Power Outage? Fondue Party!

Hopefully you’re not about to be impacted by the blizzard the east coast has been promised this weekend but, if you are, fondue is a good way to have a hot meal if the power goes out!  At its most basic, fondue is simply melted cheese, chocolate or hot oil into which you dip bites of food for cooking. Keep garlic cloves, white wine (or broth, for a non-alcoholic version) and shredded cheese on hand, along with bread for dipping (slightly stale bread works best) and you will eat like a king!  For the most basic of cheese fondues, all you do is rub the bottom of your fondue pot with a clove or two of garlic, add wine (or broth) and bring to a simmer, then add your cheese a handful at a time and stir until it’s melted! Adding about a tablespoon of cornstarch that has been combined with an equal amount of water or liquor will help to smooth it out and of course you can add any spices, liqueurs (kirsch is popular) and cheese loving foods you like! One of my favorite recipes involves adding lump crabmeat. Cooked shrimp would also be great.  Use your imagination, keep the appropriate fuel for your fondue pot on hand and stay safe if you find yourself surrounded by the fluffy white stuff!

Here are a couple of fun fondue recipes from 1969's The Fondue Cookbook, compiled and edited by Beth Merriman, along with a little info about heaters for fondue pots. Bon appetit!