Thing Twenty-Nine: Pot Of Cheese!!!

I made fondue for a potluck yesterday. It wasn't classic Swiss fondue, but something like a blend of that and Welsh rarebit. Rarebit flavors and a fondue form, really. I didn't use a recipe, though I looked at a few just to get a general idea of proportions. I grated two different cheddars: Cabot Seriously Sharp and Kerrygold Kilaree. Both are well-aged, and tasty in different ways. I tossed the grated cheese with some flour. Then, I took some of the beer my fiancé and I made, and heated it up until it was simmering. I started adding the floured cheese a handful at a time, stirring it and watching it melt into the liquid. When each handful melted, I added another. This slow adding of the cheese means that it all stays hot enough so that the cheese melts quickly and evenly, and doesn't get lumpy, by the way. When all the cheese had been added, I splashed in some calvados (a French apple brandy), which took the place of the kirsch (cherry brandy) in traditional fondue. A little onion powder and a little nutmeg boosted the flavors and brought everything together nicely. I served it in my friends' fondue pot, with cubes of my homemade wheat bread to dip.

Is there anything better than bread and hot, gooey, melty cheese? No. No, there isn't.