Creamy Horseradish Dip

Five hundred weeks. I have been writing this blog for five hundred weeks. That is nine years and thirty-six weeks, which is almost ten years, which is almost a decade, which is a word that makes me feel like a piece of furniture — sturdy, reliable, been here longer than anyone expected, occasionally needs a new leg.

Five hundred. Half a thousand. I am going to celebrate the number the only way I know how: by cooking and by telling the truth. The truth is that I started this blog because Denise set up an iPad and told me to write about food. The truth is that I didn't think anyone would read it. The truth is that the first post was about shrimp and grits and the five hundredth post is also about shrimp and grits because the food doesn't change and the love doesn't change and the truth doesn't change: feed people. That is all it ever was.

But I have changed. Five hundred weeks ago I was sixty-one years old and my husband was alive and my knees were original and my blood sugar was my business and my great-grandchildren numbered zero. Now I am seventy-two and my husband is a chair at the table and my left knee is titanium and my blood sugar is managed and my great-grandchildren number twelve (twelve! Michael, Pearl, Amara, David Jr., Elijah, Wayne Jr., Nola, Zoe, Zara, Simone, and two more I have probably forgotten to count, which is the occupational hazard of having twelve great-grandchildren). The math has changed. The woman has changed. The food hasn't. The food is the constant. The food is the thing that survives the changes.

I made shrimp and grits tonight. Week five hundred. The same dish as week one. As week fifty-two. As week one hundred and four. As every year-end, every milestone, every moment that needs to be marked. The grits are stone-ground from the mill on Sapelo Island. The shrimp are local. The butter is generous. The love is total. Five hundred weeks and the dish is the same because the dish was right from the beginning. The dish was always right. I was the one who needed the five hundred weeks to understand what the dish already knew: that the cooking is the living, and the living is the cooking, and both of them are love, and love is the only recipe that never needs to be modified.

Now go on and feed somebody.

After five hundred weeks of shrimp and grits, I always set something out for the table first — something to keep people close while the grits come together on the stove. This creamy horseradish dip has been that thing more times than I can count, spooned into a bowl and placed in the middle of whoever has gathered, because the whole point is to keep people in the same room long enough to remember they love each other. Week five hundred deserves a full table. Start here.

Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 0 minutes | Total Time: 10 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

8 oz cream cheese, softened
1/2 cup sour cream
3 tablespoons prepared horseradish, drained
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon kosher salt, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
2 tablespoons fresh chives, thinly sliced, plus more for garnish
Crackers, crudites, or boiled shrimp for serving

Instructions

Soften the base. Allow cream cheese to sit at room temperature for at least 20 minutes before beginning so it blends smoothly without lumps.
Combine. In a medium bowl, beat the softened cream cheese with a hand mixer or sturdy wooden spoon until smooth and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add the sour cream and beat again until fully incorporated.
Season. Stir in the prepared horseradish, lemon juice, Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Taste and adjust horseradish or lemon juice to your preference — the heat should be present but not sharp.
Fold in the chives. Gently fold in the sliced chives, reserving a pinch for the top.
Chill. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes before serving to allow the flavors to come together. The dip can be made up to two days ahead and kept covered in the refrigerator.
Serve. Transfer to a serving bowl, garnish with remaining chives, and set out with crackers, raw vegetables, or cold boiled shrimp alongside.

Nutrition (per serving)

Creamy Horseradish Dip — The Dish That Feeds the Room, Week After Week