I have a recipe for a cheese dip that while it won't keep forever, it will keep for a little while. But with a tea light candle as Linda suggests, and occasional stirring, it should keep even longer. 8 oz cream cheese 8 oz shredded cheddar or jack 8 oz salsa Throw it all in a saucepan and heat, stirring occasionally, till thoroughly melted and combined.

We have been having a meat fondue every New Years (or eve) for the last 40 years. It's so good no one ever wants to go out! We cut up beef tenderloin and fondue it in oil -- and yes, it's dangerous. Every meal starts with Dad's safety lecture... We also do breaded mushrooms in the same oil -- so good! We've tried various fondue pots, but what works best is actually a Fry Daddy, a little deep fat fryer. They're preset to maintain the right temperature, so we never have a problem with the oil cooling down too far. True, it's not very elegant, and there's that electrical cord hanging down. But the meat's just so darned good that nobody cares about the pot! Especially with bearnaise sauce as Yogacat mentioned. The bearnaise is the whole family's favorite, though I do seven different sauces for luck. I also love a cheese fondue with sourdough french bread. But 'rich' is right! Definitely, add wine or kirsch if it gets too thick, and again, proper temperature control is key. Probably won't do that this year 'cause there are just too many calories... Gotta save 'em for the beef and mushrooms. (Then again, with the recipe above, if I only use one pound of cheese, I couldn't gain more than a pound, right?) For chocolate fondue, add a bit of creme de menthe or peppermint schnapps to a dark chocolate base. To die for!

oohh. Love those. I like the orange. It is the new 'black' in NYC right now, haha. My kitchen is void of color except for seasonal changes...just got some orange towels. Never had a fondue pot but made my own version out of an italian expresso coffee can for BagnaCauda...a big hit at my holiday party. Keeping it warm is important as the dip is much thinner and slips right off the veggies for just the right amount of flavor...Having three warm dipping choices would be so cool. I'm jealous of your score. I've only made the traditional one with olive oil but this one with cream looks good... (The sterno things are safe. It is basically a denatured alcohol that is gelled. Burns very clean. Much cleaner than a candle.) Here is a link that might be useful: BagnaCauda

I made a very soft caramel about a week ago, trying out a new recipe. It was indescribably delicious and VERY easy. I had no immediate use for it so our dinner that night was a bowl of warmed caramel with a mound of homemade pound cake cubes and apple slices. DH, DS2 and I agreed that is was the best fall supper EVER! When we moved I gave away our fondue set from Williams Sonoma as it was almost u recognizable under its thick layer of dust. But we were able to enjoy a fondue-ish iexperience without all the equipment, and I would recommend it as a fun interactive dessert for those who don’t want any more kitchen stuff. The informal approach wouldn’t work with cheese or, obviously with meat as you can’t keep oil hot without a heat source,