| Cheese fondue is a fun and delicious way to heat | | | | smooth, creamy texture while preventing the |
| up your kitchen and your body. A great many | | | | formation of strings; however, do not use too |
| foods become scrumptious when garnished with | | | | much wine, as that can cause curdling and |
| cheese, but it does not get any better than when | | | | completely counteract the purpose of it. Bear in |
| the food is dipped in a warm, velvety pool of this | | | | mind that as the fondue heats and simmers, it is |
| melted dairy. | | | | important not to stir the mixture too much, as |
| The classic version of cheese fondue consists of | | | | that will lead to stringing as well. |
| a blend of Swiss Emmentaler and Gruyere | | | | Using starches also keeps the cheese in the |
| cheeses. Today, however, many recipes have | | | | fondue from curdling. It can sometimes be a |
| come to include cheddar, Gouda, and nacho | | | | delicate process to find the optimum mixture of |
| cheese. Nacho and cheddar are two of the more | | | | starch and wine, because too much of one or the |
| popular kinds of cheese because of the wide | | | | other can cause separation, creating an oily and |
| variety of fare that can be dipped into them. | | | | runny consistency. Sometimes cutting back on the |
| Foods that go well with them include everything | | | | wine and eliminating the starch altogether helps, |
| from cocktail wieners, potato wedges, and breads | | | | but the lack of starch will lessen the creamy |
| to baby carrots, broccoli florets, and pineapple | | | | texture of the fondue. |
| chunks. | | | | When it is time to serve, the fondue can be |
| Regardless of the cheese used in a recipe, cubed | | | | transferred to a fondue pot, or caquelon. It sits |
| and shredded forms are best for melting. | | | | on a set of legs just over a heat source, such as |
| Cheeses with a higher percentage of fat also melt | | | | a gas flame, electric burners, or candles. This heat |
| well. Be aware, though, that cheese should be the | | | | source should be just hot enough to keep the |
| final ingredient added when making fondue. The | | | | cheese simmering at most. Remember, boiled |
| less heated the cheese, the better. Keep an eye | | | | cheese is curdled cheese. |
| on it and remove it from the heat source if | | | | The fountain is a fun way to drizzle your food |
| necessary. Never allow it to boil, as this a surefire | | | | with a waterfall of fondue. It is nearly identical to |
| way to ruin your concoction. Fondue is not meant | | | | the fountains utilized in serving chocolate fondue. |
| to be clumped and curdled. | | | | It consists of a series of tiers set atop one |
| Many traditional recipes include white wine or beer. | | | | another in the shape of a cone. The smallest tiers |
| One must take care when choosing the quality of | | | | are at the top, and get wider as the cone |
| these ingredients. With wine, especially, choose a | | | | descends. A pump brings the cheese to the top, |
| dry variety that is of a younger vintage. The acid | | | | and it then cascades down the sides, waiting to |
| maintains thickness in the fondue and creates a | | | | cover whatever is dipped in its stream. |