Tantalizing Cheese Fondue Recipes

Swissmar 9-pc. Lugano Cheese Fondue Set

Ah, cheese fondue recipes! The aroma of meltingly pungent cheese and wine - bubbling gently and ready for dippers of bread.

It's a romantic dinner for two, or a wonderful easy appetizer ice-breaker for a party or get together. And it's the perfect meal to foster intimate conversation and create lasting memories of good times by all.

How did cheese fondue recipes get started?
The word fondue is a derivative of the French word, fondre, which means "to melt". However, this is only a part of how the word "fondue" is used today.

Now, fondue has a much broader meaning. It refers to foods that are dunked, heated, or cooked in sauce, oil, or broth in a fondue (or similar) pot.

We know, of course, that the Swiss take credit for creating fondue history and the neighborly cuisine. They invented it out of necessity, not because someone with too much time on their hands came up with a great idea for eating together!

Before the invention of the refrigerator, cheese and bread were made in the summer and fall to last through the winter. Both became extremely hard. The bread so much like concrete that it literally had to be chopped with an ax!

The Swiss realized that if hard-as-rock cheese was heated with wine over a fire, it softened and became deliciously edible. Bread that was too dried out to eat by itself, became soft and pliable when dunked in the melted cheese.

One of the best things to do in the long cold Swiss winters was to huddle around the fire with friends or family, and with a large pot of cheese. Ta Da! Swiss fondue was born. And of course, many cheese fondue recipes followed.

Lots of Pots
Many cheese fondue recipes can be used as full meals or as an easy appetizer recipe. The pots made for cheese fondue are of heavy, heat resistant earthenware or heavy metal. A controllable heat unit that maintains low, even heat is what keeps the cheese melted and slightly bubbly without burning the cheese or over heating it. You want the consistency to be smooth and sauce-like.

If you don't have a fondue pot, you can also use a casserole dish or one of ceramic material - it must be heat resistant! Use it over a well-regulated alcohol, canned heat, or butane flame.

You can also try it over an electric hot plate or candle warmer, although this is not recommended! Other types of fondue pots are the classic fondue bourguignonne pan, electric fondue pots and chafing dishes.

Control Your Heat!
If your heat source isn't manageable, you will end up with cheese that cools too much and the result is a big glob of hardened cheese that becomes undunkable. If your heat source is too hot, the cheese ends up being stringy and starts to separate into a globby, gooky mess.

It's not as hard as it seems. That's why making a small investment into a real fondue pot is worth it. Your fondue pot usually comes packaged with the right style of forks, your controllable heat source and a pan that was made for this kind of cooking.

Interested in how meat fondue recipes came about? Or what about how to make chocolate fondue? Check out the histories, the tidbits of info and some great recipes. You won't be disappointed.

More Fondue Cooking Information

First Time Serving Fondue?
Are you a Fondue Newbie?

Fondue Accessories
Forks, plates, bowls, and more to make your Fondue-ing a smooth experience.

Fondue Cooking Tips
Become a Fondue party expert!

Fondue Dipping Sauces
Dipping sauce recipes of every type, flavor and texture! Delicious!

How to Make Chocolate Fondue
For chocolate lovers and anyone with a sweet tooth.

Meat Fondue Recipes
Hearty for the big appetite, and a delicacy for those who like to eat smaller portions.

Seafood Fondue Recipes
Blend a selection of fresh seafood with flavorful dipping sauces,
and you'll see there's nothing "fishy" it!

The History of Fondue
Ever wonder how it all started?

The History of Swiss Fondue
Read more about the history of that yummy cheese fondue and how it came to be.

Vermont Cutting Boards
Beautifully made cutting boards of every shape and size, a wide array of cookware, (including fondue pot sets!) cutlery, utensils and more - all reasonably priced.

Related Topics

Web www.easy-appetizer-recipes.com