Recipe review: Carrabbas Olive Oil and Herb Dip

I love trying "fake out" restaurant recipes. Carrabbas is one of our favorite chain restaurants. We like it so much, in fact, that Aaron and I got dinner there on our wedding night. My very favorite thing there is their warm bread and dip. So, since the closest Carrabbas is an hour away and we were taking it easy with pasta for dinner, I decided to give this recipe a try:  http://www.cdkitchen.com/recipes/recs/77/Carrabbas-Herb-Oil-for-Dippin86209.shtml

It made 3 tablespoons dry, more with olive oil. Here, I used 2 tsp of dry seasoning.

I think there is something to their olive oil. It has a much richer flavor than the one we have. It really makes or breaks the dip since it's such a strong flavor component. I'm going to marinate the rest in the fridge overnight. Hopefully the flavor will be bolder next time. We sliced and heated some storebought Tuscan Boule to dip with... it was really good. Out of 5 stars, I'd give it 4 because of the olive oil flavor not being as strong.

Atmosphere is so important with food. Even the difference between eating at the kitchen table with placemats versus sitting on the couch, in front of the TV is substantial. At least at the table, you can have a nice conversation with your spouse, family, or friends. Even a simple meal of pasta, canned sauce, and bakery bread can be nice if you put a little effort into it. Here is our yummy complete meal: