Recipes excerpted from Perfect Party Food by Diane Phillips. Published by Harvard Common Press, Boston, MA. Copyright 2005. Reprinted with permission of the publisher. All rights reserved.

Click here for a printable version of the recipe.

Smoky Blue Dip

This dip was served at Blue Smoke, an upscale barbecue restaurant in New York City, with homemade potato chips. I was so full from devouring this, I couldn’t eat my plate of ribs. Delicious served with dippers such as vegetables, potato chips, and crackers, it’s equally good over baked potatoes or stirred into warm orzo pasta.

2 cups sour cream
1/2 cup mayonnaise
2 scallions (white and tender green parts), chopped
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1-1/2 cups crumbled blue cheese (I like Maytag)
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 shakes of Tabasco sauce
6 strips of bacon, cooked until crisp, drained on paper towels, and crumbled

1. In a medium-size bowl, stir together the sour cream, mayonnaise, scallions, Worcestershire, blue cheese, black pepper, and Tabasco until blended.

DIVA DO-AHEAD: At this point, cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours and up to 2 days to let the flavors develop.

2. Taste the dip for seasonings and adjust them before serving. Sprinkle the bacon over the dip and serve.

Diva Variation: Chipotle Blue Smoke Dip: Substitute Chipotle Tabasco sauce for the regular Tabasco.