A notable night

I made this dip for Evan's party Saturday and a couple of people asked for the recipe. You'll love it or hate it. I love it. Libba introduced us to it last year when she brought it as an appetizer to a spur-of-the-moment "dinner party" at our house.

I remember the night well because it's the night Meg removed a Swaddle Me blanket from her child so I could wrap it around my own flailing, screaming one. My sanity was hanging on by a hair at that point, and the discovery of a swaddling blanket with Velcro helped save it.

That also is the night it clicked for Matt and me that dinner parties really are about the company and conversation; if those are high-quality, the food you serve hardly matters. That particular evening, if I recall correctly, we dined on leftovers from Meg and Drew's fridge. (Meg's a great cook, by the way, and even her leftovers are a treat.) In our harried state as sleep-deprived parents of a newborn and a 1-year-old, our small epiphany came as quite a relief. Because we were in no shape to try to impress anyone.

Back to the dip. I know I just said the food doesn't matter, but on the other hand, discovering a delicious new recipe is never a bad thing. I got Libba's recipe as soon as possible and have made this dip many times since. Here is our slightly modified version:

Mix together:
2 green apples, chopped (I leave the peel on because it's my favorite part of the apple)
1 4- or 5-ounce tub of crumbled blue cheese
4 heaping tablespoons of mayonnaise
Lemon juice to taste
Black pepper to taste
Cayenne pepper to taste
(Celery and pecans are optional. They were not in the version at Evan's party.)

Cover and let sit in the refrigerator a couple of hours, if possible, before serving; it's better when the flavors have meshed. I've tried this with many types of crackers, and they're all good.