Instructions: In the movie "Castaway," a coconut was quite a lifesaver.

Chuck Noland (Tom Hanks character) drank its juice when fresh water couldnt be found; used the shell to collect raindrops; started a fire with the coconuts fibrous shreds; and of course, ate the white flesh.

For most of us, coconut is the packaged, white shredded stuff we buy in the supermarket. It isnt exactly a lifesaver in the kitchen, but you can make some really terrific food with it, especially desserts.

For spring and summer entertaining, its difficult to do better than an elegant coconut cake with its layers of white and mountains of thick, sticky frosting.

Theres just enough tangy lemon curd between the cake layers to temper the sugar load, and the slices are a perfect harmony of texture, balancing moist frosting and tender crumb. The flakes of coconut that stipple the surface give it a gorgeous finish.

Coconut cake is the kind of dessert that people used to make before boxed cake-in-a-flash mixes came along. It takes some time to prepare, but is worth the effort. You can freeze the
leftovers, if you have any, but thats doubtful.

Coconut cream pie is a bit easier on the cook and is amazingly light and refreshing, so a good choice for dessert as the weather gets warmer. Here, too, texture elements are pleasing: crispy pastry, creamy custard, fluffy whipped cream and chewy coconut all in one bite. Spreading a small amount of preserves in the pie shell helps prevent sogginess. This dessert is freezable, too.

Coconut bread is a more austere dessert, a quick bread similar to coffee cake. Its enough as is, but also swell when served with a ball of ice cream.

You might try it next time youre looking to make something instead of your tried-and-true banana bread or cranberry nut loaf.

Most packaged varieties of shredded or flaked coconut are sweetened, but you can buy unsweetened versions, often at health food and specialty stores. For dessert, the sweetened variety is fine, but if you find it too cloying, soak the pieces in some warm water for about a half hour, then drain the coconut thoroughly.

You can make your own grated coconut, too. Start with a fresh coconut, that ugly, brown hairy ball of a thing. Choose one that feels heavy for its size and shake it. You should be able to hear liquid sloshing around inside.

Dont buy one that is cracked.

Youll find three black stem markings on the husk that make the nut look remarkably like a monkey. (In fact, centuries ago, Portuguese traders gave coconut its name. In their language, "coco" means monkey).

Pierce these black markings with a screwdriver (hammer it in) or use a large, sturdy corkscrew. Drain the liquid and drink it or use it (in curries or as a substitute for some of the milk called for in the recipes) within a day. Coconut juice may be frozen.

To open the coconut, hammer the surface until it cracks open. If that doesnt work, preheat the oven to 350 degrees, drain the coconut and bake it for 20 minutes. It usually cracks from the heat; let it cool before you proceed. Take the flesh from the shell with the tip of a small, sharp knife.

Remove the thin, brown peel with a vegetable peeler. You can hand-grate the flesh or use a food processor.

Fein is the author of "The Complete Idiots Guide to Cooking Basics" (MacMillan, third edition, $16.95) Modesto, California BEE

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