Hummus with pita chips is my go-to snack (anyone else?). Until recently, I lived off the storebought variety, with my homemade hummus never being up to snuff with the likes of Sabra. But then I had a revelation in hummus-making. More

Do we really need a spread that's primarily cheese and mayonnaise? In the case of pimento cheese, the answer is yes. More

In Texas, whipping up a bowl of the cheesy dip known as Chili Con Queso can be as simple as melting a block of everyone's favorite shelf stable "cheese food" (read: Velveeta) with a can of Ro*Tel diced tomatoes with green chiles. But things weren't quite so easy for Lisa Fain, AKA The Homesick Texan when she moved to Manhattan. Unable to locate the tomatoes that give this party favorite its distinct zing, she took it upon herself to make over this Texan dip. More

This gooey, cheesy crowdpleaser comes together in barely any time. It's a super simple blend of frozen spinach, mayo, sour cream, and cream cheese with a little bit of garlic and chili flakes to give it a kick. Topped with crunchy panko and Parmesan and baked until bubbling, it's the sort of dip that could easily spoil more than a few appetites. More

While in Napa recently, I found and loved a white bean dip at Thomas Keller's Bouchon in Yountville, which came served with pain epi. It was creamy, mild, and mellow, but not bland at all. And it had a distinct advantage over butter—I could slather on as much as I wanted without guilt. More

[Photograph: Carrie Vasios]... More

One of the first things I heard upon receiving my copy of Michael's Genuine Food was that I needed to try Michael Schwartz's Caramelized Onion Dip with Thick-Cut Potato Chips. It was, of course, a no-brainer since I'm a huge onion dip fan (even the dehydrated soup packet kind). More

This is a seriously simply appetizer recipe. Feel free to jazz it up by topping with a few sliced figs, olives, or (if you're feeling fancy) shaved truffles. If you can't find sheep's milk ricotta, use the best cow's-milk ricotta... More

Although in theory this dip should serve six, I find that people get a little strange around artichoke dip. They elbow each other out of the way and scoop a little too much onto their bread. Be ye warned, you... More

You only need to follow a recipe once or twice when making tzatziki before the process becomes almost automatic. Thick tangy yogurt; crisp, sweet cucumber; pungent garlic and dill; sunny lemon. The formula, a staging ground for countless dip platters and a condiment for the thousands of gyros dished up daily, is as familiar to us now as salsa and ketchup. And its preparation is about as intuitive—recipes matter less than solid ingredients and a willingness to dip a tasting finger along the way. More