Cheese Fondue

Winter, that hard, hard season, is nearly behind us.

I might be exaggerating about it being hard, though. We had snow sticking on the ground once in January, and otherwise it's been really mild. But hey, the weather was chilly enough for hearty, rich food.

With Valentine's Day happening this week, the Man and I weren't sure what to do to celebrate - or even what our track record was on "celebrating." We're taking the low-key option. We got flowers at the weekly market on Saturday, with plenty of buds that will unfurl all week long. And as for going out to dinner... well, why compete with the hordes? We have a decadent recipe for fondue, and that's a perfect way for us to indulge without having to even leave the house.

We took these pictures at the end of last summer, when the weather was still decent enough - and the sun shone late enough - to eat outside on our balcony. That weather will be back soon enough!

Cheese Fondue

recipe adapted/translated from chefkoch

prep time: 15 minutes
cook time: 20 minutes

serves 2

equipment:

a fondue set (fondue pot, stand, burner, burner stand, and skewers)

ingredients:

1 clove garlic, halved
150 ml (5 oz) white wine
150 grams (5 oz) Emmentaler cheese
150 grams (5 oz) Gruyere cheese
1 tbsp Kirschwasser or other brandy
1/2 tbsp corn starch
salt, pepper and nutmeg to taste
1 baguette, cut into cubes

directions:

Cut the garlic clove in half. Rub the fondue pot with one of the halves. Add the wine and put the fondue pot on the stove over low heat. When the wine warms up, add the cheese bit by bit, stirring constantly until it melts. Gently press the other half of the garlic clove and add it to the cheese.

Mix the corn starch with the Kirschwasser/brandy, then add to the cheese-and-wine mixture. Keep stirring constantly and bring the mix to a low bubble.

Light the burner or candle of the fondue set and transfer the pot to its place above the burner. Stir in salt, pepper and nutmeg. Keep an eye on the heat once it's on the burner stand - you don't want it to burn.

Dip cubes of baguette or crusty bread into the cheese using skewers. Delish!