dear mother in law,

this one’s for you.

one of these days i am going to get around to posting about our wedding (and the great food) and our honeymoon (and the great food), but this one’s a request.  so i will oblige.

i’ve seen this recipe make appearances at just about every get together on good things catered, so tom and i decided that we needed to see what all the hype was about.

ROASTED GARLIC & HERB DIP (from williams sonoma)

4 heads garlic
2 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh tyme
1 1/2 cups sour cream
6 Tbs mayonnaise
1 1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 Tbs. chopped fresh thyme
3 Tbs. chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
3/4 tsp. Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp. fresh lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
Freshly ground pepper, to taste

1.  cut off the tops of the garlic heads and rub the cut surface with the olive oil.  put the garlic on a baking sheet and arrange rosemary and thyme sprigs around it.  cover with aluminum foil.  roast until the garlic cloves are soft and lightly browned, about 1 1/4 hours.  let cool completely.

2.  squeeze the pulp from the garlic into the bowl of a food processor.  add the sour cream, mayonnaise, chopped rosemary, thyme and parsley, the worcestershire sauce, lemon juice, salt and pepper.  pulse until well combined, transfer to bowl with airtight lid, and chill for at least 30 minutes before serving.

POTATO CHIPS (from williams sonoma)

2 quarts canola oil
1 lb potatoes, peeled
salt, to taste

1.  using a mandoline, very thinly slice the potatoes into chips and place in a bowl of cold water.

2.  in a dutch oven, or large pot, or deep fryer even, heat the oil to 350 degrees.  line a baking sheet with paper towels.

3.  drain the potatoes and pat dry. working in batches, fry the potatoes until golden and crisp on both sides, about 5 minutes. transfer to the prepared baking sheet and season with salt. let cool to room temperature before serving.

we had the chips and dip as an appetizer before thanksgiving dinner, because, you know, dinner’s at 1pm, but you don’t actually get around to eating until at least 2-2:30.  they were delicious, and i dare say better than the standard french onion dip.  the only thing i would change is to add more salt to the potato chips, but i think tom was too busy manning the grill and fending off squirrels and rogue falling leaves from landing in the hot oil to salt while hot they were still hot, since we have a strict “no frying indoors policy” at our house.

otherwise….delicious.