A dip into the sweet and simple

cream — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 00:44:33 +0000

I was fourteen when I went to Italy. At the time, I could appreciate little more than gelato, cobblestone streets and glimpses of David’s naughty bits. My true romance with Italy did not fully hit until I started learning the language in university. So since then, I have longed to go back. As this longing has grown and my palate developed, I can now understand why I favour Italian cuisine so much: simplicity. And not in the sense that it’s not worth going out for because you can make the dishes at home. Good Italian food is not based around tasteless tomatoes, wilted basil, and mushy pasta… crimes often committed by both the professional and home cook. Good Italian food is the best ingredients combined simply to taste amazing.

Flipping through the pages of a Christmas present reminded me of this. The recipes in David Rocco’s Dolce Vita are all based on only a handful of ingredients. The sweet life is such because it’s not fussy. It’s bread dipped in olive oil, biscotti in vin santo. That’s amore.

When tasked with a dip for New Year’s Eve, I looked to David for inspiration. I tinkered a bit and was proud of the results. Creamy, cheesy, SIMPLE. Quite cozy on the snack table with the other treats and the midnight bubbly.

Happy New Year!

Ricotta Dip
1 454-g tub of ricotta cheese
Small log of goat cheese
3 cloves of garlic, minced (roasted is preferable)
Zest of one lemon
2 teaspoons of extra virgin olive oil
Salt and black pepper, to taste

Mix all ingredients well and smooth into serving dish or bowl. [Can be chilled in advance at this stage.]
Before serving, drizzle with more olive oil and top with more s&p.

Cream and Sugardip | Cream and Sugar

A dip into the sweet and simple