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.

Embarrassing adolescent confession time: I had a crush on Uncle Jesse. Uncle Jesse was Greek and therefore in honor of Uncle Jesse I give you the quintessential Greek dish:

Spanakopita (Originally published in I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence by Amy Sedaris)

5 eggs
3 10-oz packages of frozen, chopped spinach, defrosted (ring out any water using cheesecloth or dishrag)
8 ounces of cream cheese
8 ounces or more of crumbled feta cheese
8 ounces of small curd cottage cheese
Olive Oil
2 bunches of chopped green onions, sauteed
1 tablespoon of parsley
Dill, fennel (optional)
3 tablespoons of Parmesan cheese
1 1-lb box of phyllo pastry
1 stick of butter

In a mixer, beat the eggs until fluffy. Add everything else (except the phyllo dough and butter) gradually, just until mixed.

Melt the stick of butter. Using a pastry brush, butter a 9×13x3 inch pan.

Line the bottom of the pan with half the box of phyllo, buttering between each layer. Add spinach filling and spread evenly.

Top with a little extra crumbled feta, if you have some left.

Place the remaining phyllo on top, again buttering between each sheet.

“Baptize” the top with a little water and bake at 350 degrees until brown and crispy on top, approximately 45-50 minutes.

If the phyllo starts to get too brown, cover with foil.

Melt	Green Onions
Fluff the Eggs	Drain the Spinach
Combine with Cheeses	Brush Each Sheet with Butter
Add Filling	Continue Layering
Bake	Get Your Greek On

I’m starting to wonder if I should change the tag line of this website to Erin Cooks:  An Ellie Krieger Retrospective.   What do you think?  Anyway, here’s another yummy option to wow your friends with:   Fettuccini with Creamy Red Pepper-Feta Sauce.  I couldn’t find whole wheat fettuccini so I used linguine.  My one quibble with this recipe is the use of parsley.  Next time I plan to use chopped basil as a garnish since I found the parsley to be a little bitter.

Onions, Peppers & Garlic	Blitz
Whole Wheat Goodness	Who Needs the Olive Garden?  Not Me!