Whether it’s cheese or chocolate, a fondue is always fun – it’s a Fun-due! I promise that will be the last terrible pun in this post…or will it? Anyway, having a fondue set on hand may save Valentine’s Day or a romantic date – or it may put you into a cheese coma – but one thing is for sure: as a dinner idea, a cheese fondue can be un-brie-lievable. Ok. I’ll stop.
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An ideal gift
Seriously though, Valentine’s Day is here and a chocolate fondue set could be the perfect gift and dinner idea at the same time. Heck, you don’t need it to be Valentine’s Day to have a romantic evening! And who says chocolate fondues have to be romantic? Did we not just establish that they are fundues? It’s a great dessert idea for when you have friends over, you get to dip mini marshmallows or strawberries or pretzels or well, pretty much anything you want, into chocolate (white, dark, milk, or a mix of your faves). Sounds pretty fun to me! In fact, the web is teeming with fondue-dipping ideas, just ask Professor Google and he shall oblige.
Cheese fondues
But it doesn’t have to end there, oh no! In fact, to paraphrase Descartes, I have put dessert before main course! Now, a cheese fondue is traditional and, let’s face it, even tempting to those who are lactose intolerant. Can you think of anything more delicious than dipping fresh bread into molten cheese? Maybe a little cheese sausage? Again, this is fun because you can get as creative as you like! Cheese goes with almost everything, so figure out your faves and get to dipping! Have a party and get everyone to bring something to dip in! Cheese the day!
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Broth or oil fondues
If, however, neither cheese nor chocolate appeal to you (don’t judge, we are all snowflakes), some fondue sets can be used to do other fonduing; namely broth or oil fondues. Oil fondues are pretty straightforward, essentially you are deep frying things. Now that may just sound blah, and your instincts may be to just go the meat and reasonably cut French fry route, but why not get adventurous? Tempura your vegetables. One quick flour-and-egg mixture and suddenly eggplant, zucchini, and broccoli are on the menu too!
Broth fondues, called Shabu Shabu, are hugely popular in Japan. Essentially, one creates a broth that complements the meat and vegetables chosen, which is then brought to the boil and all the food is boiled in it. It may sound tedious to boil all your food, but the broth is flavourful and the result is delicious! The meat should be very thinly sliced and don’t forget to pay special attention to the sauces you should have on hand if you attempt Shabu Shabu. There are several fondue recipes available online that should make this a unique experience for you and your guests.
If you’re intrigued, but lazy…there is also the option of paying people to set up a fondue evening for you! All the fun and none of the doing, but all of the funduing!
