In the culinary realm, there are many categories of foods. Spreads, often paired with dip recipes, are in the appetizer category because the recipes are easy to make, yummy and offer that little something to go along with the rest of your meal.

But, spreads really aren’t the same as their dipping cousins. Spreads are a semi-thin-to-thick layer of something applied with a knife. A dip is thinner and made for coating a chip or a piece of broccoli.

Spreads can go on all kinds of bases — crackers, breads and rolls of all kinds, bagels, English muffins, sturdy chips or vegetables — such as a piece of celery.

Spreads can also go with any meal, often as an accent, and they come in large variety of delivery methods — jams, jellies, chutneys, butters, soft cheeses, molten chocolate, curds, hummus, relishes, pâtés, tapenades and sometimes condiments, such as flavored mayos and mustards.

Although spreads can be served in a bowl with a small knife for serving, they can also be shaped — like a cheese ball or Super Bowl football. They can be served in bread bowl or molded into rings, or even shaped into small rounds for individual servings. And, they can be served hot or cold.

Generally, spreads fall into categories — those with a fish or meat base, others with a vegetable or nondairy recipe, some have a cheese base and others are sweet. Go wild, and serve a spread as part of the meal’s dessert course.

Spreads can also form the main ingredient in sandwich fillings as well as accenting and adding flavor to the bread surrounds. Think tuna salad sandwich spread paired with bacon cream cheese spread.

One thing about spreads that makes them attractive as appetizers is that individuals can put as much or as little of the topper on their snacks as they choose, as generally spreads are not placed on their base food at the time of serving. In the case of crackers and breads, prespreading would result in a soggy morsel, sure to collapse when picked up. If you plan to prespread, lightly toast breads to maintain their crispness and spread just before serving.

Look for small individual serving knives so guests can spread their own treats, or leave a larger knife or small paddle in the spread’s container for communal serving.

— Reporter: gwizdesigns@aol.com