At California Pizza Kitchen restaurants across the country, many of the favorite dishes (and most-requested recipes) are not the pizzas! Customers keep coming back for the boldly flavored pastas, soups, salads, and side dishes. The follow-up to the bestselling California Pizza Kitchen Cookbook, this new cookbook serves CPK customers just what they ordered -- secret restaurant recipes
A vast majority of CPK employees list this dip as their own and their customers' favorite appetizer. If you like, try serving it with wedges of fresh-baked focaccia in place of the tortilla chips.
Makes 8 to 10 servings
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3/4 cup diced white or yellow onion, cut into 1/8-inch dice
1 1/2 tablespoons minced garlic
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken stock (preferable homemade)
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
2 tablespoons dehydrated chicken stock base or crumbled bouillon cubes
1 1/2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon sugar
3/4 cup sour cream
12 ounces frozen spinach, defrosted, drained, wrung out by hand, and coarsely chopped
6 ounces canned artichoke bottoms, drained and cut into 1/8-inch slices
1 cup finely shredded Monterey Jack cheese
3/4 teaspoon Tobasco Sauce
Blue and white corn tortilla chips
In a large saucepan, warm the olive oil and butter together over medium heat. When the butter has melted, add the onion and cook, stirring occasionally, until wilted, 3 to 4 minutes. Stir in the garlic and cook 2 to 3 minutes longer, stirring frequently and stopping before the onion and garlic brown.
Sprinkle the flour and continue cooking, stirring continuously, until the mixture turns a golden-blond color, 10 to 15 minutes. Then, whisking continuously, slowly pour in the stock until it is smoothly incorporated. When the mixture begins to simmer, stir in the cream. Let it return to the simmer. Remove from the heat, add the parmesan, chicken base or bouillon cubes, lemon juice, and sugar, and stir until thoroughly blended.
Add the sour cream, spinach, artichoke bottoms, Monterey Jack cheese and Tobasco sauce, and stir until the ingredients are thoroughly combined and the cheese has melted. Transfer to a warmed serving bowl and serve immediately, accompanied by blue and white corn tortilla chips.
