Author Nick Roumel with Frank Weir (right) at his recent retirement party at Grizzly Peak in Ann Arbor.
Frank Weir’s cream cheese party dip
This column is a tribute to my former editor at the Washtenaw County Legal News, Frank Weir, who has retired after several years.
He brought me onto the Legal News, encouraged me, and often provided feedback on my articles.
He has given my law firm embarrassingly extensive coverage. More importantly, he is one of the friendliest and most enthusiastic people I have ever met.
Because he is such a friend, I am allowing him the rare privilege of a guest recipe submission.
Frank’s guest submission is below. He reminds us how our favorite recipes are often intertwined with the memories that go with them.
Take it away, Frank!
My Favorite Recipe – Cream Cheese Party Dip
By Frank Weir
My favorite recipe has to be something that may sound pedestrian and ordinary but it’s a winner.
It’s a favorite from childhood and is a cream cheese based dip.
My mother made it all the time for parties and special occasions and of course I got to lick up the beaters after preparation.
I think I preferred it to the cake frosting beaters.
My brothers and I always anticipated left over dip after my parents’ parties; I even remember the dip bowl she served it in.
Part of the beauty of this recipe is that it truly works as well with fresh veggies as it does with chips and I always use the lower fat Neufchatel cream cheese.
My mom never remembered where she found the recipe admitting it was not her own invention. But she lives on with this recipe since many of my adult friends with whom we have shared it love it along with my wife and children.
Ingredients
• 1 package Neufchatel cream cheese.
• 1 Tablespoon beef bouillon granules.
• 1 dash Worcestershire Sauce.
Preparation
Allow cream cheese to soften and place in bowl. Stir with wooden spoon or spatula and then make an indentation in the center.
Place beef bouillon granules in the indentation and add one or two tablespoons of very hot water so as to liquefy the bouillon.
Add a dash of Worcestershire and then use an electric beater to mix thoroughly.
Allow mixture to cool and then move to your serving bowl.
Serve with chips and cut up finger-sized portions of cauliflower, green and red peppers, cucumbers, even asparagus or one of my favorites: broccoli.
Yes, even broccoli works very well with this.
You can vary the bouillon and Worcestershire to suit your taste but be careful with both. They can quickly make the mixture too salty.
Readers, I am writing this article a day after losing a trial. I went out of my comfort zone and tried an injury case, where my client had his ankle broken in a bar by a bouncer.
The jury was entitled to think that negligence was not involved.
I, on the other hand, have been doing a lot of post-trial second-guessing, soul searching, and of course, drinking.
But the next day, I still have to get up and go to the office.
In a similar fashion, while I will greatly miss Frank, I am excited to continue working with my new editor Jo Mathis, another long time friend.
Life doesn’t stop, it just changes. Have some cream cheese party dip, and keep on movin’.
Happy retirement and thanks, Frank!
––––––––––
Nick Roumel is a principal with Nacht, Roumel, Salvatore, Blanchard, and Walker PC, a litigation firm in Ann Arbor specializing in employment litigation. He also has many years of varied restaurant and catering experience, has taught Greek cooking classes, and writes a food/restaurant column for “Current” magazine in Ann Arbor.
