Longtime readers may remember that Alex met me through my blog. Yes, we used to complain publicly about our embarrassingly bad dating lives, and yes, that phase is over. The newer readers may ask why they weren’t informed. I can’t say it without making it seem even worse. “In a chatting room! “About kittens!”, “No, no!” When big mouth strikes, I cannot stop her and talk myself deeper into the hole. “Just kidding!” We met on JDate!” “I mean, through friends!” “Uh, at summer camp!” Without fail, just as my blathering hits rock bottom-“Actually, he was stalking me. “Isn’t it cute?” – I realize the truth might be better than we imagined.
We met over a recipe if you’re interested in the technicalities. Yep, it turns out that this whole thing I do, “Baby, how does this [obviously-awesome] recipe sound?” and this thing that he does, “Holy moly,” goes back to even before I knew he’d make a handsome dishwasher/heavy groceries-carrier/husband one day. I had been swooning about moving into a new apartment with a kitchen counter. This inspired me to prepare a white bean/roasted red pepper dip for a party. Alex asked for the recipe; I dished it up, we moved the conversation to email, to a bar, over to Paris, and then down the aisle, and well, in the words of Alex during the early are-we-going-to-make-a-go-of-this-or-what days, “that pretty much brings us up to today.”
Yesterday, I tried the recipe I had made up on the spot without any confirmation that it would work. Fortunately, Alex was not interested in the recipe I had chosen. It’s perfect.
White bean Roasted red pepper dip
This was one of my first recipes. I was tired of white bean dips made with cream and dairy fat. This recipe works equally well with low-fat or fat-free cheese goat cheese or Mascarpone. It looks even more beautiful with a sprinkle of chives, but the recipe will be gone in no time, whether you use them or not.
One small jar drained of roasted red peppers, or approximately 1 cup.
3 ounces cream cheese, softened
One clove of garlic, minced
Half a lemon juice
Taste salt and pepper
Blend everything until smooth in the food processor. Your margarita mixer will also work.