I love cheese. And garlic. And wine. But what I love most is a concentrated form of all three, warm and gooey, served with bread. Or maybe apples.

ENTER FONDUE.

If I could eat fondue every day, I probably would. But I can’t. That whole obesity, heart attack, high cholesterol thing actually does concern me a bit. So I save fondue for days when I need to indulge. Usually this means super sucky days or really good days.

The first time I had really good fondue was in Montreal. I was hooked. I needed to be able to make it. Now, if someone wanted to take me out to the Melting Pot or another fondue restaurant, who am I to refuse? But treating myself? Probably not going to happen. That place is good but EXPENSIVE! And really fondue is just so easy to make yourself. The secret, I learned, is in the electric fondue pot. I was that I was using an old fashion fondue pot, with a sterno. Then I was introduced to the electric fondue pot. Pure magic! It’s so easy to heat, warm and melt. I love that if the cheese is boiling a bit too much, I can adjust the heat with a little dial, rather than figuring out how opened or closed the sterno should be.

I generally stick to pretty traditional fondue, a Gruyere blend, but I found a secret for the perfect fondue. Add a bit of super soft cheese and the melting and blending becomes insanely easy. So I usually add in a bit of Fontina or Gouda. Not too much that it alters the flavor, but just enough to give it some extra creaminess. When making fondue, you want to have everything prepped and ready before you turn the pot on. The prep is probably about 10-15 minutes, grating cheese, getting out ingredients, cubing bread. And the fondue itself cooks in about 10 minutes, so we’re talking super easy dinner. Serve it with a green salad to help offset the richness.

Brooklyn Locavore Fondue

• 8oz Gruyere cheese, shredded
• 6 oz other Swiss cheese (like Jarlsberg or Emmenthal), shredded
• 2 oz Fontina or Gouda
• 1 tsp ground mustard
• 1 tsp granulated garlic
• 2 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 garlic clove, halved
• 1 c dry white wine
• 1/4 c sherry
• Dippers! (cubed baguette, apple slices, pear slices, grapes)

In a large bowl toss cheese, ground mustard, granulated garlic and cornstarch. The cornstarch also helps as a thickening agent for the fondue.

Rub the garlic halves inside the fondue pot, to add a little extra garlic flavor. Add wine to pot and heat (level 3-4 for electric pot) until tiny bubbles form.

Gradually add cheese, whisking constantly to combine.

Once all cheese is added, add sherry and continue to stir until well blended. Fondue should be hot but not boiling! That’s it, you’re done! (Told you so!) Dip away and enjoy! And feel free to try other combinations as well. Cheddar with beer? What are your favorite combos?

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