Recipe Source: Wright, Clifford A. Little Foods of the Mediterranean. Harvard Common Press, Boston, 2003 pp. 56-7
I served this dip at our Fourth of July party and I have got to tell you that I have rarely seen such an easy dish to make. Seriously – it just doesn't get any easier than this. You might be thinking, "Oh, cayenne. I can't serve that to guests, their mouths will catch fire, my drapes will ignite, there goes the house." Well, that's not the case. The yogurt really mitigates the heat of the cayenne, leaving only flavor behind. Even my most capsaicin-challenged guests were able to eat this. It was probably the most popular dip I served that day, much to my surprise.
I did make a few changes. I used all Greek yogurt instead of a mix of regular and strained. I omitted the dill and the olive oil. I also served it with crackers and carrots instead of with French bread. The scallions went into the dip instead of as a garnish. And as usual I increased the garlic. Again, this was much, much more popular than the other dips I served that day.
Yogurt and Cayenne Dip (Açili Esme) (Makes about 8 servings; approx. cost per serving not available)
2 teaspoons kosher salt
12 garlic cloves
2 ¼ cups fat-free Greek yogurt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 scallions, sliced
Equipment:
- Mini-prep mini food processor
- Bowl
- Combine the garlic and salt in the mini-prep and process to a coarse paste.
- Scrape the contents of the mini-prep into a bowl and combine thoroughly with the remaining ingredients. Serve.

