Dip Showdown: And the Winner Is . . .

Man, oh man, was this a hard one. Toughest competition yet. I’ve been angsting all week about picking a winner for our Dip Showdown, where Chow Bella’s ambitious cooks all brought in their own tempting dip recipes, in anticipation of our country’s most dip-worthy holiday, the Super Bowl. (Yes, I said holiday. Whether you like sports or not, you know it’s true.)

Jonathan knocked us out with shameless decadence, serving warm Nothing Left to Lose Beer Cheese, while Claire went old-school with delicious Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Artichoke Dip. Cheri got creative with her original Curry Some Flavor Dip, and Sativa busted out her mom’s recipe, Teacher’s Lounge Spicy Dip. Laura’s Zingy Bean Dip was also killer, the kind of thing you could spend an afternoon scooping up with chips.

Well, like I said, this one was so close. But ultimately, I have to go with Cheri’s creamy, salty, curry dip, which turned ordinary vegetables into a shameless indulgence. I could eat a whole platter of cucumbers and carrots dipped into this stuff. And although it would make a great Super Bowl nosh, it’s a dip recipe that I can imagine serving year-round, a very welcome alternative to Ranch or onion dip.