Thoiry, France
JustAwesome’s colleague has a 4 year old daughter who after cheering about a big snowfall with her family said, “WAIT!! Is it a SEASON or is it a HOLIDAY?” She just wanted to get a handle on the situation... In the spirit of that excitement, we have a tradition of having fondue for dinner the night of a big storm, whether it sticks or not. Just because.
The very best way to do this, of course, is to go to a farmer’s market in France, talk to the cheesemonger and get him to put together a selection of cheeses for you. Through an interpreter (ok, cousin) we learned that we’re to rub garlic on the insides of the pot, stir the cheese in figure 8s, and add a little bit of white wine. Of course, smuggling cheese is a federal offense. I stuck it in JustAwesome’s suitcase. Near her socks.
Thoiry Sunday Market
The second very best way to do this is to go to Saxelby’s and have them select your cheeses. They even have a link to a good recipe.
Fondue Night!
We often take the easy way out. Buy a package from Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s and plus it with garlic, nutmeg, pepper, kirsch, wine, whatever you have. Roast some potatoes and/or cauliflower, boil some string beans, thinly slice some apples, cut up some nice bread. Serve with wine. Voilà!
Now I feel like I was there - this is such a great blog! Looking forward to reading more about your and JustAwesome's foodie adventures!
ReplyDeleteLaura's family has a fondue for the winter holidays tradition--we had it on Christmas and on New Years Eve. We did a gruyere-based fondue with white wine and sherry. Garlic and sauteed onions too. So much fun, so interactive for all involved. The kids prefer bread and fondue to messing with veggies, but I love it with broc, cauli, and wee boiled potatoes.
ReplyDeleteOn Easter, Laura and I make baked eggs, wrapped in bacon, in ramekins, with mascarpone and fresh herbs....and our beverage is Bellinis!
Yum! I love traditions!
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