great gift ideas, thanks

I have the book that image is from! Classic cheese.

I have that fondue pot, except mine is olive green. :)
And yes, I've hosted fondue parties, recently. They're fun. Did one with the cheese / oil / chocolate trifecta.

Ha! I, too, have the book with that photo.

We just posted a guide to throwing your own Apres Ski party at our website today! http://www.daytracing.com/

I have 2 fondue pots and hope to someday soon to host a fondue party. I have my Mom's olive green one but hers has a pattern around the rim of the pot and I have a red Le Crousete fodue pot that I bought at TJ Maxx for $50 back in the 1990's, still in its original box. Both have their skewers and too.

My parents used to have good family friends over and we'd do the occasional fondue thing with a couple of the pots going for the meat but not since the 80's though.

My parents had the same orange fondue pot. Mine is stainless steel. I think it's time to bring it out again...

I have a dansk cast iron fondue pot -- they usd to sell them for $14 at their outlet stores -- I gave many as gifts.

I haul it out at least once or twice each winter. Hot cheese -- what's not to like.

I still remember the first time I had fondue -- at Simon's Rock early college in '76!

We are lucky enough to live close to a family friendly small ski hill and have purchased a ski cabin there. We host many dinners there for family and friends (one time during spring break the kids outnumbered the adults two to one, but I digress).
Our favourite communal foods are Shabu, Shabu (Japanese) and Raclette (Swiss I think). Both make for lively and interesting dinners.

i'll bring my claudine longet record, don't forget to wear a v neck sweater and a turtleneck dickie.

Hmmm, if Claudine is there you'd better wear a bulletproof vest!

We host fondue parties several times a year - usually meats and tempura-battered sea food and vegetables.

As a Fondue Expert, the electric ones (though not nearly as kitchy and fun) are one million times more effective as they stay hot forever. Like lava.

My cheese fondue recipe can be found here. Delish.

thanks lori, r.i.p. spyder

ahem.

there is nothing "kitschy" about fondue.

as least, not here in Switzerland!

So here is some Swiss input: if you want to make cheese fondue, you need a very heavy ceramic pot (or a heavy enamalled cast iron pot), or else the cheese will burn. The orange pot above really won't work well for cheese fondue. And electric ones are inauthentic and tacky -- plus, the cords are unattractive.

And yes, Raclette is Swiss (which is also the origin and name of the appropriate cheese).

Here is a recipe for the most common Swiss Cheese fondue -- it is a moitié-moitié, or half and half. Half Gruyère, and half Vacherin (NOT Emmenthaler).

http://www.jill.net/recipes/recipes/fondue.html

The secret to an amazing fondue is of course the cheese. It may be difficult to get really good artisanal Gruyères in North America, so if you manage to find any, do try them out. Especially if it is an "alpage" cheese, which is made from summer milk when the cows are pastured in the Alps (full of omega 3s btw). I guarantee that you will be amazed by the result.

A recent fondue we had included some Tilster; a touch of Appenzeller might be nice too.

A good reason to use a heavy regular (i.e., not non-stick) pot is that everyone fights over the small bit of hardened cheese over the pot hotspot -- it is part of the fun.

Martha Stewart used to have some good Swiss cheese fondue recipes from her old tv show on her website-- they were amazing! The best was the tomato cheese fondue. The came from a Swiss lady who has a Swiss restaurant in the East Village. Hopefully, they will make it back on. They included Beaufort cheese, which is "the Prince of Gruyères" and comes from Haute Savoie in France, not far from Mont Blanc.

Found it!

The Tomato version of this fondue is AMAZING!!!

And turns out it wasn't Beaufort in the recipe, but Belsano, which is a raclette-type cheese from the Swiss Canton of Valais. If it is not available, Belalp is similar.

This is the html version of the file http://www.jakeanddana.com/Recipes/CHEESE%20FONDUE.doc.

CHEESE FONDUE

It is believed that cheese fondue was invented by a shepherd who lived in the Swiss Alps and heated his daily ration of hard cheese and wine in a pot as a dip for his bread. This European specialty gained popularity in the United States during the 1950s and 1960s, and is still a wonderful dish to enjoy with friends. Ingrid Roetelle, owner of New York City restaurant Roetelle A.G., prepares a traditional cheese fondue, along with two savory variations: mushroom fondue and tomato fondue.

When making fondue, select a heatproof ceramic, porcelain, or enameled cast-iron pot with a wide mouth to gently heat the cheese mixture. For the smoothest results, Ingrid suggests using only aged, imported cheeses such as Belsano, Gruyère, and Appenzeller; processed cheeses emit an oily residue and won’t melt as well. Serve cheese fondue with its traditional accompaniments of vegetables, sliced bread, and fruits, along with white wine or hot black tea.

RECIPES

Cheese FONDUE

Serves 4

1 clove garlic, halved

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons kirsch

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

12 ounces Belsano cheese, shredded

4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded

4 ounces Appenzeller cheese, shredded

Vegetables, boiled potatoes, grapes, apples, cornichons, pickled onions, or day-old sourdough bread, for serving

Rub the inside of a large, wide-mouthed ceramic, porcelain, or enameled cast-iron pot with garlic. Dissolve cornstarch in kirsch, and set aside. Pour wine into pot, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Add paprika, nutmeg, and pepper. Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring constantly in a figure-eight pattern, until completely melted. Add reserved cornstarch mixture, and continue to stir until thickened and creamy. Serve immediately with desired vegetables, fruits, or bread.

MUSHROOM FONDUE

Serves 4

1/4 ounce dried porcini mushrooms

1 clove garlic, halved

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons kirsch

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

2 ounces chanterelle mushrooms, chopped

2 1/2 ounces shiitake mushrooms, chopped

1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

12 ounces Belsano cheese, shredded

4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded

4 ounces Appenzeller cheese, shredded

Vegetables, boiled potatoes, grapes, apples, cornichons, pickled onions, or day-old sourdough bread, for serving

1. Place porcini mushrooms in a small bowl. Add enough boiling water to cover. Let soak 1 hour. Drain and set aside, reserving soaking liquid.

2. Rub the inside of a large, wide-mouthed ceramic, porcelain, or enameled cast-iron pot with garlic. Dissolve cornstarch in kirsch, and set aside. Pour wine into pot, and add mushrooms and 2 tablespoons of the reserved soaking liquid. Simmer over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add paprika, nutmeg, and pepper. Stir in cheese. Cook, stirring constantly in a figure-eight pattern, until completely melted. Add reserved cornstarch mixture, and continue to stir until thickened and creamy. Serve immediately with desired vegetables, fruits, or bread.

TOMATO FONDUE

Serves 4

1 clove garlic, halved

2 teaspoons cornstarch

2 tablespoons kirsch

1 1/2 cups dry white wine

1/2 cup diced tomatoes

1/4 cup sun-dried tomatoes, chopped

1/3 cup tomato purée

1/4 teaspoon sweet paprika

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

12 ounces Belsano cheese, shredded

4 ounces Gruyère cheese, shredded

4 ounces Appenzeller cheese, shredded

Boiled potatoes, vegetables, grapes, apples, cornichons, pickled onions, or day-old sourdough bread, for serving

Rub the inside of a large, wide-mouthed ceramic, porcelain, or enameled cast-iron pot with garlic. Dissolve cornstarch in kirsch, and set aside. Pour wine into pot, and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in tomatoes, puree, paprika, nutmeg, and pepper. Add cheese; stir to combine. Cook, stirring constantly in a figure-eight pattern, until completely melted. Add reserved cornstarch mixture and continue to stir until thickened and creamy. Serve immediately with desired vegetables, fruits, or bread.