Nothing drives me more crazy than reading an article that begins with, "Now that fall's here ..."
But this is one case in which I mean it. One of my all-time favorite meals, fondue, doesn't work in the summer. But when the weather turns cold, it's a great excuse for a party, and in Wisconsin, the concept of turning melted cheese into an entire dinner is just too awesome to pass up.
About half of our staff actually remembers the '70s, when fondue parties were less kitschy and more fashionable. The one I specifically recall involved playing Space Invaders on the Magnavox Odyssey, and watching a video disc of some sci-fi movie over at the Lucoff's house in Glendale.
Fast forward to 2007. Your choices for a fondue set range from garage-sale retro, Target-cheap, or in our case, a glass Bodum set from Crate+Barrel, which was a wedding present from our fondue-loving friends, Josh and Stacey.
Get some liquid or gel Sterno, and you're good to go.
Fondue falls roughly into three categories: cheese, meat and dessert. I'm a big fan of the cheese version, and with dipping options of French bread, apples and summer sausage, it really is enough for entire (albeit fattening) dinner party for six.
I found my all-time favorite fondue recipe several years ago on Epicurious.com. As always, please feel free to chime in with your favorite using the Talkback feature below.
1 pound Swiss cheese, grated
1/2 Gruyère cheese, grated
3 tablespoons all purpose flour
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 1/4 cups (about) dry white wine
3 large garlic cloves, minced
1 one-pound crusty French bread or sourdough bread, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
Combine both cheeses, flour, nutmeg and white pepper in large bowl; toss to coat. Bring one cup wine and garlic to simmer in a heavy large saucepan over low heat. Add cheese mixture by handfuls, whisking until melted and smooth after each addition. Mix in more wine by tablespoonfuls to reach desired consistency. Transfer to fondue pot.
Set fondue over candle or canned heat. Serve fondue with bread.
Serves eight to 10.
Andy is the president, publisher and founder of OnMilwaukee. He returned to Milwaukee in 1996 after living on the East Coast for nine years, where he wrote for The Dallas Morning News Washington Bureau and worked in the White House Office of Communications. He was also Associate Editor of The GW Hatchet, his college newspaper at The George Washington University.
Before launching OnMilwaukee.com in 1998 at age 23, he worked in public relations for two Milwaukee firms, most of the time daydreaming about starting his own publication.
Hobbies include running when he finds the time, fixing the rust on his '75 MGB, mowing the lawn at his cottage in the Northwoods, and making an annual pilgrimage to Phoenix for Brewers Spring Training.
