It has been my experience that anchovies and garlic (the dynamic duo) can ward off almost any illness (not to mention werewolves, vampires, and witches (picture provided).

Plus anchovies and garlic just taste fabulous together. So when I decided I wanted to feature them in a creamy spread, I of course went to my source of all things edible – the internet.

How in the wild world of haute cuisine did we ever exist without the internet? And why are there still people out there who refuse to even open the lid of a laptop? (Why am I asking you? You’re on the internet reading my ramblings!) Anyway, my point is – the internet is WONDERFUL!

So of course when I went recipe searching, there were lots of recipes with anchovies and garlic as key ingredients. None of the recipes however (at least in the 10 or so search pages I perused) seemed from first glance to achieve the creamy results I was after – except for one. So borrowing the bones of this dish from Darlene Hinton’s recipe on the Allrecipes site, I came up with this spread.

Now I know there are those of you out there who are anchovyphobic. I blame that on bad press. I mean really, if oysters hadn’t for centuries been touted as aphrodisiacs, who in their right mind would have ever put one of those ugly things in their mouth?

Anyway, please don’t hesitate to give this spread a try even if you do have a wee problem with hairy little fishes. (Just kidding.) And as a side note, anchovies are a truly wonderful addition to many dishes. I often start a red pasta sauce by melting a couple of anchovies in olive oil. And anchovies are simply wonderful in salads (think Caesar) or on pizzas, where they add just a lovely saltiness.

So be brave. Next time you serve Italian food, make this spread as a before dinner appetizer. It’s easy, relatively inexpensive, and different. That’s a good thing.

And regarding the picture of the “lady” who is about to open her front door to trick-or-treaters; if you consistently eat anchovies and garlic, you should never have to fear meeting the likes of her!

• 2 small cloves garlic, rough chopped
• 7-8 anchovy fillets
• 6 T. unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1 (8-oz.) package cream cheese, room temperature
• ¼ c. sour cream
• 2 dashes hot pepper sauce (I use Frank’s Red Hot Original)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 1 T. finely chopped fresh chives

Combine the garlic, anchovies, butter, cream cheese, sour cream, hot pepper sauce, and pepper in the container of a food processor. Process until smooth. Stir in the chives. Transfer to a serving bowl, and refrigerate for at least 6 hours or better yet, over night. Serve at room temperature with plain crackers (not quite as plain as saltines) or toasted baguette slices.