How To Make A Tasty Cheese Fondue

Author: Christopher Fisher

Fondue is one of the most delicious and fun ways to eat. A fondue (especially cheese fondue) can be a big hit at a party, a nice choice for a romantic dinner, or a perfect, fun meal with all the kids. It's different, exciting, and most of all delicious!



So are you ready to learn how to make a tasty cheese fondue? If so, this article will show you everything you need to know to get started.



This article assumes that you already own a fondue pot and forks. If you don't, you might be able to use a Crockpot and bamboo skewers as forks. A fondue set is definitely recommended, and will make your fondue experience much more pleasant.



We will be making a Swiss fondue, which is the most popular cheese fondue. And it's a favorite for good reason, the two Swiss cheeses used in this recipe combine to create the perfect flavor and texture for fondue.



Cheese Fondue Recipe



Ingredients



- 1/2 pound of finely grated Gruyere cheese

- 1/2 pound of finely grated Emmentaler cheese

- 1 clove of garlic

- 1 cup dry white wine (preferably high quality)

- 1 tbsp lemon juice

- 3 teaspoons cornstarch

- 1 tablespoon kirsch cherry brandy

- pepper and nutmeg



Directions



1. Cut the garlic clove in half and use it to rub the inside of a medium saucepan. Add the wine and lemon juice then bring to a simmer over medium heat.



2. Mix the finely grated Gruyere and Emmentaler cheese with the cornstarch in a large bowl. Toss it all together. Stir the cheese mixture into the wine one small handful at a time until creamy. Don't stir in a circle, use a zig-zag motion instead. If the fondue is too thick, add more wine. If it's too thin, add more cornstarch. Keep the heat just high enough to melt the cheese or it might start to get a bit stringy. When it reaches the desired texture (creamy) add the kirsch and a bit of pepper and nutmeg.



3. Transfer the mixture to the fondue pot and serve as soon as possible with the dipping ingredients.



Dipping Ingredients



-Cubes of French baguette

-Chunks of cooked chicken

-Sausage

-Asparagus

-Broccoli

-Chunks of green apple



Be sure to prepare the dipping ingredients before you start making the fondue. Good timing will make everything turn out better.



These dippers are just suggestions. You can probably think of all sorts of other things to dip into the fondue. If you think it will taste good dipped in melted cheese, you're probably right.



Eating fondue is simple and fun. Just skewer one of the dipping ingredients then dunk it into the melted cheese Allow the excess cheese to drip off. After it cools a bit, it's ready to eat. You can provide small plates if you want too, but they are not a necessity.



Traditional drinks that accompany fondue are hot tea and wine, but feel free to drink whatever you like. Fondue is supposed to be fun after all.

Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/cooking-tips-articles/how-to-make-a-tasty-cheese-fondue-292282.html

About the Author:

Christopher is a contributing writer for FondueBits.com, the number one resource for fondue recipes, articles, and tips on making that perfect fondue.

Give Your Cooking Some Kick With Granulated Maple Sugar

By Philip Rozek

Granulated maple sugar is just a dried, table sugar-like form of maple syrup. It's easy to make, and you can use it for all kinds of things in the kitchen.

In colonial times, granulated maple sugar was easier to store because it was dried. It was also lighter in weight because all the water had been evaporated off. Today, it's practical because you don't have to refrigerate it the way you have to refrigerate a bottle of maple syrup once you open it.

It can be used for pretty much the same things as ordinary table sugar. You can put it on cereal or oatmeal, or you can put it in tea. Of course, it's a traditional glaze for meats, a great topping on cookies or coffee cake, or can be made into any thing your imagination allows.

You can turn maple syrup into granulated maple sugar by boiling the syrup down in the same way you'd make maple candy. Once you let the chunks of maple harden, cool, and dry for an hour or two, use a screen or something to grate it down into a fine powder.

The maple sugar might stick together and cake if you make it in a humid atmosphere or don't dry it out enough before storage, so the dryer you can get it before and after grinding it into powder, the better.

Once you have your finished product, a little bit can go a long way. Granulated maple sugar is very strong, so you don't need much to pack a lot of flavor into your foods. If you want, you can mix it in with normal table sugar to give the sugar a wonderful maple-flavored character.

Philip Rozek invites you to step into the world of maple syrup at http://www.maplesugarrecipe.com/articles.html where you can learn about organic maple syrup, Kosher maple syrup, Canadian maple candy. He'll even show you five reasons to make all-natural maple sugar candy at home.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Philip_Rozek
http://EzineArticles.com/?Give-Your-Cooking-Some-Kick-With-Granulated-Maple-Sugar&id=901929

New Years Eve Party Menu Ideas For A Fantastic New Years Eve Party

By Gail Leino

Hosting a New Year's Eve Party can be great fun. It's a way to reminisce with friends, and to look forward to what the new year will bring. Here are some ideas for food and drinks to start you off:

New Year’s Eve offers plenty of parties with friends and family to celebrate another year. You will find there are many menu options for New Year’s Eve. Most of these options include a lot of champagne, wine or beer depending on your preferences. You will also want to include plenty of items to eat. If you are having an informal party you may just get cold cut platters, cheese platters, vegetable platters, and many chips and dips to share. Or you could have a full scale meal with a potluck dinner for you and your friends. Here are a few other ideas:

A typical dip you may find at a New Year’s Eve party will be ranch. You can make the ranch from scratch or you may just buy a jar of pre-made ranch dip. My favorite ranch dip is created with sour cream. You can find the powered ingredient you need for ranch at any store. I prefer Hidden Valley combined with a little sour cream to make a sturdy yet tasty dip.

A great recipe for hors d’oeuvres includes Little Smokies in a beer sauce with a cheese dip. First you need a package of Little Smokies and a bottle of beer. Any beer will do. You heat the sausages in the beer while you create a cheese sauce. Typically a cheese sauce will include a little milk, flour, and your favorite cheese. It can be cheddar, Monterey jack, or even Colby. The idea is to have something that works well with the beer flavor, but also not over power the beer flavor.

Catering for your New Year’s Eve party need not be difficult. Try to prepare as much of the food ahead of time as you can; microwave-friendly food will make your party MUCH easier. Above all, however, enjoy spending time with your guests and ushering in the New Year in style.

Mrs. Party... Gail Leino takes a common sense approach to planning and organizing events, celebrations and holiday parties with unique ideas for New Years party supplies and fun party games. She explains proper etiquette and living a healthy life while also teaching organizational skills and fun facts. The Party Supplies Hut has lots of party ideas with hundreds of free holiday printable games and free birthday party activities. Over 100 adorable Themes including Party Supplies to fit your birthday celebration, holiday event, or "just because" parties. Party themes include cartoon characters, sports, movie, TV shows, luau, western, holidays, and unique crazy fun theme ideas.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gail_Leino
http://EzineArticles.com/?New-Years-Eve-Party-Menu-Ideas-For-A-Fantastic-New-Years-Eve-Party&id=686642

New Year Recipes Ideas From Around The World

You don't know what to serve for New Year? Below are some links that will help you get inspired.

Daily New Year Recipe Ideas

Holiday Central

Recipe Zaar

The Cooking Inn

New Year's Eve Recipes

Epicurious

Food Network

Razzle Dazzle

New Year's Day Recipes

Epicurious

Razzle Dazzle

New Year's Day Brunch

Food Network

Martha Stewart

Chinese New Year Recipes

BBC

Razzle Dazzle

Taste.com.au

Happy Cooking!

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