Swiss Cheese Fondue

This is the best cheese fondue I've ever tasted and it is absolutely perfect cold weather food. Before we had kids, Lauren and I went to visit Michelle while she was studying in Switzerland and we actually went to the town of Gruyere. While there, we tried fondue at "the best restaurant for fondue," and also at Zermatt and a few other towns. We always found it disappointing because we were already used to this phenomenal recipe.

So please take that as a warning that this recipe may make eating fondue anywhere else than at your table always a little disappointing. As a positive, though - it's actually easy to make. Lauren's mom Nancy added this to their family cookbook after she got it during the 1970's from "The Cheese Shop" in Georgetown, Washington, DC (which has long since closed).

You will need a fondue pot, so if you don't have one, then see if you can borrow one. If you can't do either, then make do with what you have and think about how you're going to keep the mixture heated. One option is to put the pot on your table on top of a trivet, and then take it back to the stove to reheat when needed. Another option is to use a pyrex or a stoneware bowl that can be popped into the microwave when the cheese gets cold. I don't recommend either option and would suggest you just get a fondue pot because fondue is a social occasion that's fun and you don't want to interrupt it every few minutes.

Ingredients:
3/4 lb. Gruyere cheese
3/4 lb. Emmenthaler cheese
1/3 lb. Appenzeller cheese
2 cups Chardonnay wine
1/2 cup Kirschwasser (cherry brandy)
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
3 Tbsp. flour
1 clove garlic
2 french baguettes (day-old if possible)

More about the ingredients: this is a very easy recipe, but you need to be precise. There are very few opportunities for substitutions because each ingredient has a specific flavor and/or function, so make sure you have all the exact ingredients and the exact proportions. Believe me, it's really worth getting it right.

• The flour helps bind the ingredients as the cheese melts so the oils in the cheese do not separate. Do not leave the flour out or the whole pot will be a separated mess of cheese solids, oils and heated white wine.
• The kirschwasser has to be cherry brandy and cannot be "cherry flavored brandy" because the latter tastes like cough syrup and will ruin the whole pot.
• The wine must be chardonnay because it needs to be very dry - a fruity white wine like a riesling or even a pinot grigio will make the whole pot sweet and not fit for eating.
• Even the lemon juice and the garlic add flavors that are noticeably missing if you leave them out.
• Each of the cheeses have their own wonderful flavor and this is one place you might use substitutions. While Appenzeller is harder to find, it's worth searching for. If you cannot get Gruyere, you can consider using Comte but try that substitution after first having made it with Gruyere. If you cannot find Emmenthaler (also known as "Swiss Cheese" - the kind with the holes), try Jarlsberg. But again, it's worth making the exact recipe the first time so you know how the substitution changes the fondue.
• The baguettes should be crusty and the reason why day-old bread is better is because it's firmer and can be cut more quickly and precisely into quarters. For variety's sake you can try boiled new potatoes, apples, broccoli or anything else that's chunky and can be dipped. In my opinion, there is nothing better than the crusty baguette because of the texture and the way it holds onto the melted cheese.

Once you have all the ingredients, see if you can sweet-talk someone nearby into doing the tedious task of cutting the baguettes into bite-sized chunks. If nobody is around to delegate to, do it yourself in advance and consider pre-testing the wine for quality assurance purposes while you do that. Depending on the girth of the bread, you can cut it into half-inch slices that are then cut into either thirds or fourths.
Then, pour the wine into a pot and let it slowly heat it to just shy of boiling. While the wine heats, peel the garlic clove and slice it in half. Rub the garlic clove all around the inside of the fondue pot. Then, shred the cheese into a big bowl. Sift the flour onto the shredded cheese and dredge it thoroughly by mixing it all together by hand.
Once all that is done, turn back to the pot and add the lemon juice. Slowly add handfuls of cheese while constantly stirring, making sure the cheese is melting. Once all the cheese had been added, keep stirring until it has a uniform off-white color and consistency that's not runny and not lumpy (a little thicker than split-pea soup). Transfer the mixture to the fondue pot and call everyone to the table to enjoy.
I strongly recommend serving this foundue with a salad chaser for roughage. As you can imagine, all this cheese is a sure-fire way to slow down your digestive system and following up with a nice, leafy salad is a great way to help move things along, if you know what I mean.
Give this a try and let me know what you think. Enjoy!