| Several years ago, I worked for a company | | | | Fondue Bourguignon, on the other hand, was a |
| that had a corporate office in Belgium, and | | | | French creation. Born out of necessity, a |
| some Belgian employees came and visited our | | | | medieval monk by the name of Johann du Putzxe |
| local office on a business trip. As I was | | | | came up with the idea. He worked in the |
| chatting with one of them, the subject of | | | | vineyards of Burgundy and needed a convenient |
| fondue came up. I offhandedly mentioned this | | | | way to have lunch while he harvested the |
| favorite fondue restaurant of mine, and raved | | | | grapes. A pot filled with hot oil set nearby |
| about the delicious chocolate fondue dessert. | | | | where he could dunk & cook tasty morsels of |
| | | | meat while he worked was the solution. |
| Across his face came a look of incredulous | | | | |
| horror. He had the same expression I must | | | | Today, there are several different kinds of |
| have had when I saw spam sushi in Hawaii for | | | | fondue sets available on the market. There |
| the first time. For him, the only proper | | | | are burners that are heated by tea lights, |
| fondue was cheese fondue, and a chocolate | | | | butane, alcohol & electricity. For cheese and |
| fondue was just a wrong, unnatural thing. Any | | | | chocolate fondue, a traditional pot called a |
| notions of Americans being a savage, | | | | caquelon is used. This is typically made from |
| uncultured and decadent people must have been | | | | ceramic or earthenware. An enameled iron or |
| confirmed in his eyes. | | | | copper pot is used for Fondue Bourguignon. |
| | | | |
| Nevertheless, we have chocolate fondue, and I | | | | If you don't want to deal with the mess and |
| am forever grateful for it. Specifically, we | | | | hassle of making fondue at home (the fondue |
| have Konrad Egli to thank, a Swiss(!) chef | | | | pots can be difficult to clean after a meal), |
| who created it for New York's Chalet Swiss | | | | there are many restaurants that specialize in |
| restaurant in 1964. He had earlier already | | | | fondue that you can go to. My favorite, La |
| started to popularize the more traditional | | | | Fondue in Saratoga, California, is |
| fondue through his restaurant by featuring | | | | whimsically decorated, with a romantic, |
| both the cheese style and the method of | | | | slightly gothic ambiance that looks like the |
| cooking meat cubes in hot oil (Fondue | | | | kind of place La Cirque du Soleil would go to |
| Bourguignon). | | | | for lunch. |
| | | | |
| Well, with the introduction of the chocolate | | | | Many styles of cheese fondue are available, |
| element, the craze really took off. Fondue | | | | such as Mediterranean (cheddar, beer & |
| became a popular menu item at American dinner | | | | sun-dried tomatoes) and Stinking Rose (Swiss, |
| parties throughout the 60's and 70's, and is | | | | wine & garlic). For the Fondue Bourguignon, |
| starting to become popular again. | | | | exotic meats such as wild boar and ostrich |
| | | | are offered, as well as tasty dipping sauces. |
| Fondue originally came from the mountains of | | | | |
| Switzerland, where poverty-stricken peasants | | | | The chocolate fondue, though, is to die for. |
| had little to sustain them except for Gruyere | | | | Along with your choice of chocolate (milk, |
| cheese, bread loaves and lots of wine. Poor | | | | bittersweet or white) and flavorings |
| peasants. Making do of these meager | | | | (Amaretto, Irish Cream and others), you can |
| ingredients, they combined them to create | | | | dunk in pieces of snicker bars, marshmallows, |
| what became the traditional fondue, melting | | | | strawberries, apples, bananas & sponge cake. |
| the hard cheese with the wine in a communal | | | | |
| earthenware pot, and taking turns dipping the | | | | Bring a large appetite when you come here, so |
| bread into the tasty mixture. | | | | you have room for all the delectable courses. |
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