE this recipe, Citizen!
Battle on – The Generalissimo
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Hirshon Ultimate Onion Herb and Bacon Dip
- Total Time: 0 hours
Ingredients
- 3 medium onions, 2 unpeeled, 1 peeled
- 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil + extra
- 1 cup mayonnaise, TFD prefers Duke’s or Hellman’s/Best Foods brands
- 1 1/2 cups full fat sour cream, TFD prefers Daisy brand
- 1 tablespoon vinegar from a bottle of white horseradish (preferred) or white wine vinegar
- 2 scallions (white and green parts), minced
- 5 small garlic cloves, through the press
- 4 slices of bacon
- 1 small bunch dill, finely minced
- Seasoning salt to taste – TFD likes Jane’s Krazy Salt
- 1 teaspoon or more to taste of rubbed between the palms dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon or more to taste of rubbed between the palms dried summer savory
- Several turns of the peppermill
- 1–2 dashes Maggi seasoning
- 1–2 dashes hot pepper sauce
- Potato chips, for serving
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
- Rub unpeeled onions with a bit of the olive oil; roast until soft, about 45 minutes. Cool and peel.
- Cook bacon in skillet until done to your liking – I like 2 strips crisp and 2 soft. Remove bacon and reserve bacon fat in the pan.
- Finely dice the peeled raw onion. Heat the bacon fat skillet over medium-high heat; add remaining olive oil and heat until quite hot. Add diced onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until edges begin to brown, about 5 minutes.
- Turn to medium-low and cook until onion is golden brown, about 18 minutes. Scrape onion, oil, and juices into a sieve over a bowl. Drain onions and spread on a paper towel-lined plate. Cool the strained oil.
- Puree roasted onions and bacon in a food processor. Add mayonnaise, sour cream, vinegar, and salt; pulse until smooth. With the motor running, drizzle in ¼ cup of the flavored reserved oil. Transfer to a serving bowl. Stir in scallions, pepper, dried herbs, Maggi and hot sauce to taste. Refrigerate at least 3 hours. Scatter the fried onions over the top just before serving with potato chips.
- Prep Time: 0 hours
- Cook Time: 0 hours
Nutrition
- Calories: 964.23 kcal
- Sugar: 6.58 g
- Sodium: 644.17 mg
- Fat: 95.63 g
- Saturated Fat: 23.49 g
- Trans Fat: 0.05 g
- Carbohydrates: 21.23 g
- Fiber: 2.65 g
- Protein: 7.83 g
- Cholesterol: 86.51 mg
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