Homemade

Without meaning to, I have become one of those people…the kind of person who when presented with a pre-made convenience item at the store, first gasps at the price tag and then makes the very immodest declaration that I could make it myself at home and the finished product will not only cost less, but will taste much better, thank you very much.

I’ve noticed this behavior on several occasions lately. Not long ago, we were at a winery that sold your usual array of gourmet food items. Those wineries know what they’re doing, don’t they? Pairing people drinking wine all day with pricey pre-packaged treats is marketing genius. We were both eyeing a bottle of Thai dipping sauce/marinade/salad dressing that cost $6.99. Even in my (possibly) less than sober state I knew that whisking together a dipping sauce would not cost me $6.99. C’mon…it’s mostly oil and vinegar! I scoffed and wrote down all the non-chemical sounding ingredients so I could recreate it at home. Most recently we were at Costco, impulse-shopping our little hearts out, when Andy presented me with a vat of tomato-feta dip. I must admit that this one almost made it into the cart, until I came to my senses and realized that there was no way we could eat all that before it went bad. And at the price that Costco sells their feta, it was a no-brainer anyway…I could make five times the amount of dip as we needed it with that much feta. Skimming through the ingredients, I knew this one would be a snap to make, in a much more manageable size.

The funny thing is that what drives me isn’t necessarily the health factor or even the money factor. Sure, both play a part, but I’ve never been particularly adamant about buying organic or natural. But more so lately it definitely crosses my mind when I read over a list of ingredients and have no idea what half of them are. If I can make basically the same thing from scratch, minus all the additives and preservatives, I’m making a difference in our diets without really even meaning to, and that makes me feel good, because I should probably make up for my adoration of heavy cream, butter and salt somehow.

In instances like these, when I see a change in myself, I can usually blame it on my mom. My propensities towards not leaving the house after noon, refusing to buy clothes that cost more than $10 a piece, and scouring the internet for hours to find the best deals on travel can all be attributed to my having some of her genes. But this one? No way…my mom doesn’t cook. She would happily serve pre-made items ‘til the cows came home. She has said herself that if it weren’t for my dad cooking, she would eat frozen pizzas and canned soup for dinner every night. (And yes, I completely believe her.) So since I can’t put this on my mom, I guess I can only blame it on my ever growing desire to push myself to make what I believe to be really good food. At least I hope that’s what I’m doing…

Since I haven’t actually tried the Costco version of this dip, I have no idea if it tastes anything like it, let alone better. But regardless, I think it’s pretty tasty, and so did everyone that tried it. The best thing about it is that you really can throw it together in minutes, and most of these ingredients are things you probably have on hand.

Spicy Tomato-Feta Dip with Grilled Pita Bread

1 can diced tomatoes (14.5 ounces)
1/4 cup chopped yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup chopped basil, loosely packed
2 teaspoons paprika
1 teaspoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
2 cups feta cheese

pita bread

olive oil

salt and pepper

Put first 9 ingredients into a food processor and run until completely pureed. Add feta cheese and pulse until the mixture is incorporated and no large chunks remain. Taste mixture for seasonings and adjust as needed. Refrigerate until ready to serve.

Brush both sides of pita bread lightly with olive oil. Sprinkle one side with salt and pepper. Grill pita bread over high heat until toasted and slightly crispy. Cut each into 8 pieces. (Pita chips can be used as a substitute.)

This dip is a wonderful combination of bold flavors and textures. The chewy crispness of the grilled pita topped with the spicy, salty, tangy feta dip makes a delicious bite. Make a full batch of this…it goes fast.

I almost didn’t make this dish, for fear that it would seem like I was “cheating” by taking my idea from a pre-made product. But then I realized that likely everything I’ve ever made has been made before in some form. After all, I’m not reinventing the wheel here, I’m just trying to make it my own…