What is it about dips that keep people eating them long after the crackers and celery sticks are depleted? I’ve seen many partygoers reach for anything they could – from potato chip crumbs to spoons – to capture that one last swipe from the dip bowl when they think nobody is looking. And then there are those who sneak in a finger and forget to cover their tracks. Put a ramekin of creamy Roquefort under my chin and count me among the sinners.

Dips offer a creative and satisfying component to food spreads. Where party hosts might fail at making the puff appetizers puffy, they can easily compensate for their deflated mistakes with a few good dips on the table. As one foodie friend of mine bluntly stated, “If you don’t like dips, there’s something wrong with you.”

Mankind has been dipping its food into things for millennia. The Greeks gave us hummus and tzatziki. The Spanish concocted tapenades. Mexicans brought guacamole to the forefront. And throughout the culinary history of Asia there was always soy sauce.

Versatile and irresistible, dips provide an informal way of eating despite their entrance onto fancy buffet tables over the years. They pick up in character where those cheese boards leave off. Add an unusual, colorful serving bowl into the mix, along with a closed-circuit camera to monitor your guests as they graze, and see how your savory dips begin disappearing.

Below are a few home recipes of my favorite dips that few can resist.

(makes about 1 1/2 cups)

4 oz. blue cheese, crumbled finely

2/3 cup plain yogurt

3 tbsp. milk

3 oz. shelled pistachios

1/2 teaspoon course ground black pepper

Mix well blue cheese crumbles, yogurt and milk with a fork. Coarsely chop the nuts and stir into the mix. Cover and chill for at least one hour. Serve with crusty bread, celery sticks or apple wedges.

(makes about 2 cups)

7 oz. low-fat or regular cream cheese

1/2 cup low-fat mayonnaise

7 oz. pitted green olives

2 scallions finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon course ground black pepper

Blend the cream cheese and mayonnaise in a mixing bowl. Reserve a few olives for garnish and place remaining olives in a small blender and process for a few seconds until chopped. Add the processed olives and scallions into the cheese mixture and mix thoroughly by hand. Season with black pepper, cover and chill. Serve with breadsticks and warm breads.

(makes about 1 1/2 cups)

7 oz. sour cream

1/2 tsp. Dijon mustard

3 oz. cooked lean ham, finely diced

3 oz. Gruyere cheese, finely grated

1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped

3/4 tsp. ground black pepper

Thoroughly mix the sour cream and mustard in a bowl. Add the ham and cheese and combine well. Stir in the parsley and black pepper. Cover and chill for at least one hour. Serve with small crusty bread rolls, sliced cucumber or carrot strips.

2 oz. can anchovies in olive oil, drained

7 oz. cream cheese

1 medium onion, chopped

1-2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tbsp. fresh lemon juice

1 tbsp. fresh chives, chopped

Pinch of ground black pepper

Place the anchovies, cream cheese, onion, garlic and lemon juice in a blender and process for about 30 seconds until smooth. Transfer mixture into a serving bowl, add black pepper, cover and chill. Serve with assorted olives, halved fresh mushrooms or heart bread.