The Secret's In The Anchovy Sauce - No. 7
And a new segment I like to call "ramblings from the night"
Welcome back to Vegarie! Is it Friday already? How did that happen? If you’re confused like me and time is flying like a pigeon that can’t escape the subway station—click to subscribe to my newsletter. I hear it helps with confusion…at least that’s what the pigeon told me.
Ok, the pigeon was right. It’s Tuesday. That’s right folks, I’m trying a new publish day to see if this sticks. Each Tuesday you'll receive at least one dip or dip-adjacent recipe meant to spice up your life, and often I’ll include a fun story or interview with women in food. Maybe these are women that cook on the line, own their own restaurants, food carts, or maybe they’re just friends who are really great at building a beautiful rise for their challah. No matter which it is, I hope you enjoy the quick read and learn the unique ways we all got to the same place—loving food.
This week I’m short on time and need to keep sending these out, so I’m including a new segment I like to call “ramblings from the night.” This features me sharing—jus a couple notes at a time—all the hilarious things I overhear at work, in the city, confessions I have of embarrassing things I’ve done…or thoughts I have after returning home around 1:30am every night, my mind deteriorated and delirious from a long day of inhaling fumes—I mean cooking at work. Also, I have a recipe to share that breaks multiple rules for Vegarie. For one, it’s really more of a spread than a dip—but this didn’t keep me from devouring it with saltines and cucumbers—and it doesn’t include even one vegetable. What can I say? Apparently making rules for myself and then breaking them gets me hot.
Picture this—you start with a cream cheese base, add in some salty anchovies, dill, and lots of lemon. Honestly, it’s sort of just a super thick Caesar dressing, but I’m rebranding. Anchovy dip. I know, my eating habits are disgusting. But this is too good not to share. Plus, I made it with odds and ends I had left over from prepping for a dinner party I had on Friday, so this is the perfect teaser for the pictures and holiday party tips I’ll inevitably be sharing next week. The night included whole branzinos, dips, and self reflection prompts (I know, you can hardly wait to hear more!)
Ramblings from the night
“Excuse me, do you have cocktail sauce?” — a giant man who was definitely Mike Tyson asked me at Cervo’s. “No, we don’t I’m sorry,” I responded. He turned to his girlfriend, “I can’t believe a seafood place doesn’t have cocktail sauce.” Huh? Upon leaving, his girlfriend left her phone at the bar…He came back for it, then finished her cocktail, and one other at the bar which I’m 103% sure wasn’t his.
“I bought under eye oil that’s supposed to get rid of my malasma,” “what’s malasma?” “I don’t know.” — Overheard in the bathroom of a tavern in Manhattan, where I was in a state as such that I let my friend convince me it was ok to smoke inside. Naturally, I was immediately met with the comment “honey, we haven’t been smoking inside for over 21 years,” from the look she was giving me, I honestly couldn’t tell if she was wishing it wasn’t so.
“Is it next level lazy to rip open an avocado or is it the work of a genius?” - someone on a date behind me—my sole mate—on the line at Cervo’s. I wanted to ask the woman if she was done and if I could take her place.
“If I have more than one banana a day, do I die?” - me. Not sure when, I just wrote it down.
“Are there people that still exist who like a thin smoothie? And is there a special place in hell waiting for them?” - me, arriving home at 1:30am and thinking about the thick smoothie I’ll make in the morning.
That’s all for today folks. Hope you enjoyed my ramblings from the night.
Secret Anchovy Sauce
A creamy, delicious anchovy spread, sure to spice up a quick sandwich, or sauce up a salad, a piece of chicken, heck, even lighten it up with more lemon or water, and pour it over a whole baked cauliflower. I hear that’s what the kids are doing these days (I say at 26…)
Ingredients:
4oz cream cheese
4 anchovies (from a can, preferably stored in oil)
3 cloves garlic
Juice of 1/2 a lemon
Small handful of dill, lightly diced or ripped up
Salt to taste
Instructions:
This one is easy.
Combine all ingredients either into a large bowl and mix with a kitchen aid hand mixer like I do (feels like you’re making icing or whip cream) OR toss into a food processor.
Blend until combined. Can thin with more lemon juice or water depending on it’s use and your desired acidity.
Other ways to eat this dip outside of saltines and by the spoonful:
Best sandwich ever as follows — sourdough bread, heaping tablespoon of dip, thick baked zucchini and bell peppers, and finish off with a stack of greens. Heck, maybe even grill the bread in olive oil. There are no rules, go nuts.
Thin with lemon juice for a salad dressing; add to romaine or radicchio for a classic creamy Caesar
Thin with lemon juice and pour over a whole baked & charred cauliflower
Add some paprika and use as a dip or sauce for chicken + a side salad or potatoes
What will you try yours with? Is anyone out there or am I just talking to myself again? Leave me a comment below and let me know.