Hi Carol :-) This recipe is from The Classic Italian Cookbook by Marcella Hazan. I have not tried it. I so wish that I had the time to type the introduction that Marcella Hazan gave for this dish but I will type part of it for you.

"In peasant kitchens, bagna caoda is prepared in an earthenware pot, kept warm over drowsily glowing coals while everyone gathers around and dips. When the vegetables are finished, the fire is stirred up and eggs are broken into the pot and scrambled with the rest of the sauce. Today in the smart trattorie of Piedmont, bagna caoda is served in individual earthenware chafing dishes with built-in candle warmers. At home I prefer to make and serve bagna caoda in a single pot. It is both better for the sauce and more fun. But, however you do it, it is important that the dip be kept warm the entire time one is eating. The heat should be kept at a minimum, at no more than candle-warmer intensity, because the dip must not continue to cook after it is prepared. An earthenware pot is all but indispensible for bagna caoda. If you don't already have one, this is the best of reasons for getting one."

Bagna Caoda
For 6 to 8 persons

3/4 cup olive oil
3 Tbsp. butter
2 tsp. finely chopped garlic
8 to 10 flat anchovy fillets, chopped
1 tsp. salt

Heat the oil and butter until the butter is thoroughly liquified and barely begins to foam. (Don't wait for the foam to subside or the butter will be too hot.) Add the garlic and saute very briefly. It must not take on any color. Add the anchovies and cook over very low heat, stirring frequently, until the anchovies dissolve into a paste. Add salt, stir, and bring to the table along with raw vegetables.

The vegetables

cardoons: The traditional vegetable for bagna caoda is a very tender, sweet, dwarf cardoon found in many sections of the Piedmont. The large cardoon available here in Italian markets is tougher and often bitter. You might try using the heart, however, which can be quite nice at times. Wash it thoroughly and cut into 4 sections, like a celery heart. Rub the cut parts with a little lemon juice or the cardoon will discolor.

artichokes: You don't need to trim artichokes for bagne caoda as you do for recipes where they are cooked. Rinse the artichokes in cold water and serve it whole. One pulls off a leaf at a time, dips it, and bites off just the tender part.

broccoli: Cut off the florets and put aside for use in any recipe for cooked broccoli. Serve just the stalks, after peeling the tough outer skin.

spinach: Use only young, crisp spinach. Wash very thoroughly in several changes of cold water until the water shows no traces of soil. Serve with the stems on because they provide a hold for dipping.

zucchini: Only very fresh, small, young, glossy-skinned zucchini are suitable. Wash thoroughly in cold water, lightly scraping the skin to remove any embedded soil. Cut lengthwise into sections 1 inch thick.

sweet peppers: Wash in cold water and cut into quarter sections. Remove the seeds and the pulpy inner core.

celery: Discard any bruised or tough outer stalks. Wash very carefully in cold water.

carrots: Scrape or peel, clean, and cut lengthwise into sections 1/2 inch thick.

radishes: Cut off the root tips, wash in cold water, and serve with stems and leaves, attractive and helpful for dipping, left on.

asparagas: This is a vegetable you will never see served with bagna caoda in Piedmont. The very thought scandalizes my Piedmont friends. Bagna caoda is a winter dish, asparagas is a spring vegetable and never the twain, et cetera. It is a pity for them, because I have never tasted any better vegetable with this dip. Use the freshest asparagas you can find, with the crispest stalks and tightest stalks. Trim and peel. Wash it with cold water and add a generous quantity of it to the vegetable bowl because it will be very popular.

This is not necessarily a definitive list of vegetables suitable for bagna caoda. You should feel free to make your own discoveries. Remember, though, this is a dip for vegetables frshly picked at the peak of their development. Use only the youngest, sweetest variety of them as possible. And, before serving pat all the vegetables dry with a towel.