Spreads

"Because it's cheese! And nuts! In ball form! Best of all, it's infinitely riffable, as these recipes demonstrate. Hurrah, freedom! Hurrah, cheese balls!"

Fleer's family enjoys indoor picnics with brandade (made here with a shortcut: smoked trout) and storebought fixings. "We just sit on the floor and chat and chew," he says.

Top this thickened, spreadable yogurt with a drizzle of olive oil and some spices (we're suckers for za'atar).

You can find labneh at Middle Eastern markets and specialty food stores.or you can make your own.

We love the rich, salty flavor of anchovies, especially with lamb, but we don't really want to bite into one. Chop until they're practically a paste.

You can substitute whitefish or hot-smoked salmon for the trout.

Throw this spread together a day in advance—the flavors will meld and intensify as it sits.

Editor's note: Use this recipe to make Rawia Bishara's Eggplant Napoleon . In most Middle Eastern countries (apart from Nazareth, where baba ghanouj is called mutabal), the ingredients in this dish are as simple as eggplant, garlic and lemon juice—a lightened up, tahini-free version of baba ghanouj. But when I arrived in America, I experimented with various ingredients and found myself adding tomatoes, chile pepper and a hint of cumin to my mutabal. I serve it with grilled meat and chicken. My children love this preparation, which is also great spread on toasted or fresh Arabic bread, crusty flatbread or crackers.

In defense of Velveeta: Its texture is supreme.

Fresh celery lightens this guacamole and adds some serious crunch.

The idea here is to concentrate a few strong complementary flavors to create a cake that is pleasantly bitter and not too sweet. Tartine chiffon cake is made with whole-grain dark buckwheat flour, and then layered with blood orange marmalade and bergamot-infused blackout chocolate ganache. The ganache sets quickly, so cut your cake layers and have your filling and syrup on hand when ready to assemble.

Spruce up your fruit spread by adding this flavorful dip from CARNATION BREAKFAST ESSENTIALS®. Try this Vanilla-Cinnamon Fruit Dip recipe today!

This Old World mustard recipe is an authentic replica of the sweet-style mustard that is served at any Biergarten in Bavaria. Prepare it at least a few days, and preferably a week, before you plan to dip your pretzels.