Not for the faint of heart when it comes to calories, but Bagna Cauda is so good. I first had it when I was in college, at a ski lodge in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. That's who should be eating it: slender, athletic college kids who spent all day incinerating calories on the slopes.

Don't be alarmed about the anchovies: they dissolve into the butter and you don't know they are there, except it just tastes good. You need to serve this in the kitchen because there are lots of drips. I don't know why you couldn't cook up some shrimp to dip in it, and just think about lobster and/or crab legs.

Bagna Cauda
Dip:
1/3 cup olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic
6 tablespoons butter, cut up
1 can (2 oz) anchovy fillets, drained and chopped
Vegetables:
baby carrots
large heads fennel, halved cored and cut lengthwise into 1 inch strips
red, green, yellow bell peppers
heads of Belgium endive, separated into leaves
cooked artichoke leaves
French bread (baguette), sliced

Heat oil and garlic in a wide saucepan over low heat just until garlic turns golden. Add butter and anchovies and cook until butter melts. Serve hot with raw vegetables and bread.

I don't think I've ever seen a pie recipe like this one, and am considering whether the filling, even without the coconut, would be a nice pudding to eat with a spoon.

Creamy Coconut Pie

1 9 inch pie crust
2 c. Whipping cream
1/4 c. Cornstarch
3 Egg yolks
3/4 c. Sugar
3/4 c. Flaked coconut
2 Tbsp. Butter
1-1/4 t. Vanilla
Topping:
1-1/2 c. Whipping cream
3-1/2 Tbsp. Sugar
1-1/4 t. Vanilla
1/4 c. Flaked coconut, toasted

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Bake pie crust using a 9-inch glass pie plate. Cool completely. Meanwhile, in a 2-quart saucepan, beat 2 cups whipping cream and the cornstarch with whisk until dissolved. Beat in egg yolks and 3/4 cup sugar until blended. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture boils. Boil for 1 minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat. Stir in 3/4 cup coconut, butter and vanilla. Pour into cooled baked pie shell, cover and refrigerate 15 minutes. In chilled medium bowl, beat whipping cream, sugar and vanilla with electric mixer on medium speed until soft peaks form. Spread over pie and sprinkle with toasted coconut. Refrigerate until set, about 2 hours. * Coconut can be toasted 5-7 minutes on ungreased cookie sheet while oven preheats.

Here's another something different: fruitcake cherries in a frozen fruit salad.

Frozen Fruitcake Salad

1 c. Sour Cream
4 oz. Whipped topping
1/2 c. Sugar
2 Tbps. Lemon juice
1 t. Almond flavoring
1 (13 oz) can Crushed pineapple, drained
2 medium Bananas, diced
1/2 c. Green candied cherries, sliced
1/2 c. Red candied cherries, sliced
1/2 c. Walnuts, chopped

Blend sour cream, whipped topping, sugar, lemon juice and almond flavoring together. Fold in fruits and walnuts. Pour into a ring mold lined with plastic wrap. Freeze over night. Unmold on lettuce lined plate. Garnish with additional candied cherries. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Here's something else. Be sure to use tart apples to offset all the sweet stuff.

Apple Nachos

35 large Marshmallows
1/4 c. Butter
35 Caramels
1 Tbsp. Evaporated milk
1/4 c. Mini chocolate chips, semi sweet
2 Tbsp. Chocolate syrup
Peanuts

Slice apples and arrange on a platter. In a saucepan melt marshmallows and butter until creamy; set aside. In a microwave safe dish, melt caramels with milk, cooking in 30 second intervals and stirring; set aside. Pour marshmallow cream over apple slices. Top with caramel sauce. Drizzle chocolate syrup and sprinkle peanuts and chocolate chips on top.