Pates, Layered Dips and Such
 

When I was kid, you couldn't get me near a pate...couldn't even stand the smell of it. Chicken livers? Don't even go there! Salmon? Yuck! But now...noshing with some pate on crackers...yummmmm. What are some of your recipes for creamy pates (especially those fabulous French ones,) unusual layered dips, creamy veggie purees, with booze or without, etc.?

I make a very easy (smoked) salmon dip. You can also make it as a log and google Smoked Salmon Log for more ideas. It is better made the day before, but you can whip it up and use it immediately. We serve it inside the sweet small peppers in various colors and then dip the tops in the fresh parsley/nut mixture -- keto/low carb friendly! Here's a link to a slightly different but close recipe, below is what I've been doing since the 1970s!
https://www.food.com/recipe/fantasti...arty-log-69676

1 can salmon (drain but save the juice in case you need a little liquid)
1 block cream cheese (I prefer Neufchatel because it's softer)
1 tsp liquid smoke (the hubby misread my recipe and thought it was 1 table... basically add to taste)

I also use a small amount (2 tbl?) of finely chopped strong yellow onion
A few drops sriracha or tobasco sauce

To be fancy or to make it into a roll, fresh parsley and finely chopped walnuts.

When I was young, I got into a cheese ball making era. My DMIL made them all the time. One had little cut squares of pastrami on outside. One used cheddar and had chopped pecans on outside. I'm sure I have her recipes in my special box, if interested.
One of my favorite dips is 7-Layer Dip. Refried beans, Picante, sour cream, guacamole, grated cheese, sliced black olives. I'm missing one!
BTW, pork rinds are keto-friendly.

Both of these sound really good.

Iceblossom, what about possibly adding some capers to your salmon log? I'm thinking gooood. :)

aashley333, the cheese ball is a classic. Please post recipe if it's not too inconvenient. I love the 7 layer dip too. I haven't made one of those in ages.

I'm going to look for a french liver pate recipe and post it. I've made them before, but never kept the recipe on file.

I've also made an almond pate which is really nice...and vegan. I'll find that recipe too.

I found it! Here is a Chicken Liver Pate that I have made before:
https://www.foodandwine.com/chicken-liver-pate-6423034

I didn't have any hard liquor and it is too expensive to go buy for this recipe, but I did have some sherry, so I substituted that. The pate was excellent. My husband ate almost the whole thing and it's very rich. He must have been feeling a little sick afterwards, but he never let on.

We are planning an eclipse watching party - we're in New England in a perfect spot for viewing the April phenomenon. I've been thinking about food. Several of us have food allergies and sensitivities, so I'm planning a make-your-own 7 layer dip. I thought I'd put the parts in separate bowls and let people take whatever they want. Almond pate sounds intriguing, too.

Realized that some clarification was needed about a "can" of salmon... That would be a tall can, or two short (tuna or catfood) sized cans. That would be roughly 15 oz., I think years ago the standard can of salmon was a full 16 oz.

Shrinkflation where the sizes have been made smaller for more profit/same price have made some difference in old recipes. Some things are still close enough, but there are a lot more sizes now and they aren't always filled with the same amount of ingredients (more liquid for example).

I love the "make your own" layers!!

Me too! I love that idea!

I found a diferent almond-mushroom pate recipe that I had never made before and gave it a try. It was good...not fantastic, but still tasty. However, it was a little dry and the flavors were quite mild. I think it could have used more of a punch as far as flavor goes and perhaps something in there to make it moister. I'm going to keep looking for a better recipe.