Fondue Non Alcoholic

September 1st, 2010

Do you want to share your love of cheese fondue with your children? Or did you just find out that one of your fondue party guests doesnt drink alcohol? Well then its time to learn how to make non-alcoholic fondue. Non alcoholic fondue is great for kids and other people who for whatever their reason, have an aversion to alcohol. The white wine that provides the unique flavor to fondue can be substituted with apple cider. Apple cider will give you the great taste that you expect from fondue without the alcohol.

The story of how fondue came about goes something like this. People living through long winters in the Swiss Alps had to worry about their food supply. They ate what was on hand. At the end of the cold season, usually all that was left was hard cheeses and wine. So with some experimentation and innovation, those ingredients were combined with crunchy bread to create the first fondue dinners.

So take a lesson from the people of the Swiss Alps and use what you have on hand. Dont worry about fondue lovers complaining that your fondue has no bite to it. Using apple cider instead of white wine is a completely acceptable solution. It taste great and will add a nice flavor to your fondue. If you use apple cider in your fondue, you will never miss the white wine.

Non-Alcoholic Cheese Fondue

1 cup Apple Cider (to mix with cheese)
1/4 cup Apple Cider (to mix with cornstarch & mustard)
2 teaspoon Lemon Juice
1 tablespoon Onion (finely chopped)
3 cups Cheddar Cheese (shredded)
1 tablespoon Cornstarch
2/3 teaspoon Mustard Powder
White Pepper (to taste)

Heat the cider, lemon juice & onions on medium low heat in your fondue pot

Slowly add the cheese while stirring
Mix cornstarch and mustard in 1/4 cup apple cider
Add mixture to cheese
Add white pepper to taste
Note: if too sweet, add more lemon juice

To Dip:

Crusty Bread cut into bite-sized pieces
Vegetables - Mushrooms, Potatoes, Cauliflower, Broccoli, Bell Peppers, etc.
Pita or Flat Breads

Summary:
Do you want to share your love of cheese fondue with your children? Or did you just find out that one of your fondue party guests doesnt drink alcohol? Well then its time to learn how to make non-alcoholic fondue. Non alcoholic fondue is great for kids and other people who for whatever their reason, have an aversion to alcohol. The white wine that provides the unique flavor to fondue can be substituted with apple cider. Apple cider will give you the great taste that you exp…

Keywords:
Fondue, Non Alcoholic Fondue, Recipe

Fondue History

August 28th, 2010

Truly epic, fondue history starts with a recipe in Homer’s Iliad (Song XI). Doesn’t it stand to reason that the mixture described of Pramnos wine, grated goat’s cheese and white flour was a fondue?

Well, whether that’s what Homer was describing or not, fondue history states that the warm cheese dish originated in Switzerland but more specifically in the Canton of Neuchatel.

According to history experts, fondue consists of at least two varieties of cheeses that are melted with wine and a bit of flour. It’s served communally out of pot called a “caquelon”. Long forks are used by each guest to spear a cube of bread then the bread is dipped into the cheese and eaten.

How did cheese fondue get started?
?Well, before we get into the nitty gritty of cheese fondue, let’s back up for a second. The word fondue is a derivative of the French word, fondre, which means “to melt”. However, this is only a part of how the word fondue is used today.

In doing my research of fondue history,”fondue” has a much broader meaning. It refers to foods that are dunked, heated, or cooked in sauce, oil, or broth in a fondue (or similar) pot.

We know now, of course, that the Swiss take credit for the neighborly cuisine. They created it out of necessity, not because someone with too much time on their hands came up with a great idea for eating together!

Before the invention of the refrigerator, cheese and bread were made in the summer and fall to last through the winter. Both became extremely hard and inedible in that state. The bread became so much like concrete that it literally had to be chopped with an ax!

The Swiss realized that if hard-as-rock cheese was heated with wine over a fire, it softened and became deliciously edible. Bread that was too dried out to eat by itself, became soft and pliable when dunked in the melted cheese.

Once a necessity, the cooking method of fondue became a social custom of making the best of the long, cold Swiss winters by huddling around the fire with friends or family with a large pot of cheese and some hard bread. It’s a tradition that has stood the years and travelled across the continents.

Fondue history states that the cooking method of fondue dates back to the 18th century when both cheese and wine were important industries in Switzerland. The simple-to-prepare meal used ingredients that were found in most average homes.

Most recipes we see for “traditional” Swiss style fondue are a combination of two cheeses used, Gruyere and Emmenthaler. They are combined because either cheese alone would make for a mixture that was too sharp or too bland.

Most recipes call for the cheeses to be melted in a dry white wine. This helps to keep the cheese from the direct heat as it melts, as well as to add flavor. Kirsch (a clear cherry brandy) was added if the cheese itself was too young to produce the desired tartness. Adding garlic gives the flavoring a good mellow taste, while the flour or cornstarch assists in keeping the cheese from separating.

Here’s a delicious and easy recipe for traditional Swiss Fondue:

What you’ll need:
- 2 cups shredded process Swiss cheese (1/2 lb unshredded)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp dry mustard
- 1/8 tsp nutmeg
- 1/8 tsp pepper
- 1 cup buttermilk
- 1 clove garlic
- Dry white table wine
- Cooked ham cubes
- Toast triangles

Serve this version of Swiss fondue with ham cubes and toast triangles that are made ahead for swirling in the cheese mixture. You can also use fresh fruits such as apple and pear slices.

Start by tossing the cheese with cornstarch, salt, dry mustard, nutmeg, and pepper. Heat the buttermilk with the garlic in a double boiler or over hot water in the fondue pot. When thoroughly heated, remove the garlic and add the cheese mixture. Stir it until the cheese melts and is blending smoothly.

Heat the wine up a little and add gradually to the mixture, 2 Tbsp at a time. This keeps the fondue at a dipping consistency. Serve your guest and make sure each has a fondue fork to use with the ham cubes and fruit. Once you swirl the ham in the cheese mixture, place it on top of the toast triangle and eat until you can eat no more. Delicious!

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For more great info on Fondue and other types of appetizers and appetizer meals, visit Easy Appetizer Recipes at http://www.easy-appetizer-recipes.com.

Summary:
Truly epic, fondue history starts with a recipe in Homer’s Iliad (Song XI). Doesn’t it stand to reason that the mixture described of Pramnos wine, grated goat’s cheese and white flour was a fondue?

Well, whether that’s what Homer was describing or not, fondue history states that the warm cheese dish originated in Switzerland but more specifically in the Canton of Neuchatel.

Keywords:
fondue, history, cheese, swiss, recipe

Filet Trout - Filet Fish! No Bones No Skin

August 25th, 2010

Okay, so you have caught your limit. Now, how do you want them prepared for cooking? How about trying my favorite filet! No bones, no skin, just all good flesh that can be cooked any way you like. I can taste it now! Dont know how, you say? It isnt hard but it does take practice. The easy to follow instructions are coming up next.

Tools

The first step is to gather all your tools. Also have a waist high table as a work surface. The tools you will need are a very sharp knife or an electric knife. The best knife to use is a filet knife. Since a filet knife is made just for this purpose, it helps to make the job easier.

You will also need a filet board, preferable one with a strong clamp to hold the trouts head firmly. If you cant find a board with a clamp, get a pair of gloves textured for gripping.

You will need a bucket or pan of salted water to put fresh trout filets in.

Tip: soaking the filets in slightly salted water overnight helps to remove some of the fishy taste, giving them a milder, more pleasant flavor.

The last thing you will need is a bucket to put the carcasses in after you cut off the filet.

Filet: the nitty-gritty

To begin the process of cutting off the filets, you need to secure the trout so it doesnt slip around. If using a board with a clamp, firmly clamp the trouts head to the board. If using gloves, grip the trouts head firmly. Next, take your knife and cut beneath the gills to the backbone. Now turn the knife and cut down the backbone but stop before you cut through the skin at the tail. All of this cutting will be between the ribcage and the flesh. You are basically cutting off the entire side of the trout. Next, flip the filet over with the skin side down. Cut between the meat and the skin. The process is the same for the other side of the trout. After you have cut both filets off of the trout, cut off any of the ribcage that may have been cut off with the filet. This is about all you need to do as far as deboning trout when filleting them. It is okay to cut into the ribcage, but dont cut too deep and cut the guts. Remember, these fish have not been gutted!

Now that you know how to filet trout, you also know how to filet fish in general. It is the same no matter what kind of fish it is.

All the trout are now filleted and you are ready to cook them. So, how do you like them cooked, batter fried, baked, broiled or grilled? Personally, I like grilled best. If you are going to grill them, dont forget to invite me over. Ill bring the corn on the cob.

Summary:
The first step is to gather all your tools. Also have a waist high table as a work surface. The tools you will need are a very sharp knife or an electric knife. The best knife to use is a filet knife. Since a filet knife is made just for this purpose, it helps to make the job easier.

Keywords:
filet trout, how To filet trout, trout filet