Hot for Cheese

	Fire Up the Cheese
	Photo: Raclette Suisse

As French gastronome Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin once said, "A dinner which ends without cheese is like a beautiful woman with only one eye." That may be the case, but why wait for the end of the meal?

Cheese can aptly be the centerpiece, in the classic Swiss forms of fondue and raclette. The etymology of each provides a hint of their differences: fondre and racler are French for "to melt" and "to scrape," respectively.

Although fondue and raclette are drawn from a long and storied tradition, they easily lend themselves to any social gathering today, according to Thomas Hauswirth, marketing manager for Swiss cheeses importer Emmi.

There are myriad configurations of vessels and serving sets for fondue and raclette, but they actually are both quite simple to prepare. All of the cheeses you'll need can be found at high-end cheesemongers or online, and any desired accompaniments in the produce department.

Fondues and Don'ts

Arguably one of Switzerland's best-known exports (no, the little lady on the instant hot cocoa package doesn't count), fondue underwent a renaissance in the U.S. in the 1970s. Many of you now have an unopened set tucked away in a closet somewhere, so there's no excuse not to dust off the pot and throw a fondue party.

There are several versions of fondue, including chocolate and bourguignonne (meat) varieties, but cheese is the classic. And it's the safest for an uninitiated crowd -- take it from a friend who, while on a trip to Switzerland, discovered halfway through a bourguignonne platter that he'd been dipping and devouring slices of horsemeat.

Although it's possible to concoct endless variations, traditional fondue contains a mix of Emmenthaler and Gruyere cheeses, melted along with a bit of white wine and Kirsch (cherry brandy) for flavor, and some flour or cornstarch to prevent the mixture from separating. Some Swiss regions also add garlic, or a different blend of cheeses. ...