You too can fondue

My mother received a fondue pot (avocado green, of course) sometime

in the late 1960s as a Christmas gift. We thought it was very groovy

and often begged to use it, but that would have involved actual

cooking -- which my mother was morally opposed to.

It sat in its harvest gold box for three decades and was

eventually placed in the garage sale pile when I found it, untouched

since its birth 30 years earlier. Once new, now retro, it was still

extremely groovy, and the idea of making fondue sounded far out.

In its honor, we had a ‘60s theme party, complete with our 1961

bug bus as a lawn ornament. We donned caftans, tie-dyed T-shirts and

parted our hair down the middle. The menu was a cheese fondue and

then a chocolate fondue for dessert. We skipped the middle part of

the meal -- much too nutritional -- and stuffed ourselves while we

listened to the Mamas and the Papas. That night we relived the Age of

Aquarius.

Lo and behold, a restaurant chain called the Melting Pot was being

created as we rediscovered the joy of dipping. They take fondue to a

new level: great decor, great service and great food. The best part

is that the tables all have built-in electric burners so you can cook

your own meal. The servers bring the ingredients to the table, mix

it, cook it, and bring obscene amounts of food to dip and eat.

There are three courses to choose from, or you can choose all

three. Traditionally, the first course is a cheese combination (the

secret for a perfectly melted cheese fondue is to coat the shredded

cheese with cornstarch) and is served with cubed bread, carrots,

celery, apples, broccoli and a few things I can’t remember. It’s a

meal in itself. But don’t let that stop you.

The entree selection includes meat, fish, chicken, and a great

vegetarian platter. The cooking styles include a coq-a-vin broth: oil

with dipping batter to create your own tempura, and a mojo

Mediterranean. All the entrees are served with plates of vegetables

to cook as a side dish.

And then there is dessert. The menu changes often. Some of the

choices are: chocolate, s’mores, turtle (with caramel and pecans),

white chocolate and cookies and cream. Dippers include fresh fruit,

brownie cubes, cheesecake, marshmallows and pound cake. How decadent

is that? You really do need to wear a caftan.

Our avocado green fondue pot is of the sterno variety, but if you

are starting fresh, the electric models maintain a constant

temperature and make it a no-fuss affair.

I found two of the Melting Pot’s recipes on an Internet message

board, one cheese and one chocolate. We tried them out, and the

recipes get two thumbs up. It would be easy to tweak the recipes to

suit your personal taste by adding herbs or different kinds of cheese

for the first course or by throwing in nuts, different flavorings or

different candy pieces for the dessert edition.

There is nothing low-cal about these dishes; of course, that is

what makes them so good. So if you’re feeling self-indulgent, try

these recipes. The moon doesn’t need to be in the seventh house, and

it doesn’t have to be “Monday, Monday.” Just “Come Together” for a

little good food.

CHEESE FONDUE

* 2 cups gruyere cheese

* 2 cups Swiss cheese (not processed)

* 3 tablespoons kirsch or cooking sherry

* 1 tablespoon lemon juice

* 1 cup white wine * 1 clove garlic

* 1 tablespoon cornstarch

* White pepper

* Salt

Grate cheeses and toss with cornstarch. Rub the inside of the

fondue dish with garlic. Add wine. Do not bring to boil. Heat until

tiny bubbles form in fondue dish. Add grated cheeses and lemon juice.

Stir until smooth. Remove from heat. Add kirsch or cooking sherry,

white pepper and salt to taste. Serve with cubed French bread and

vegetables (carrots, broccoli, mushrooms, cauliflower, cooked

artichoke hearts, pea pods).

CHOCOLATE FONDUE

* 12-ounce package semi-sweet chocolate pieces

* 2/3 cups sour cream

* 1/4 cups coffee liqueur, orange liqueur or raspberry liqueur (or

flavoring)

* 1/4 to 1/2 cups cream

In a saucepan or fondue pot, melt chocolate and sour cream over a

low heat. Stir until smooth. Stir in liqueur. Thin as necessary with

cream. Keep warm over a low heat. Serve with a variety of fresh fruit

(strawberries, bananas, pineapple, apple, kiwi) and brownies, angel

food cake, cheesecake, marshmallows or pound cake.

* KAREN WIGHT is a Newport Beach resident. Her column runs

Thursdays.