Fondue rendezvous
By: Jessica Word | Posted: 11th May 2006
Fondue is one of the best ways I know of to bring friends, family, (and of course) lovers closer together. Dining above a steamy fondue pot, dipping pieces of sweet crisp apple into melted brie and sharing everything from a bottle of wine to bites of chocolate covered strawberry, it couldn't be more cozy.
When I was in the 8th grade I had my four best friends over for a lunch date during summer break. Each of them was supposed to bring an item to dip, and although two of them flaked out, one of them had a dad that catered parties in the 60s. A host at heart, he must have understood my mission and he loaded her up with treats. I poured vegetable oil into my mom's vintage pot and lit the little tin burner. Amy revealed Tupperware bins with teriyaki chicken, peppercorn steak, and mozzarella cheese rolled in breadcrumb mixture – all in perfect cocktail sized bites. We sat on a table cloth on the kitchen floor so we could watch the magic in the pot. We predicted who we'd be at twenty-five and pinpointed the best character traits in each other. I had even color-coded the plastic ends of their skewers to best match their personalities. Amy was orange for her artistic uniqueness. Alisa, purple for her shy nature. Nothing went unnoticed or under appreciated that afternoon.
One Christmas my stepmom had a fondue dinner party for over twelve guests. It was an ambitious effort, and she orchestrated every piece she could control, but instead of an intimate gathering of friends and family, it turned into holiday chaos. People drank too much and ate too little. Someone burned his wrist on the electric burner. One pot didn't heat the cheese right and a layer of wine settled over the Gruyère. My stepmom's drunken buddy hoarded that cheese for himself. I had to give her credit, though. Each diner had a Christmas dish with separated pockets to sample lots of different dressings. The fondue pots worked like little luminaries on her festive table runner. They mimicked the dimmed chandelier and filled the room with warmth.
My fiancé and I have tried two fondue restaurants since we've moved to Chicago. The second place was low and dim like a wine cellar. In the main room there was a single spot light on a Latin guitar player. He winked at me when we went by. The back bar was filled with curious people, my empty stomach was making itself vocal, so I wasn't upset that the moment we ordered a glass of wine our table was finally delivered. I don't remember what the food tasted like, and I certainly couldn't tell the color. This is always suspect when ingesting raw meats. The oil kept popping out of the little ceramic pot and I was sure some bubbled into my wine. This was not the fondue experience I had been expecting, but as it is with most things food-related, it's good to try new things.
We made fondue at home after that, with a recipe he'd found and improved upon. It was exactly the way I'd wanted it: rich, creamy, and often shared from the same skewer.
About the Author
Occupation: Writer
Jessica Word loves writing, watching cooking shows, running on Lake Shore Trail, and sampling new restaurants. She lives in Chicago with her husband, Mike and Persian cat, Mr. Beef. Contact Jessica at jessica.m.word@gmail.com
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Tags: dinner party, tupperware, vegetable oil, table cloth, dressings, character traits, bottle of wine, kitchen floor