While I might trade someone else’s soul for a Reuben, I gave up mine long ago for a beer, so my trading days are over. Reubens are one of the many dishes that have made their way into dip form. This time of year, with “The Big Game” right around the corner, salty, cheesey, rich dishes are often the order of the day. A big crock pot full  of dip is the easiest way to bring your own thing to a party. Making a dip from a popular dish can be your ticket to a bowl of something super.

In addition to reuben dip, there are a number of other recipes that are easy conversions to bring along with you.

Chicken wing dip seems to be at every pot luck or party I go to nowadays. Wings were already a party food, particularly around a football game, so why would they need to get transformed for a party?  No mess. Thats what I’m talking about. Now I won’t pretend that chicken wing dip gives you that same crispy chicken skin awesomeness that you get with wings but it packs a ton of flavor and you can make it as hot or mild as you like. It also gives me an excuse to eat Chicken in a Biskit crackers.

If you have never opened a box of these things and gorged yourself, go get some, now. And yes they have some form of actual chicken in them.

Pizza dip is another one that has spun its way into my world. It reminds me of my days in a  pizza shop as a kid, putting a pile of Mozzarella onto a pan, topping it with whatever other ingredients I might want and baking until the cheese was brown and crispy on the edges. (Pardon me, I need to wipe up some drool)

I like mine with crackers (Ritz please) but it you want to fancy it up, feel free to slice up some baguettes and spread it on the bread. Though if you are going to go that far you might as well make pizza.

How about some Philly cheese steak dip?  All of your favorite flavors from a cheese steak ready for scooping, preferably with soft pretzels as a vehicle for shoveling it into your face.

Last but not least, another classic sandwich as a dip, BLT dip. Everyone has been soundly beaten over the head with how amazing bacon is. Needless to say, I’m a fan. Outside of eating it alongside eggs, a BLT is the dish from my childhood that cemented bacon as a staple in my cooking. Once you hit that perfect ratio of bacon, tomatoes, crispy lettuce and toasted bread it is tough to beat. It is a challenge to get that ratio right for a dip that is invariably far more cheesy than a sandwich would be. Try serving it with some melba toast or another cracker that will bring that flavor into the mix. Or skip the crackers and scoop it up with some bib lettuce.

So this Super Bowl weekend, or any weekend, try turning one of your favorite dishes into a dip and enjoy.

Not too long ago I was talking to some friends about a recipe, and mentioned my hunt for Grade B maple syrup, and the response I got was “it has different grades?”

That got me to thinking that maybe the joys of real maple syrup were not as well known as I suspected. In an effort to rid the world of Aunt Jemima  lets start with the basics. Maple Syrup is graded based on it’s color.  Grade A is the lightest color and grade B is darker. Within those classifications there are different sub-classes.

The scale is actually quite simple, it relates directly to how much light passes through the syrup. it doesn’t get much easier that that. Maple syrup also has many health claims and diets associated with it, most famously the Master Cleanse, which always sounds far too ominous a title to be good for you. I always picture Master Blaster from Mad Max fame when I hear the phrase, and that does not make me think healthy thoughts

The lighter maple syrups tend to be used as breakfast syrup while the darker grades are typically more suited to cooking.  The reason for that, is the lighter syrups have a much more delicate maple flavor that is easily overwhelmed by other flavors so you want to serve it as is. The darker syrups have a more intense maple flavor so you can combine them with other flavors and more than just sweet survives.

Regardless of your preference (if you have one) in grade I think we can all agree that maple is mostly known for its breakfast applications. Whether you like to drizzle it on to your waffles so it fills every single hole or you are a dunker of sausage then you will appreciate the flavor that real maple brings to the table.

In addition to its place at the breakfast table, maple syrup is very much at home in savory dishes. I use it a lot in my own cooking and it has seen a rise in popularity in restaurants and food shows in the last few years. A quick search returns over 4 million results for recipes. Many of those are related to different kinds of pancakes, waffles, and french toast, however there are many recipes for other desserts and savory applications. It resonates particularly well with pork. If you think about the way that maple syrup works with your breakfast sausage or bacon you can see why.

Based on your location and the country of origin for your syrup you may see some slightly different scales but as a general rule color is your guide.

If you are fortunate enough to live near a maple producing region of the world I can’t encourage you enough to find a produce and go for a tour if they offer them. Many time you can get a side by side tasting of the different grades and experience they incredible variance in flavor yourself. If not take the plunge and order 3 or 4 varieties from the internet and have a sampling yourself.

Now just to be clear, these are not new items on the menu at Dunkin’ Donuts, but rather recipes you can make at home…after buying the necessary autumn related products from DD.

The recipes include a Caramel Apple Donut Tart with Dunkin’ Donuts’ Apple Cider and Caramel Apple Donuts.  Also, a Turkey Sausage & Pumpkin Latte Gravy with Grilled Pumpkin Muffin and Eggs. Here’s how they look:

What do you think readers? Intriguing? Or gross?

Sam’s post from the 7th got me thinking about pizza styles — but not how to eat it — how to cook it. Now I love going out to eat a good hand-tossed pie, but I have also been known to make one to rave reviews. To date, all of my home-cooking has taken place in the oven. But, a few weeks back, I read on Simply Recipes about a way to make a pizza on the grill. Last night I tried it out.

I bought a dough at a local pizza joint, then rolled it out, brushed on some olive oil and threw it on a hot grill (mine got to 400 degrees). A couple minutes on one side, brought it in the house, flipped it, topped it, then back out for a few more minutes with slightly reduced heat. Have more dough? Just repeat – making the dough thinner or thicker for a crispy or chewy crust,  and changing up the toppings as you see fit.

The result? As you can see from the top – two wonderful pies. One white pizza with sweet potato slices (previously baked), onion, lots of cheese and topped with spicy arugula. The other had a great homemade sauce, squash and more onion. Two different tastes, but both awesome, and both so quick and easy to cook.

Anyone else tried pizza this way?

[Please pardon the photo quality at top; I'm no Bitten Word.]

If you’re anything like me, it seems like the holidays are just an excuse to go from one pie to another, leaving you a little wider come January. Therefore, instead of offering a luscious, butter-filled sweet recipe in this space, I thought a better idea would be to share a slightly healthier one. I found this in the April issue of Real Simple, and it really lives up to its name of Easy Granola. Granola is shockingly expensive in the grocery store, and this version is just as good (and fresher). I am not advocating this over pies and sweets as a whole, but a swap every once and a while might help the waistline a bit.  My additions are bracketed below.

Easy Toss-and Bake Granola
Ingredients:
* 4 cups old-fashioned rolled oats (not quick cooking)
* 1 cup sliced almonds [Or walnuts, pecans, etc. – these have all worked for me]
* 1/2 cup shredded coconut (preferably unsweetened) [As a coconut lover, I go a full cup]
* 1/4 cup unsalted pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds) or shelled sunflower seeds [I prefer a ½ cup]
* 1/2 cup pure maple syrup
* 2 tablespoons canola oil
* 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
* 1 cup dried fruit (such as cherries, cranberries, raisins, or currants) [the cranberries and pepitas offer a little holiday flare]

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350° F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the oats, almonds, coconut, and pepitas with the maple syrup, oil, and salt. [A tsp of vanilla extract as well as cinnamon doesn’t hurt either.]
2. Bake, tossing once, until golden and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes. [I disagree here - make sure to take out and toss every 7/8 min or so – or the top layer will burn – especially the coconut.]
3. Add the dried fruit and toss to combine. Let cool.

This one is a winner and is great for snacking or for having a big bowl of cereal (and it won’t change the color of your milk!).  And of course, So Good is an expert on granola, so trust us – we’re professionals.