My mom and dad entertained a lot during the course of my childhood. This dip is a taste from those evenings when the lights were low, the women wore cocktail dresses, and everyone drank martinis and Manhattans. Mom would make the dip in the morning, promising my brothers and me that we could have a small bowl of it with some potato chips if we stayed upstairs during the party. (It's also good with pita chips.) Years later, my daughter is serving this dip to rave reviews!
