Fondid

Saturday we had some friends over for some Fondue. This is the second time in a few weeks we have done fondue because, well.....hello? Melted cheese?

I received the fondue pot as a Christmas present and it's a Rachael Ray (*yarf*) fondue pot. It's a really good pot, despite the spokeswoman attached to it. I highly, highly, highly, recommend getting one of these babies as it's SO GOOD and SO EASY, especially if you are entertaining. I had been saving this Domino magazine recipe just for such an occasion.

We put our own little twist on it, however. Jeff spotted a snippet in a magazine about a restaurant in New York called Dylan Prime that serves fondue as an appetizer. According to the magazine, it's a gruyère, gorgonzola and white cheddar fondue served with beef tips, sour dough bread, and what looked like slices of granny smith apples (it was a tiny picture).

So...here is my recipe, sort of a blending of the two:

• ½ lb. white cheddar
  
• ½ lb. gruyère
• ½ lb. gorgonzola (buy a tub of the crumbled stuff)
  
• 2 tbsp. cornstarch
  
• 1 garlic clove
• 1 cup dry white wine
• 1 tbsp. kirsch or brandy
• 1 tbsp. lemon juice
• pinch ground black pepper

Grate the cheeses into a medium-size bowl and toss together with the cornstarch. Cut garlic clove in half and rub cut sides over the bottom of a saucepan; discard. Pour wine, kirsch and lemon juice into saucepan, and bring to a gentle simmer on the stove. Add large handfuls of cheese, one at a time, and stir until melted. Repeat until you've added all the cheese and the fondue is smooth. Add black pepper to pan; stir. Pour mixture into a fondue pot. Light the fondue burner and place the pot on top at a low heat—just enough to keep the cheese warm and liquid.

Served with:

• smoked sausage of your choice, cut into rounds and broiled until heated through and slightly brown and crispy
• cubes of sourdough bread
• slices of granny smith apples
• roasted baby or fingerling potatoes
• roasted mushrooms
• baked tofu cut into cubes (we had vegetarians over)
  
• cherry tomatoes

I roasted the potatoes by themselves the sausage by itself, and the tofu cubes and mushrooms together and just kept everything warm. I have two ovens so this was easier for me. I tired finding those fancy baby vegetables, but as it's pre-spring my grocery store didn't have anything that cosmopolitan. I bet rounds of roasted zucchini would be good, and I was going to roast whole cloves of garlic but I forgot. I make chocolate pudding for dessert and I am already dreaming about other cheese combinations to try.

** Thanks to Annie for the word "yarf". I had to steal that one from you.