Spreads

The ultimate onion dip? You decide.

Nigella Lawson If we're talking about family favorites, I couldn't leave liptauer out. It was the deli counter delicacy of my childhood and another eating item I'd all but forgotten about. But something made me remember it, and from taste-memory and some notes from the kitchen book inherited by my friend Olivia from her mother, I tried my hand at making it myself. I can confidently and categorically state that it's not some sentimental yearning that makes me want to see its comeback. You don't need to go in for the retro-molding here, just mix the ingredients and plonk them in a bowl if you like; but whatever, this glorious cream cheese, caper, caraway seed, and paprika combination, spread over sour black bread or — if you don't have the genetic taste for it — over slices of any dark or brown bread that you can get from the supermarket, is rhapsodically unbeatable.

This hors d'oeuvre is as simple as it is flavorful, and it's especially good in the summertime, when the best fresh tomatoes are available. This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This is very easy to prepare and it makes an elegant addition to any party.

(Crostini di Fegatini) Crostini means "little crusts," and in Tuscany, almost every meal begins with a platter of toasted bread slices topped with chopped tomatoes, olive paste or this all-time favorite spread made with chicken livers. Use thin slices of an Italian or French country-style loaf, and serve these crostini with the chicken liver spread on top, or just present the pâté in a pretty bowl surrounded by the toasted baguette slices. Salami and prosciutto would be delicious accompaniments.

This condiment can be tossed with asparagus and potatoes for an easy salad, dolloped onto scrambled eggs, or spread on bruschetta.

The creation of chef Monique Barbeau of Fullers at the Sheraton Seattle Hotel & Towers. Serve the terrine as an appetizer with toasted bread, or as a cheese course accompanied with a glass of Port.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This simple, delicious treat is excellent spread over scones or toast and comes together in practically no time at all.

Serve this tapenade on bruschetta or as a sandwich spread.

This is quick, easy and delicious - the perfect addition to a holiday buffet.

By the seventies, Julia Child, through her books and television shows, had made French food accessible, and the Cuisinart, introduced in 1973, made many of the cuisine’s more complicated techniques quick and simple. As a result, pâté became increasingly popular, and remains so today.

This recipe was created to accompany Spinach and Endive Salad with Lemon-Ginger Dressing and Crisp Won Ton Strips. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

"When I had dinner with my son recently at Wild Abandon restaurant in Portland, our bread was served with a garlicky potato spread," says Pauline E. Dickey of Medford, Oregon. "It was a nice alternative to the usual butter or olive oil."

Nonfat yogurt and low-fat mayonnaise provide a creamy base for this dipping sauce for the artichokes. It's also great with asparagus, as well as with grilled tuna, salmon, chicken or flank steak. Begin making the sauce the day before serving since the yogurt needs to drain overnight.