Girls Night: Fondue Party

I love getting together with the girls to hang out. We’re all so busy that it’s hard to keep up with what’s going on  in each other’s lives – new jobs, kids, relationships and the list goes on.

We decided to get together a few weeks ago while the guys were away in Canada on a snowmobile trip. Our plan? A fondue party. Fondue is perfect for slow, casual relaxing. Besides it’s a good reason to dust off that fondue pot. I mean, who has time to fondue on a regular basis?

Here’s how we organized it:

• Kelly – fondue pot and fixings for chocolate fondue
• Ellen – fruit and angel food cake for dipping into the chocolate fondue
• Jennifer – beef, chicken and dipping sauces
• Kathy & Karen – Wine
• Me – fondue pot, scallops, mushrooms, broccoli, cauliflower, bread and fixings for the cheese fondue & oil

Everything is prepped and ready for dipping.

We enjoyed the oil and cheese fondue together. In one fondue pot, we heated canola oil to cook the beef, scallops and chicken. Jennifer made several dipping sauces – Asian-style, sour cream/horseradish, curry and spicy remoulade.

I love this cookbook. It covers the ABCs of fondue, chafing dishes and other forms of tabletop cooking. I highly recommend.

For the cheese, I used a classic cheese fondue recipe from my Better Homes and Garden Fondue book (1972): 12 ounces Swiss cheese, 4 ounces Gruyere. Shred both and toss with 1 1/2 teaspoons of corn starch. Rub the inside of the fondue pot with garlic and then add 1 cup dry white fruity wine and a splash of lemon juice. Heat but don’t let it come to a boil. Then pour into the fondue pot and start dipping.

The striped fondue pot with the lid is the one with the oil.

Kelly made the chocolate fondue while the rest of us did a quick clean up and cut up the cake and fruit to dip into the chocolate. She found this recipe and it was wonderful!

Dark chocolate fondue – need I say more?

If you decide to have a fondue party, you can simplify things. You might just want to do a cheese fondue and make a salad. Sometimes we’ll have mac and cheese and do an oil fondue with beef and chicken.

The point is to slow down, relax, savor and enjoy – not just the food but the people you’re sharing it with.

So pull out those fondue pots and get dipping!