Monday, February 11, 2008

Fondue

Or, "Kate's Amazing Learning Curve". Pfft. I got a fondue pot for Christmas, and I'm going to an "Apres Ski" party this weekend. Maybe before taking fondue to a party, I should try it, huh? First of all, I know I need a heat source under it, so I went to Binz Restaurant Supply and asked them for help. They directed me to the Sterno containers, and I bought 7 or 8, because I'm SURE I'm going to do fondue a lot. Then, I got the fondue pot out and saw that the sterno is way to stinkin' tall for the pot stand. S***.


Let's see...I need to make the stand taller. What an I use to do that? Books? They'll get cheese all over them. Maybe we could balance the sterno and the stand in this bowl?

Hey, Simon's idea, not mine! The sterno is still too tall, and what's to keep the stand from slipping in the bowl and dumping the whole da*n fondue everywhere? Even the bowl looks concerned.

Oh. Guess what? I finally looked INSIDE the f***ing fondue pot, and what do you think I found? A burner. And instructions. "Fill burner with denatured alcohol." What is denatured alcohol? Is it the same thing as rubbing alcohol? I have rubbing alcohol. I filled the burner with it, lit a match and prepared to die. As if I don't routinely singe my eyebrows while priming my backpacking stove with white gas. No problem, though. It lit like a charm. Anybody need 7 Sterno canisters?


All right! I figured out how to light it. Next step: supper. Sara looks unconvinced.


Look Sara! Yummy cheese sauce! Well, OK, it's alittle runny.

More cheese.

We're getting there. I have bread, meat, sweet pickles, peppers...we'll just add broccoli, cauliflower, apples...

When I was a kid in the '70s, my mom had a fondue set, and she would get it out once in a while. We did meat and chocolate, but never cheese. Simon lived in France for years and has a lot of fondue experiences to draw from, although most of them were drunken experiences. I let him demonstrate for the kids. Their primary concern was getting a fondue fork in a color that they liked.

Success! The kids liked dipping things, but didn't like the cheese very much. Gruyere plus Emmenthaler plus dry white wine equals, "This tastes funny." Nate just kept dipping things and piling them up on his plate. Oh, well. The adults liked it. Apres Ski party, here I come. Ready or not.

4 comments:

Trysha said...

I got a fondue set for Christmas and EMT-Dad promptly put it in the garage with all the other Christmas stuff. I couldn't even tell you what color it is.

I had gone to the Melting Pot with a friend a few months back and if that doesn't get you in the mood for Fondue, I don't know what will. Mmmmm....

Unknown said...

ha! ha! - even the bowl looked concerned - LMAO (^o^)

Rebecca said...

I need a fondue set!! I had a Swiss native make it for me once....sublime :) don't forget the Kirsch. We dipped crusty bread, apples, pears, strawberries, grilled chicken, and broccoli. The rule is whoever has to fish out his bread has to do the dishes. Oh, and even the adults squabble over the fondue forks :)

Amrita said...

Wow this looks so good. I 've not had it. Fondue is so good