Whether it's making a special cookie recipe, an honored holiday toast or a special prayer, more traditions probably happen over the holidays than any other time of the year. For my family, that tradition is the annual Christmas fondue.
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| The Fondue Table |
It's not to say it can't be improved and still remain a tradition. As a child, we fondue'd steak in peanut oil (even after the "Mom tripped over the cord" incident that burned her and the carpet). After visits to a German restaurant and the Melting Pot several years ago, I decided to move to a broth-based fondue and add a cheese fondue. When the girls were smaller, we also broke out the chocolate fountain, but I have to be severely buttered up to pull that contraption out (not for the cooking, but for the cleaning!)
I've tried a lot of recipes, but have landed on something that is really pretty simple and doesn't take a lot of time. I've also acquired multiple fondue pots over the years, and while the traditional Sterno pots are more traditional, I'll take temperature-control any day.
Swiss Cheese Fondue
2 cups shredded Gruyere cheese
2 cups shredded Emmenthaler cheese
Mix with 1/4 cup flour in a bag after shredding to keep it separated
Heat one cup of dry white wine in fondue pot until steaming
Add in juice of one half lemon and one teaspoon of minced garlic
Turn temperature down and slowly add cheese until melted (consistency of warm honey)
Add ground pepper and nutmeg to taste and finish off with an ounce of cherry brandy
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| Swiss Cheese Fondue |
Steak Fondue
Rib Eye or KC Strip cut in cubes and seasoned with Lawry's Seasoned Salt and Seasoned Pepper
One large carton of beef broth
One cup of red wine (save the good stuff to drink)
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| Steak Fondue Broth is Ready |
Two fondue forks later (one for cheese and one for steak) and you're ready to roll.
Over the years, we've lost the people we've shared traditions with, so in our family we put out something special to remind us of those we loved and who would enjoy our family tradition. For me, a candle for my Dad, and for Derek, a baseball given to his father from the last family outing before he died.
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| Dad Memories |
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| And More Dad Memories |
Lucky for me, I over-bought on cheese and steak, so we enjoyed a meal with the family on Christmas Eve, and Derek and I were able to break out the leftovers for a meal for two on New Years Eve. We included a special wine from the last trip my Dad and I took.
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| Lancaster Cabernet Sauvignon |
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| The Nose Alone is Heaven |
So, here is to traditions, and making new ones in 2017!
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| Here's to Starting New Traditions in 2017! |
