New Year's Eve is never our favorite time to be out and about. Not only is it amateur hour on the roads, but after the warmth of family and friends at Thanksgiving and Christmas it always seems a little like forced fun. So we always downsize the night.
This year the force for fondue was strong. There were only two of us. So some Emmenthaler cheese, picked up that night, along with a little Gruyere from the house, some white wine and a non-stick pot yielded up a luscious, warm and cheese-y light dinner to graze on. Include some great crusty bread, some crisp green apples, pickles sweet, dill, and hot (and Michigan product or two), eaten on a coffee table with some atmospheric votive candles = one great and simple meal. Add a nice red Beaujolais Villages to enhance the party.
Best of all, it's easy to produce as a hearty appetizer or a light meal when the force calls:
Cheese Fondue
1 1/2 lbs shredded Emmenthaler (we added about half Emmenthaler and half Gruyere. Has to be the good stuff.)
Toss cheese with 3 T flour and 2 tsp dry mustard.
Boil 1 1/12 cups dry white wine (best in a good nonstick pot).
Toss in a handful of cheese mixture - stir with wooden spoon till melted.
Proceed to add the rest of the cheese by the handful.
You might need to add more wine if the cheese seems too thick. Be generous with the vino.
Serve to admiring eaters. You will feel like a genius! (We didn't have a fondue pot. Added smaller amounts to a heavy ceramic bowl, re-heated in microwave if it thickened.) Great the next day reheated as well.
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