fondue night

So cold here! only 14 degrees this morning and a cold bitter wind all day.

Tonight we have friends coming for dinner and we will share fondue with them. It is a perfect night for it! We have a fabulous fondue pot that was given as a wedding gift from our friends in Switzerland... a beautiful blue pot with a garlic clove as the handle for the lid. We will have a fire going by the time they arrive, and candles will be lit. The boys will be ready for bed, and we will eat and drink and be merry. Chocolate lava cakes, and maybe some good port to finish...

yum......

Pesto Fondue

This stuff is truly incredible. If you like fondue and you like pesto, it is a definite must. The recipe is from the Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook. I just swirl in pesto at the last minute.

1 clove garlic, halved
1 cup Italian dry white wine
1 1/2 cups grated Fontina cheese (at least 3/4 lb)
1 1/2 cups grated Swiss or Emmentaler cheese (at least 3/4 lb)
1/2 cup grated Pecorino Romano cheese
2 -3 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1/2 cup pesto

1. Rub fondue pot with the garlic. Pour in the wine and heat over medium low until hot.
2. Toss the cheeses with the flour to coat. Add the cheese, a handful at a time, to the wine, stirring constantly and waiting until each addition melts before adding the next. Check the consistancy and add more cheese or more wine if needed.
3. Just before serving, swirl in the pesto over the top of the fondue. Serve with cubes of french bread, cubes of sweet italian sausage, and cherry tomatoes.


6 -8 portions