Fondue Part 2

Fondue on Christmas Eve has been a family tradition for as long as I can remember. I decided to do a little research on this thing I've eaten for 45 years on December 24. Here's what I found out...

According to James and Kay Salter in their book Life is Meals, the town of "Gruyeres is about seventy miles northeast of Geneva as you head into the heart of Switzerland. It produces one of the two cheeses - the other being Emmenthaler - that are the basis for fondue, which comes from the French verb fondre, 'to melt.' "(p. 391) Also, "Fondue likely originated in remote mountain villages during winters when food was scarce and people softened their old, hardened cheeses over a fire, scooping from the pot with pieces of bread." (p. 391)

I know that my mom uses Gruyere cheese and a basic swiss cheese, but I'm not sure if the swiss she uses is Emmenthaler. Here is the recipe she uses:

Alpine Cheese Fondue

1 clove garlic, cut in half

½ pound natural Swiss Cheese, shredded

½ pound Gruyere, shredded

3 Tbsp flour

2 cups dry white wine (Chablis)

1 Tbsp lemon juice

Dash Pepper

Dash Nutmeg

2 Tbsp Kirsch or cognac

1/8 tsp salt or to taste

French bread.

Rub inside surface of ceramic fondue pot with garlic; discard. Toss shredded cheeses with flour. Heat wine on the stove until small bubbles show on the bottom of the pan. Stir in lemon juice and handfuls of cheese, stirring constantly, after each addition, with wooden spoon until cheese melts. Stir in spices and kirsch or cognac. Pour into fondue pot, temperature on the lowest setting.