After a long and involved process the Limoncello was finally sampled on Saturday.  Beforehand though I spent hours in the kitchen prepping dinner.   Unfortunately several glasses of wine into the evening it completely slipped my mind to take any actual shots of the cooked food.  No doubt, a common hazard of the “job.”

In reality I served a Roasted Vegetable Lasagna (specifically Portobello Mushrooms, Red Pepper, Zucchini, and Spinach) with spicy Turkey Sausage, Baked Artichokes with Gorgonzola and Herbs, and a Strawberry and Marscapone Granita.

I should warn you that even though Giada said you can eat the artichoke leaves, I thought they were really too chewy.  So I cut up cubes of Seeduction Bread (I know…I know…I’m obsessed) and served the artichokes as a sort of mini personalized fondue.   The fact that those leaves were so gross really annoyed me because it took 20 minutes to snip off the tips of six artichokes and those ends didn’t just fall gracefully to the counter in a neat pile, they flew all over my kitchen with an audible ping.  Zoom!

As for the Limoncello…well…I sort of had a hunch that I wouldn’t like it.  I haven’t been a fan of lemony cocktails in years ever since an unfortunate incident with some Bacardi Limon in college.   But my other guests didn’t seem to mind it.  CK actually liked it!  He drank his in the form of a modified Gin and Tonic.  My friend Melissa had the best response of all:

Anyway, I have two full wine bottles of the stuff left so if anyone has any good ideas on what I can do with it (besides drink it) I’d be forever grateful.

I’m going to let you all in on a well guarded secret. Everyone who has ever been to a party thrown or attended by me has more likely than not experienced my “Super Top Secret Artichoke Dip.” People appear to love this stuff and I aim to please. The dish is always scraped clean and I’ve played it pretty coy over the last few years politely declining to share the recipe — until now.

Prepare to be “wowed.”

The Secret Ingredients	Chop Chop Chop
Roasted Red Peppers & A Little Garlic	Combine
Bake, Serve & Receive Compliments

My Super Top Secret Artichoke Dip (Based on the Hot Feta and Artichoke Dip from the Nabisco Website)

2 cans (14 ounces each) artichoke hearts, drained and chopped
1 package (8 ounces) Feta Cheese, crumbled
1 cup Mayonnaise
1 package (5 ounces) Shredded Parmesan Cheese
2 Roasted Red Peppers, drained and chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
Assorted crackers for dipping (I prefer Triscuit Thin Crisps)

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Mix all of the ingredients together except the crackers.
Spoon the mixture into a 9-inch pie plate or 3-cup shallow baking dish.
Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Serve with crackers.