fondue

  the holidays are now upon us. festive gatherings and party's are always a time to mingle and share merriment. but most importantly drink some cocktails and chow down! so, with so many people, why not try some fondue! as long as your guests aren't the double dipping types, fondue makes a impressive centerpiece that everyone will enjoy. i'm going to lay out one of my faves. a grappa, fontina cheese and duck egg brew that pairs well with italian and french loaf. as well as cured meats such as chorizo or sopresseta. but hey, broccoli and the like go well too.
  now if you just went "um,what the shit is fontina and grappa?" let me explain. grappa, to be honest is not one of my top choices as a drink. but i find its culinary applications to be quite handy. grappa is a digestif  made from the pomace( skin, leaves, stems) of grapes, leftover from the process of wine making. you can get it at the lcbo.
  fontina is a cheese native to the valle d'aosta region in the italian alps. if you can score the good shit and can afford it, go for it. you might be lucky at a specialty cheese or fine foods store. but if you are working on a more frugal budget you can get a danish version that's not bad, at your local grocers. it has a nutty and slightly sharp flavour with a medium firm texture. it melts creamy, so really good for fondue.
  you cool now? no longer scared at these italian terms? good. now for the recipe.
ingredients:
2 duck egg yolks. (if not viable, use 4 regular egg yolks. duck is preferred however due to its richness.)
1 1/2 cup 2% white milk
250 g roughly grated fontina
1 tbsp flour, heaping
1/4 cup grappa
pinch of fine sea salt
pinch of white pepper
equipment:
steel bowl.
wisk
stock pot filled 1/3 of water
fondue pot.

meathod:
firstly bring the water in the stock pot to a simmer and keep it at a simmer.
next, sit bowl over simmering water.
put flour in bowl
with the wisk, slowly incorperate the milk to the flour so that it is fully mixed. continue to stir and add the cheese. this should start to thicken the sauce.
add the grappa and take off heat.
still stirring add the egg yolks. whisking quickly so as not to scramble the eggs.
at this point you have your fondue. and it is good.
place in fondue pot and you're off to the races.

so now you  have something delish to dip things into. stale bread, veggies, meats, go nuts! use nuts! i don't care, it's all good. you have gooey cheese stuff, how could it go wrong?
well, this has been fun .'till next time, take care.

bigheartchef