What's the obsession with "dips" for every shab

amother

Tomato

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 7:24 am

amother OP wrote:

by obsessed, I mean that hosts seem to be obsessed with serving "dips" in the sense that it seems like there's a lot of peer pressure / keeping up with the rosens to do so.... and it's basically became a must at this point there a dip course is a mandatory customary part of the meal. and I feel like people spend a lot of time making dips that are barely eaten, which is sad.

not me. I didn't even see that last thread. link please?

Really not my experience. By us many people have dips but some have just mayo/ chrein. Always gets eaten with the challah. Usually finished off.

watergirl ↓

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 7:36 am

amother Myrtle wrote:

I love dips and make and eat lots of them. If I went to a home that didn’t serve any dips, I would stuff myself up in the challah because I would assume there isn’t being much food later on either.

So interesting. Has it been your experience that no dips = skimpy meal?

Personally, I usually have one or two store bought dips and serve a normal meal. I’d be super annoyed if a guest “stuffed themselves” on challah.

↑ Ruchel ↓

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 7:38 am

watergirl wrote:

I'd assume dips replace the meal or a hearty meal

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 7:44 am

watergirl wrote:

So interesting. Has it been your experience that no dips = skimpy meal?

I feel like this all can go either way. No dips could a sign of a skimpy meal all around, or could be someone who is going all out with the rest of the meal and doesn't want their guests get stuffed on cheap bread and mayo dips. Lots of dips could be people wanting their guests to get stuffed on cheap bread and mayo dips so they can be skimpy with the rest of the meal, or it could be someone who goes all out with all the courses.

At a new family's house, you roll the dice. If there's a lot of dips, you never know to fill up on dips because there's not much else coming... or to save your appetite because there's a ton more coming.

amother

↑ Tuberose

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 7:56 am

amother OP wrote:

Youre trolling

Raisin

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 8:04 am

If you go to a formal meal, butters is usually served with bread. So I do feel you need to offer something with challah, although I personally always like my challah plain. It doesn't need to be 10 different dips. I also think sweet challah doesn't go so well with dips, if there is a less sweet bread like laffa or sourdough I would eat that with dips.

Back in the 80s and 90s we had dips. Chummus that was made from a dried powder (Osem brand iirc) until shops started selling chummus imported from Israel and we bought the tubs and my mother made chatzlim with mayo. And of course chrain and plain mayo. (homemade) And we are ashkenazi.

Dips are great for shabbos lunch when there are less good hot food options. (we don't heat up wet food on shabbos, so only cholent or soup that has been on since before shabbos)

amother

Coffee

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 8:22 am

I'm not sure why this so weird?
Every cuisine incorporates dips or you can modify dips to suit different cuisines.
Tomato dip has pretty Italian flavour profile. Indian food has chutneys and different pickled vegetable dips and relishes can be found all over the world, you have guacamole which is Mexican, salsa is also Latin American, Tzadziki is greek, aioli is Italian. There are tons of dips everywhere a lot of them are served with bread.
Any nice restaurant you go to, they'll serve you bread and dips first that goes with the cuisine they serve. It's clearly something people like.
Personally, I'm not a dip person so we just buy a couple for DH but my in laws buy a huge variety of dips every week and they get finished over the course of the week.

↑ seeker

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 8:32 am

amother Tuberose wrote:

Youre trolling

First of all I believe it's against the rules to call troll like that. You can report the post to mods if you're truly concerned.

Secondly I have had the same issue as that post. If you've gotten invited out a lot you probably know. Sometimes someone serves a lot at first and if you don't eat it you'll be hungry later. Sometimes someone serves a lot at first and then a lot second and then a lot third and if you filled up on the dips you're like oops and can't enjoy the main course.

ddmom

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 8:35 am

amother Darkblue wrote:

eat and serve what you want
do what works for you and your family
we don't need to be concerned about what others are doing
ksiva v chasima tova

Ty, ty, ty!! Can't like this post enough!!!

Aurora ↓

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 8:39 am

ddmom wrote:

Ty, ty, ty!! Can't like this post enough!!!

Agreed.

For myself, I appreciate dips and salatim when they're made, but work full time and am just getting regular food done.

amother

Purple ↓

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 8:45 am

amother OP wrote:

It originated from an economical place.
Homemade dips and bread is a lot cheaper than meat/ chicken.

When I make dips I find they get finished.
I like to serve salatim and dips with my fish.
You obviously come from a different background than me.

We love our dips and salatim so I will continue making them.
And you should not feel pressure if you don’t like them

amother

Almond

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 8:45 am

amother OP wrote:

In my anecdotal experience, people devour any challah plain if it's good challah. at other houses where dips are served, people seem to take a small amount of the dips in what seems to be politeness to the hostess or take a bunch and leave a bunch on their plate. I don't see a lot of people drenching their challah in dips. seems like the hostesses often spend a lot of time making these dips that are barely touched. that's just my experience, but these aren't scientific facts.

You very obviously DON'T like dips, and DO like plain Challah.
Many people (myself included Smile

ONLY like Challah or sourdough with dips!
it's my favorite Shabbos food- whole grain hot sourdough Challah, crusty on the outside, soft on the inside, dipped into guacamole and babaganoush (I usually have two types- store bought and home made!) HEAVEN!!!
others in my family like chummus, jalapeno dip, tomato dip etc so I try to have a variety...but for me ONLY guacamole and babaganoush (and I don't question others love of other dips.....I respect and honor that even though it's SO HARD to understand!!!! how can anything else compare to guacamole and babaganoush?????

amother

↑ OP ↓

Mon, Sep 23 2024, 9:06 am

amother Ginger wrote:

Op I’m intrigued. Can you share Italian cuisine dishes for Shabbes? And Indian? Please? 🙏

for italian, essentials of italian cooking by marcella hazan is the "bible" of italian food. has a million recipes for just about everything.

For indian, try anything by madhur jaffrey. at home with madhur jaffrey is a recent one she published which is really simple and tries to relate more to the western palette using common western ingredients.

obviously for kashrut purposes, you may need to change things (eg skip the cheese on the italian dishes or substitute an oil instead of ghee for indian dishes) Smile