Jalapeno Popper Dip Redux.

Rehashed this recipe using fresh jalapenos (via friend) instead of canned and pickled. The heat is better and more uniform. Generally, it just has a fresher taste.

Black Bean Guacamole.

Similar to the black bean dip I made a while ago, but I think this is better in some aspects. I think I got it from Closet. It's basically a lot smoother, having run the beans through the food processor. Cumin, diced onion, lime juice, garlic, salt, pepper, cilantro. It's less watery than the bean dip. You'll also run through it pretty quickly. This was two only two cans, which seemed like a lot when I was opening them but seeing and tasting the end-product made me think otherwise.

Purple Basil Bean Spread.

I went looking for some purple basil-based recipes a while ago since I didn't know what to do with what I had. I found some interesting stuff on Farm Girl. She made a purple basil pesto and used it to season a white bean base. Pretty good, but the combination of both parmesan and sea salt was a bit too salty.

Radish and Scallion Dip.

Sourced from Farm Girl. Basically just processor'ed radishes, creme cheese, feta, scallions, a bit of pepper and lemon juice. I used only half the amount of creme cheese so it came out a bit watery but very fresh tasting. More creme cheese = more like a spread, which would be/is pretty good on some pulled pork or turkey sandwiches.

Refried Black Bean Dip.

Sourced from Farm Girl. I used canned black beans (which I didn't drain enough) that I mashed myself so it came out rather watery. Red onions (adds some freshness), diced tomatoes (canned, but fresh would taste so much better), canned green chiles (fresh minced jalapeno would be good), didn't have cilantro, chopped avocado.

Artichoke Bread.

Sourced from Closet. Basically artichoke dip bread on bread and baked a bit. Pretty good.

Tomato Zucchini Feta Fritter.

Yet another random thing from Kevin.

Stuffed Mexican Shells.

Came across the idea a long time ago and just now got around to it. Essentially tacos stuffed into a pasta shell instead of a tortilla. Quick and pretty darn good.

Crab Jalapeno Popper Dip.

Yanked from the Closet. Simple and straightforward. Pretty good because, generally, dips are pretty good.

Reuben Dip.

I've had this one in my back pocket for a while now, ever since I saw it on Closet Cooking, mainly just waiting to buy some corned beef and have some leftovers for this. I more or less bought the corned beef with the sole intent of ending up with this. Anyhow, it was pretty good. I didn't get the top browned like I wanted, but I didn't feel like moving racks around after I had checked on it at the 20 minute mark. Basically a reuben converted to a creme cheese-based dip. There's also horseradish in there. I don't really know if I like horseradish as it always reminds me of Arby's Horsey Sauce which I do not like, but it worked well here.

Pretzels.

I looked at a few different places, but mostly followed this and this. I also found this place which is baking site in general.

I mostly followed Alton with the 450 degree oven, but I found that 8-9 minutes worked much better than the 10, 12, or 15 other places (Alton included) suggested. The picture shows pretty clearly the difference between 8 and 12 minutes. Also, my oven doesn't heat evenly apparently. And I don't think I needed to roll the dough out as thin as I did. The Fresh Loaf made it sound like it would blow up in the oven, but in retrospect, I probably should have let them stay a bit thicker and just made them longer.

There's also a bit of a bitter taste which I had originally chalked up to the being a bit burnt, but maybe it has to do with the strength of the soda bath. Otherwise, they're quite good. Firm outer skin, soft and chewy on the inside. Come to think of it, is there much of a difference between a pretzel and a bagel?

Is it cost-effective? Though I haven't worked out the numbers, probably. Is it worth the trouble? That's a good question. But it's definitely work in a pinch.

Cannellini Bean Spread.

Sourced from Jaden. Holy shit. Shit is awesome. I almost ate the whole damn thing but I didn't only because I know how much olive oil went into it (and not even as much as was called for). Releasing the aroma in the garlic first really pulls the whole thing together. Diced tomatoes, a bit of salt and pepper and parsley. FUCK YEAH BEANS.

7-Layer Bean Dip.

Man, I fucking love 7-layer bean dip. We had some at a reception recently so that got me in the mood to make some. The thing about it is 7 is a pretty arbitrary number and the number of "layers" varies. Of course, the name implies seven discrete layers, though the understanding is usually seven distinct ingredients. I generally opt for the seven ingredients rule and make as many layers as I have materiel. Warm refried beans, jalapenos, cheese, guacamole, sour creme, cheese again, olives, tomatoes.

Pajeon.

I absolutely love Korean pancakes (my favorite being bindae-duk which I'll get to at some point). This is one of those Korean comfort foods for me.

It's also really straightforward which means I'll probably be making it a lot.

• 1 egg
• 1 cup water
• 1 cup flour

produces enough batter for two-ish ~6" pancakes. Maybe for two people. Or one. I can eat a lot of pancakes. I'm guessing the "pa" in pajeon is referring to the green onions used. I prefer to use only the green parts, cut into pieces about an inch long, maybe two bunches for the amount of flour used above.

I cooked these in my super sweet cast-iron which basically outperforms any other pan I've ever owned or used. I will say that the cooking is a little slow and that in the time it takes to cook a second pancake, you should have been able to drain the first, cut it (into quarters or ~3x3" inch squares), and have it eaten by someone. That's basically the way it worked in my mom's house.

1. Wait for pancake.
2. (Pancake arrives on plate.) Try to eat pancake.
3. Burn mouth.
4. Walk off with pancake so no one else can get it.
5. Burn fingers.
6. Continue trying to eat pancake. When consumed, go to 1.

You can also add meat to this. I think with seafood, it's called haemul-pajeon. And the sauce that goes with this uses equal parts soy sauce and either rice vinegar or white vinegar and a bit of sugar, chili powder, and green onions to taste. If you use the rice vinegar, you may not want to add the sugar. And is the case with green onions and soy sauce, I like to use the whiter parts for that.