Thought of this dill dip for Carol's open house. I've never made it with the Accent, so I can't honestly tell you if that makes a significant difference. This is the dip that is sometimes served in a hollowed out pumpernickel bread loaf. Yum!

1 c. mayo
1 c. sour cream
1 TB. dried dillweed
1 TB. dried parsley
1 TB. dried minced onion
1 TB. Accent
3 drops Worcestershire sauce

Mix all and let the flavors blend (for a few hours at a minimum) before serving.

Connie--thanks! Is this is good dip for veggies, as that is what I need it for..

Yes, absolutely!

Spinach Dip made with Knorr's Vegetable Soup Mix... follow recipe on package...serve in hollowed out brown pumpernickel bread. EXCELLENT Veggie Dip! never anything left!!!

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/spinach-dip-with-water-chestnuts/Detail.aspx

Just a suggestion...but many people are sensitive to Accent. The main ingredient of Accent is MSG.

I have used this recipe many times, only substituting 1 TB of Beau Monde Seasoning for the Accent. It's delicious. My family has been making this standard veggie dip for 30 years this way, and it's always a hit. Another tip, use real mayo. Miracle Whip is not a substitute for mayo in this recipe. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Groovin.gif" alt="" />

Shari

Yes, to the Beau Monde for the dip recipe. Beau Monde was in the orginal dip recipe I received years ago. Excellent with veggies.

Oh, you are so correct!! LOTS of people are allergic to MSG (Accent)! I'm one of them. I'll be asleep before I finish dinner with MSG. Nasty stuff. There's plenty of it in foods without adding it.
Just a thought.....


<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" /> Contessa

Connie--you said you don't use the Accent. You just leave it out and don't substitute anything? I don't have Beau Monde at home, not sure what all you would use it in??

And here's one of my classic stupid questions--if you serve it in a hollowed out pumpernickle loaf, do you put the bread pieces on the table to dip out some of the dip, or do you use them for something else?

Carol just omit the MSG/Accent; no need to substitute anything in its place. Yes, if you wish you can cube the inside of the bread and put it out for dipping into the dip or not...your choice.

OK, thanks. Just checked today at the grocery store and I need to order a day ahead of time to get a round loaf of pumperknickle, since I live at the back of beyond. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/cloud.gif" alt="" /> Guess I could buy it on the weekend ahead of my party and freeze it for a week or so.

No, I don't use anything in place of the Accent, but I'd like to try the Beau Monde seasoning.

The one time I did the pumpernickel bowl thing, I bought 2 loaves, because the cubes you cut out of the bowl aren't enough to use for dipping. The entire second loaf would be cut into chunks; then surround the bowl with the chunks on a round platter.

You can make your own Beau Monde Seasoning mix... lots of recipes on the internet. Here's one from allrecipes.com

[color:"blue"]Classic beau monde seasoning mix[/color].

Ingredients:

1 Tablespoon salt
1 Tablespoon ground bay leaves
2 Tablespoons ground white pepper
2 Tablespoons ground black pepper
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 Tablespoon ground allspice
1 Tablespoon ground mace
1 teaspoon celery seed
1 Tablespoon ground cloves

Preparation:

In a small mixing bowl. Sift together the clove, cinnamon, salt, bay leaf, allspice, pepper, nutmeg, mace, celery seed and white pepper; mix well.

Pour into a glass jar and store in a cool, dark place.

This recipe sounded so familiar to me that I dug out an old recipe card from years ago and the only difference between this and my card was instead of Accent my recipe called for the equal amount of Lowry's seasoned salt. And my card suggests you make it at least a few hours but even better, the day before serving to allow the different flavors to meld together.

It's an awesome veggie dip but I see no reason why you couldn't add the left-over bread squares from the hollowed out loaf to your veggie platter. I also recall serving it in a red cabbage hollowed out and all the other veggies amidst the extra red cabbage leaves.

All your recipes sound delicious Carol - makes me wish we could all come!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" /> <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/jester.gif" alt="" />

Carol, you could also use sour dough bread with the spinach dip. Just as good, if not better.

Sourdough can be somewhat hard to find in the boonies on the East Coast. I have to order mine from San Francisco at Boudinbakery.com I believe it is.

Pat--Interesting!! I might think about that red cabbage holder idea!! Eric wants me to serve my fruit in a hollowed out watermelon, but I'm having all finger foods and that would necessitate serving the fruit in a liquid--probably with a bit of mint and Grand Marnier in it--and thus no longer finger food. Still thinking about it, but will probably just do a tray, maybe with a whole pineapple centerpiece.

As far as coming to the party, come on down!! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> It's September 23! Need directions?? <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" />

If you go with the red cabbage, Carol, rinse save some of the ruffled outer leaves for lining your display/serving platter - looks great and helps the diggerent veggies stay grouped well.

Wish I could but have a date in RI that weekend and celebrating an anniversary besides, but thanks for the invite.

Thanks for the suggestion! I may get a cabbage this week and try it out!

Carol,

Hmmm - just wrote a whole other idea and lost it all - let's try again.

If you are doing a pineaple centerpiece - this may be old news for many but I had never seen it done before so, from the Dole Plantation tour in Oahu:

Choose a leafy topped pineapple. Cut the top off and reserve for the center of your centerpiece.

Standing the pineapple firmly on a cutting board, quarter it from top to bottom and with a curved knife or a good paring knife, cut the 'meat' of the pineapple from the outer rind and then cut the big piece into 8-12 bite-sized chunks returning them all to the rind. Repeat this until you can easily remove the pineapple 'meat' from the outer rind.

Place the leafy top in the center of your tray and all four finished pineaple pieces pointing away from it. Use toothpicks in each bite-sized piece and crown them with strawberries if desired and then place other fruits between the four sections up to and around the top of the pineapple. It looks really impressive and is incredibly easy to do.

Pat--It sounds cool, but I for some reason, have problems following it. Is there a picture online of it somewhere?

Simplified (I hope...)

Picture a sunflower on display in the center of a plate - the yellow part equals the pineapple top. All the petals have been removed but for four equally spaced petals.

~~~~~~~~~

Cut the top off the pineapple and put in center of large plate. (Equivalent to the yellow part of the sunflower)

Quarter the remaining pineaple top to bottom. (Equal to the four petals left on the sunflower)

Carve the meat in a solid chunk out of each quarter's outer skin and return the whole chunk to the skin. Slice across the chunk in the skin (but not through the skin) into 8-12 pineapple slices.

Place the skins with all the chunks on the serving tray so that it looks like a rather anemic sunflower.

Put additional fruits between the four quarters and add toothpicks to the pineapple chunks.

Don't know if there's a picture or not but you could check the Dole Pineapple website. It's really so easy that it probably sounds way more complicated than it is.

OK, I think I get it now!! Thanks! May go pick up a pineapple this week and try it out!

You could also do various fruit chunks on wood skewers, like 4-5 pieces on each skewer (the shorter skewers). Looks pretty and easy to eat. Just don't do them toooo far in advance as the skewers will soften up a little. I've done them several hours before a party and they're fine. Just not the day before.

Pat--We did the pineapple centerpiece AND the purple cabbage dip bowl this evening and they were both da BOMB! Very cool!! Thanks for the suggestions!

Carol, I used to have a recipe for broiled salmon, with a Dill Sauce topping consisting of mayo mixed with whipped egg whites and lots of dill...
You put the topping on the salmon at the end and then put it back under the broiler for a few minutes, til browned...
It was fantastic, even people who hate salmon raved about it!
It was like a Merangue/Dill topping for the fish...
I wish I could find that recipe again!
alas, it was on a a piece of paper that I have long since lost! (my, "rhymes with itch", of an ex probably took it!)
Long before the days of PC's and paperless...

Glad to hear they both worked for you, Carol. Was this the party or the dry run?

No, dry run. I plan on basically trying everything BEFORE the party so that I know whether it works or not. Basically have prepared all the food before, did a mock-up of a couple of the trays tonight. Actual party is on the 23rd.

Carol, do you always do a "dry run" before all parties? That is a lot of extra work for sure. I always use the guests as my "tasters" and get them to do the "judging". Nobody has ever got sick or died yet! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" /> I also serve things that are favorites of the guests, but not necessarily favorites of mine. That works too as then I don't eat so much. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Laugh.gif" alt="" /> With all those great recipes, I might have to make a short trip to central Florida later this month! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/circle.gif" alt="" />

As far as dry run, it wasn't a dry run of the whole party. At various times I have tried out the recipes I'm going to use, and last night I did the carving of the pineapple and the red cabbage. This is a business open house, so I wanted to make sure I didn't embarass myself too badly if something came out bad!! As far as the actual party, the more the merrier, if you want to come down for the real thing! <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Smile.gif" alt="" />

Hey Connie, making the dill dip for football games today. Wondering how long you are supposed to let the flavors mingle, as I only made it at 11 am. Will it be ready by 1 PM or not?

Carol,

Not Connie, but I guess by now you already know it should taste just fine. Enjoy!!

Hi Pat. I tasted it and it was OK, although somewhat bland, I thought. Stupid question, the recipe was calling for the dried dill in the shaker container, right?? As the dill seemed to be very blase' when I tasted it straight from the container. I have no idea how old my dill was, so maybe that was the issue???

Dried Dill only has a shelf life of about 6 months...
after that the flavor goes away rather quickly...
I keep most other dried herbs & spices longer, but dill seems to go south quickly...

when we use dill, we usually try to get fresh dill at the supermarket of farm stand...
supermarkets here in NY/NJ area have fresh dill all year long now...

And once you get it home, stick it in a glass and add water 1/3 up from the bottom and refridgerate. Stays fresh for weeks, add more water when necessary. Love fresh dill!

OK, maybe I'll go this week and get a new container of dried dill. I doubt I could find fresh dill around here. We're in the boonies.

Another thought for you, Carol. I never realized or thought about dried dill having a shelf life so I'm embarassed to say how old mine might have been but regardless, it never turns out to be bland.....so, did you try the Lawry's seasoned salt (the red stuff) in place of the msg? Can't say for sure but that might have made a difference, too.

Carol, a little Kosher or Sea salt could also spruce up the dill flavor...

I just left out the MSG alltogether. It did seem like it could have used some salt. I have kosher salt, so will try a bit of that.

Carol,
How far are you from Winter Park? There is a Penzies Spice store there which has a HUGE selection of herbs and spices and the quality is tops. They also offer small sizes too, so you tend to use it up before it looses it's flavor.

I wouldn't substitute fresh dill for dry in a dip recipe anyway. The dry will have a more intense flavor, and will be rehydrated by the liquids in the dip. I agree with those who think that the dip needs some additional seasoning if it called for accent and you omitted that. Some type of seasoning salt is probably the answer, although just plain salt might do the trick.