Hopgood Crab Dip

So the town's going crazy over most restaurants on Roncesvalles these days, including East Coast joint Hopgoods Foodliner. People are specifically going crazy over the chef's recipe for crab dip - served with Triscuits. Very retro/church basement. Now, I have yet to visit this establishment, but thanks to Toronto Life's first cookbook, a magazine-sized collection of recipes from Toronto's hippest restaurants, I was able to enjoy hot crab dip with friends in the privacy of my own home!
This is a cream cheese-based recipe, not my usual fare, but we were having people over for a dinner party and I wanted to impress with my cheesy appetizers. I started by whipping 12 oz softened cream cheese for about 3 min, then beating in 5 Tbsp mayo. I added 2 cups crab (let's not kid ourselves - I used the fake stuff, the crab-flavoured pollock or whatever it is. I don't care what you say, that stuff's delicious), 2 chopped green onions, and 1 grated garlic clove.
Some finishing touches - lemon zest and juice of one lemon, 2 pinches of cayenne, 3 dashes Worcester sauce (yum!) and a pinch of salt. Once in the warm dip bowls (this recipe filled two small ones) they were topped with a nice mix of 1/4 cup panko bread crumbs and 1/4 cup grated cheese. I used cheddar, but the recipe called for parmesan. Bake at 375 for 15-20 min so it can get warm and gooey.

Mmm this stuff was addictive. I served it with Triscuits, as per Mr. Hopgood, and it was a big hit. Very cheesy, meaty with crab, with some great flavours - maybe a little strong on the garlic, but that's easy to fix. The recipe did make a ton though - we had leftovers, but there was a lot of food that night so I won't blame my cheap, delicious imitation crab. Which I keep buying now to put in cold rolls. And just eat plain. Out of the fridge.