Lancaster Cooking: Do You Fondue?

Wanna throw a special late winter party? The kind where people will talk about on Monday morning around the water cooler or coffee machine at the office.Well look no further. Your Lancaster County Innkeeper/Chef has come up with an idea for ya.

Get out of bed and forget the big ole weekend breakfast. It's time to Fondue. This is not your 70's style with a little cheese dip and bread it's the kind where you invite guests to your house and knock their socks off. The kind with dips and sauces and fancy accompaniments. You see, you can still have your cheese fondue, but mix it up a little. Instead of just dunking bread in a cheese pot, try using artisan style breads like pumpernickel with pumpkin seed or soft pretzels or brioche as your dippers. You'll find an interesting appeal and a taste not expected and loads of water cooler talk.

Speaking of accompaniments, don't stop at just your bread choices, look up specialty dips and sauces and chutneys and ketchups to go along with it. If you have a chicken you are dipping in broth or oil, try marinating the chicken in a ginger marinade and serve it with a homemade plum ketchup. If you have shrimp, use a fennel spinach cream sauce to top it with. How about dipping mini ravioli? Serve a pickled eggplant (caponata) or olive spread (tampenade). Try a mini eggroll or potsticker with a apple ginger relish or a black bean sesame dipping sauce.

The point is to get you to explore. This one is an easy one. Have your recipes together early and be sure to plan ahead. And as always, your friendly neighborhood chef is just a phone call away!

Bon Appetite!

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