We were going for social overload this weekend. Lots of post fodder. I had to make mucho grub. But having waited tables for so long, I learned that it’s the simple things that get the biggest reception. This greek potato dip is always a hit. Most people are freaks for potatoes, and outside of the pillars of Western civilization and the 2004 Olympic opening cermony, appetizers are Greece’s biggest contribution to the world.

SKORDALIA:
4 medium plus size Yellow Fin potatoes, peeled
6+ cloves of garlic
3/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup lemon juice
2 TBl white wine vinegar
Salt and pepper
1/4 cup ground almonds (optional)
Also optional: parsley, fennel fronds, or other greenery

  Do I need to say that the olive oil should be high quality, the garlic juicy, and the salt from the Mediterranean sea? Good. Try to use white pepper, too. **I usually end up adding a bit more of some of these ingredients.

  Steam potatoes (boiling traps too much water), transfer to a bowl and mash and fluff with a fork. On a PLASTIC cutting board, smash the peeled garlic into a pulp with your big knife. I use a hand blender to mix the oil, lemon juice, vinegar, almonds, green stuff, and garlic. Then blend this mixture into to fluffy potatoes. Add more of any ingredients. Keep in mind you’re not making mashed potatoes–you’re not going for creamy. Mixture should be elastic and a bit oily around the edges.

  If you have to stop at the grocery store before a party…your best bet in the wine aisle is to go California. Most grocery stores should have something $10ish from either Bonny Doon or Coppola. Don’t try anything else unless the store has a wine staff representative at your disposal. These brands you can buy with impunity, they are big yet keen on quality. The Coppola Rosso should be around $7 and is the best cheap party red around. Italian in style, meaning not a heavy cup of berry jam, it tastes fresh, spicy and plays well with most foods. Bonny Doon’s Ca’ del Solo label costs a buck or two more and steps it up in complexity for your snobby friends.