the art of fondue

I love cheese.  Gruyere, Emmenthal, Stilton, Brie, Mozzarella, I'll take it all.  But one of the things I love most is cheese fondue.  Specifically fondue moitié-moitié, which is made with Gruyere and Vacherin.  There's just something so rich and decadent about this fondue.  Every time I come to Geneva to visit my parents, we make sure to go out for fondue moitié-moitié at least once.  So, in honour of this tradition, I present to you...

 the art of fondue

the drinks
First, and most important, do NOT drink water while eating fondue.  Bread absorbs water and expands in your stomach, making it near impossible to finish your meal.  White wine is the drink of choice.  I usually go for wines local to the region I'm in.


the utensils
You need to use both a dining fork and a fondue fork.  Fondue is a "communal" meal, so you don't want to be putting the same utensil in both your mouth and the pot.  First, spear a piece of bread with the fondue fork, and stick it in the cheese.  You want to swirl it around in the pot.  This is really just multitasking: thoroughly coating the bread with cheese while keeping the cheese from burning.  When your bread is coated, put it on your plate and pass the bread over from the fondue fork to the dining fork.  Then put it in your mouth and enjoy!


the religeuse
The really yummy part!  This is the cheese that kind of gets stuck to the bottom of the pot.  It's not burnt, but it's crispy.  You have to scrape it off with a knife.  Then eat it!


the desert
I think that cheese fondue is best followed by a really good crème brûlée!  It's my absolute favourite desert.