Fondue Class at Larder and Cupboard

As the STLCheesegirl, I am sad to report that I have never had fondue before. In fact, no one has ever taken me to the Melting Pot for my birthday! So I was thrilled when Larder & Cupboard hosted a (second) fondue class that I could attend.

How can you go wrong with dipping food in cheese sauce!

Yet, I learned that there are actually formal recipes for fondue and you don't just sticking a brick of Velvetta in the microwave!

We started off with a "Classic Swiss Fondue", which also includes a cup of dry white wine and Swiss cheeses such as Gruyere, Emmentaler, and Appenzeller, not to mention a tablespoon of cherry brandy! (Let's just make this a drink!)

Unfortunately, I was so busy dipping fruit, veggies, and bread that I forgot to take a picture of the first pot! But here was our selection for dipping...

Fruits, veggies, and bread for dipping.

Next up was a "Beer Cheese Fondue"...even more brilliant! This time we used beer from Pickney Bend and two cheddars, a mild version (Marcoot Tipsy Cheddar) and a sharp one (Milton Old Style Cheddar).

This fondue was a little darker in color and had a little more bite in taste as well.

Beer Cheese Fondue

The third fondue was Caraway Gouda Fondue made with Gouda cheese and caraway seeds.

Carway Gouda Fondue

Good thing I followed my friend Beth's lead and not over do it on the first three fondues (it was so hard!!) because the best was definitely saved for last!

Say hello to Raclette, a semi-hard cow's milk cheese that is commonly used for melting. Even more specifically, it's a Swiss dish based on heating the cheese and scraping off (racler) the melted part.

Check out this contraption that was used to heat the top of the Raclette wheel!

The Raclette wheel being heated

You can see the melted cheese being scraped off once it gets melty enough!

Scraping the melted cheese

Here the Raclette is spread on top of roasted potatoes...

Raclette topping roasted potatoes

Raclette topping roasted potatoes

Amazing huh?!?!

Want to make fondue yourself? All these cheeses can be found inside Larder & Cupboard for one stop shopping.

Resources:

Larder & Cupboard = http://www.larderandcupboard.com/