Even people who aren't big fans of artichoke seem to enjoy artichoke dips. The mild flavor of the vegetable and is tender texture blend perfectly with cream cheese, mayonnaise or sour cream - at least one of which is almost always a component of artichoke dip. The dips are usually served hot, enhancing the smoothness and the overall flavor.

Hot dips require a little more maintenance than cold dips. You will either need to head back and forth to the kitchen to reheat them, serve them in a chafing dish or try to motivate your guests to eat them really quickly. I like to use two or three smaller bowls, that way one will be ready to go if I need to switch them out. I also try to choose dips that will still taste good at room temperature - and this one definitely does.

The recipe comes from Eating Well magazine and is a little lighter than most artichoke dips, with most of the flavor coming from the artichokes themselves and a generous amount of Parmesan cheese, which is among the lower-fat cheeses out there. Some mayo is included to enhance the consistency of the final dip, which is heated in the oven to produce a slightly crisp top and creamy interior.

I try to buy artichoke hearts packed in water for this recipe, although you can simply rinse off most of the oil if that is the only version you can find canned. I have also made this with frozen artichoke hearts, which works quite well if you cook them and bring them back down to room temperature. You might not need to add salt, depending on how salty your Parmesan cheese is and whether you're going to be serving it with something salty, such as tortilla chips, or something plainer, like chopped veggies.

Hot Artichoke Dip
(from Eating Well magazine)
2 14-ounce cans artichoke hearts, rinsed and drained
2 cups Parmesan cheese, freshly grated
1/2 cup mayonnaise (regular or low fat)
2 cloves garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
pinch cayenne pepper, to taste
Salt & freshly ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400F.
Combine all ingredients in a food processor and whizz until smooth. Spoon into one or two shallow, oven-proof baking dishes.
Bake the dip until golden on top and heated all the way through, about 15 minutes.
(The dip can be heated in the microwave if you need to warm it up faster.)
Makes about 2 2/3 cups.