Spreading the Wealth

Defeating the world from evil, one bite at a time. TOP: Leah, Eric, Jim, Alex, Kenn. BOTTOM:Liz and Kristin

Hello! This is Kristin bringing to you an extra special post in recognition of Halloween. But before I can get into this rather interesting tale, I must first admit to you all that I am a LARPer: a Live Action Role Player.  Once a month I pack my bags and leave my grad school studies to spend the weekend dressed up in costume.  I destroy bad guys with a foam sword, cast spells by throwing bird seed packets at people, and usually speak with a funny accent.  Lightly put, it’s usually the thing I look forward to the most every month.  Er…aside from fondue, of course!

Pretty nice lodging for a fantasy-themed world, huh?

Last weekend I brought my fondue pot to Northcoast Nero, a LARP group based around Akron, Ohio.  Quite a few of our Funduer members have been people I’ve met from Northcoast Nero (NcN), and seeing as many more have voiced interest in our fondue group, I thought this event I would bring the fondue to them! I posted an invitation on our In-Character forums as my character, Eimear:

To those who have fine taste in dining, and the pockets to afford it…

My name is Miss Eimear Augustan, a rather new scholar studying the art of healing. As such, I’m afraid I do not have the pleasure of knowing many of you, but I hope to change that this coming Market Day. It is in my best interest to meet those who will keep me alive, as you are the same adventurers I hope to return the favor to with my healing.

On to the true sweet core of this business:

I originate from a humble farming home, and my mother taught me a few tricks in the kitchen. One of them, I may modestly add, is my fondue. Fondue, to those of you who are unaware, is a communal form of eating where a group of people can eat from one pot of broth, oil, cheese or dessert.

I have interest in bringing my own Yogurt Fondue, a lightly sweetened treat best accompanied with fruit and pastries. This is my effort to develop some budding friendships away from my home, but I am limiting this delicious offer to a mere six adventurers.

In order to be a part of this closed fondue gathering, I shall ask for you to send me a private message with your name and anything else you may like to add (so this might help me prepare a seating chart and know what may or may not be proper conversation at our meeting). You will receive a response from me informing you when and where we will meet at the market day.

In addition to contacting me personally, I will also ask anyone involved in this fondue gathering to bring an accompaniment or drink to share as well as your own silverware and plates. As a final request, I will also ask for 1 gold to help me pay for the ingredients of the fondue itself.

I look forward to speaking with many of you soon.

~Eimear Augustan

I received responses from a small group of people, and with my yogurt fondue, fondue pot, forks, and some plates in hand I headed for the event! =D I arrived to an event filled with a war against some nasty undead (how fitting for Halloween, don’t you think?), but between our valiant efforts we gathered together in our lodging and had a truly delightful meal.  It was a chance for us all to enjoy each others company while sharing food and stories.  I suppose it reminds even the most serious of fighters that there should always be time allotted for one’s friends!  Besides, it’s hard to fight undead on an empty stomach.

Dessert Fondue:

Yogurt Fondue

Ingredients:

• 1 Lemon
  

  We used one of the beds as our "table" and ate Japanese style.

  

  It took some time to get everyone comfortable with the idea of eating fondue in our costumes.

• 1 1/4 cup fat free plain yogurt
• 1 1/4 cup sour cream
• 4 teaspoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons honey
• Old-fashioned Doughnuts
• Strawberries
• Applies
• Peaches
• Grapes

Directions:

1. Cut the donuts and fruit into bite-sized pieces, and arrange them on plates.
2. Wash the lemon with hot water and dry.  Cut off a piece of the rind and cut into fine strips; finely grate the remaining rind.  You can use the squeezed lemon juice on the fruit, if you want.
3. In a bowl, stir the yogurt, sour cream and the cornstarch until smooth.  Add the honey and the grated lemon rind.
4. Pour mixture into a pot and stir over low heat on the stove until smooth and creamy–do not boil! Pour mixture into the fondue pot and keep over a low flame.  Sprinkle with the lemon rind strips.
5. Spear donuts and fruit and draw through the yogurt mixture, or spoon onto your plate.

An Evening in Kyoto

Eating with chopsticks, sharing stories, listening to classical music...it doesn't get much better. (Hm...should have thought to listen to JAPANESE music, huh? Whoops!) From left to right: Madi, Ed, Rita, Alex

The Gathering

Gathering eight of our summer season was slightly smaller than our past gatherings, with only eight members–including two new members, Nancy and Josh!  It is good to think that slowly, surely, we are taking over the world with our love for fine eating on sticks (or at the very least taking over our circle of friends).  The biggest struggle we had for this gathering, however, was that we had not been able to get into contact with Craig…who had Kristin’s fondue pot, and the recipe book.  Thankfully Madi has recently bought her own broth/oil fondue pot, so we were able to continue without him.  Kristin had a recipe for Sukiyaki in her head from her time spent in Japan–so we gave it a try on the fly.

Due to Craig’s obviously devious desire to keep the fondue pot and the book resulted in an addition to our rules.  We had reason to suspect that Craig may have gone to Guatemala, seeing as he could no longer be reached:

New Rules:

8.Thou shalt not abscond the book, nor the fondue pot, and with it leave the country.

9. If thou art with the intention of continuing fondue night, thou art obligated to write in the blog on the intertubes.

Main Course:

Sukiyaki

Ingredients:

• Thin-sliced beef
  

  We've never eaten this many vegetables in one dish before...there were too many to fit into one pot!

• 1 head cabbage
• Baby carrots
• Snap peas
• Red potatoes
• Bean sprouts
• Broccoli
• Beef broth
• Soy Sauce
• Sugar
• Water

Directions:

1. Start by cooking the beef in a deep pan (like a wok or even a pot).  This needs to be completely done before we can start to add the broth.
2. Meanwhile, you are going to prepare the broth.  Add water, sugar, and soy sauce into a bowl.  Try to find a consistency where there the soy sauce is noticeable, but not overwhelming.
3. Chop vegetables into bite-sized pieces and add to the beef when the beef is done.
   

   Where's the beef?

4. Pour the sauce over the pan and allow it simmer under a lid.
5. Transfer the mixture to the fondue pot and dish out onto individual plates!

Comments:

• “It was nice to have a broth dish again.  Variety makes life spicy.” –Madi
• “The broth was good, but the meat could have been cooked less–but that was my fault.”–Ed
• “There were more vegetables than usual, so it was very tasty.”–Eric
• “I usually keep my meat away from my vegetables, but this time it was very good.”–Josh

“I was hesitant about the cabbage, but it was surprisingly good.”–Josh

• “I really enjoyed the cabbage, but not the carrots.  It seemed out of place.”–Nancy
• “My adopted mother in Japan showed me this recipe at her house, and although I’m not sure I really got it right, it was a nice attempt.”–Kristin
• Cabbage is a necessity.  You may not normally like it, but it is really a needed ingredient to this pot…especially if you want it to be as authentic as possible.
  

  Barely contained in one pot, we all looked on hungrily as the delicious smell filled the kitchen.

Variations:

• For a traditional sukiyaki meal in Japan, they will serve from the shared pot in the middle, and then dip that food into a bowl of raw egg–and onto their bowl of rice.  The egg cools down the food while alsoproviding more flavor.  However, due to a recent outbreak in salmonella, we decided to forgo this addition.
• Sukiyaki is really supposed to be a pot of all the food you like and have lying around for easy access–so feel free to add whatever you like!
• We added beef broth to our homemade sukiyaki sauce, since we did not have enough soy sauce.  This seemed to work nicely, though it could have diluted the taste more than desired.  If possible, attempt the sauce with no beef broth added.

TOTAL COST: $39.04

Side Dish:

Rice

Ingredients:

• 2 cup long grain white rice
• Hard mochi

Directions:

1. Clean the rice by rinsing and straining the rice until the water is no longer milky white in the bowl.
2. Add water to the rice.  Place your fist into the bowl and press into the middle of the rice.  If the water rises to circle (but not cover entirely) the top of your hand, there should be enough water.
3. Slice the mochi and sprinkle the pieces over the rice.
4. Set the bowl into the rice cooker and allow it to steam and cook.
5. Mix the melted mochi and rice together and serve.

Everyone is hard at work trying to recreate a recipe from Kristin's head. (From left to right: Alex, Ed, Nancy, Josh)

Comments:

• “This should have been sticky rice.” –Madi

“The rice as good to have with the broth.”–Nancy

• “I love rice and could eat it everyday.  In Japan it is common to have it with every meal.”–Kristin

Variations:

• Mochi is added in order to made the rice stickier, especially if you do not have short-grain or sushi rice available. It is, however, not necessary.
• We used a long-grain white rice, but sticky rice (like sushi rice) is preferred.

Dessert:

Green Tea (Matcha 抹茶) Ice Cream

Ingredients:

• Vanilla ice cream (softened)
• Green tea powder (like matcha)
  

  Kristin brought out all the ceramic plates, bowls and cups she made while in Japan. With the addition of chopsticks, we transformed the dining room in a Japanese restaurant.

  

  Both the lucky cat and the tanuki guarded our cake.

• Red bean paste

Directions:

1. Add green tea powder to a bowl of vanilla ice cream and mix together with a fork, until all the ice cream  is a nice shade of green.
2. Before serving, add a helping of red beans on top.  Enjoy!

Comments:

• “I wish I had more!”–Madi
• “It was good with the red bean paste.”–Ed
• “I’ve never had green tea.  I’ve never had red bean paste.  I have had ice cream before.  All three together was very good.”–Eric
• “I had a very mellow tea flavor to it–it was very good.”–Josh
• “I love red bean paste, unlike the uncultured heathen beside me (Josh).  This was very good.  It was vanilla with a little green tea flavor.”–Nancy

Variations:

• This type of ice cream also goes well with mochi!
• Try making a parfait.  Add cornflakes, red bean paste, and mochi to create an authentic Japanese parfait treat.

Attendees:

Madi, Kristin, Ed, Eric, Rita, Nancy, Josh, Alex

Although Ed has learned so much in the time he's been a funduer, Kristin is watching every move he still makes...

Taste of Greece

Feta cheese fondue and all the necessary accompaniments.

The Gathering

A funduer gathering record has been set with a whopping ten members this past gathering–whoo hoo!  Kristin found an extra table that we could attach to the end of our regular table, making it possible for the entire group to eat together–and thus not feel so left out way over on the counter.  After the meal we again gathered in the living room for discussion, soon to find that we were all a lot sillier than normal…if such a thing is p0ssible.  Some of the comments to follow (particularly about the squash) are the pure products of the silly bug. This is your fair warning.

Main Course:

Feta Cheese Fondue

We sent Craig and Eric outside to tend the meat. 'Cause they're manly. And grillin' is manly business.

For once we didn't make Craig stir the cheese, but forced Ed to learn, instead. His momma would be so proud!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. cucumbers
• 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 lb. steak
• 11 oz. tomatoes
• 5 oz. black olives
• 1 lb. 2 oz. flatbread
• 1 lb. feta cheese
• 1 garlic clove
• 1/4 cup butter
• 11 oz. cream cheese
• 1 cup milk
• 1 heaping teaspoon cornstarch
• Hot paprika
• 1 teaspoon chopped fresh oregano
• 6 large basil leaves

Directions:

1. Peel the cucumbers, quarter lengthwise, and cut diagonally in pieces.  Cut tomatoes into eights.  Pit olives.  Cube bread.  Decoratively arrange the cucumbers, tomatoes, olives, and bread on plates.
2. Grill the steak, allowing to cool before cutting into bite-size pieces.
3. Coarsely grate the feta.  Mix the butter, feta and cream cheese in a saucepan.  Stir in all bu 1/4 cup of the milk.  Heat the mixture slowly over low heat, stirring constantly, until the cheese melts.
4. Mix the cornstarch with the reserved milk.  Stir into the fondue and bring to a boil, boiling until mixture thickens.  Season with paprika, oregano, and 1-2 tablespoons lemon juice.
5. Peel and halve the garlic and rub the fondue pot well with it. Pour fondue into the pot and place over the burner, simmering over a low flame. Draw the flatbread, tomatoes, cucumbers, steak, and olives through the cheese mixture.

Comments:

• “I enjoyed the creamy texture”– Craig

“It was delicious, but I am very tired of cheese.”–Evan

• “I liked stirring it–I made it, you know.” –Ed (Good job, Ed! You amazing stirrer, you!)
• “Fresh vegetables were food with the tangy, tangy feta cheese.” –Lindsey

Variations:

• The original recipe did not call for steak as an accompaniment, but we found that it was a perfect addition..or at least some of us did.
• “Steak was a good call–we were RIGHT.” –Madi
• “I thought the meat was the worst part.  The vegetarian didn’t miss out.” –Eric

Toasting the flat-bread is not a necessary step, but if you put it in the oven at 350 degrees for a few minutes, it comes out warm and delicious. –Kristin

TOTAL COST: $47.33

Side Dish:

Sauteed Squash

As our newest member, Alex was put to work frying some squash. We firmly believe that pushing newbies into the fray is the right thing to do!

Ingredients:

• 1 lb. 2 oz. small yellow summer squash
• 2 tablespoons olive oil/salt/pepper
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice

Directions:

1. Trim the squash and shave in thin slices.  Heat the olive oil and saute a few squash slices at a time for 5 minutes over medium heat until golden brown.  Season with salt, pepper, thyme, and 2 tablespoons of the lemon juice.
2. Cut the basil leaves into julienne and sprinkle over the squash.  Eat this as a side alongside the fondue!

Comments:

• “I thought there was too much basil.”–Craig
• “Whenever I think of squash I think of bananas and then I think of Rafiki from The Lion King.”–(This random comment brought to you by Toni!)
• “Squash yay! More squash! More yay!”–Madi
• “It was good for squash.  It was bad for potatoes.”–Evan…who should be happy it wasn’t potatoes, but was, indeed, squash.
• “The squash was good, especially with the sauteing. “–Ed
• “I thought it went well with the feta cheese.” –Lindsey, who also wanted to add that, “Sauteing has every vowell in it…except for o.”

“I mostly tasted oil and salt…not much squash.  It was also not the healthiest choice, nor the squashiest choice.”–Eric

• “I felt gross after eating these, because of all the oil.  Maybe with thicker pieces you’d be able to taste more squash–especially if less oil were used.”–Kristin

Variations:

• “The squash was too thin.  It would be better to cut with a knife and made thicker, instead of the peeled strips.”–Alex

The growing funduer family. (From left to right) Kristin, Toni, Craig, Ed, Evan, Eric.

Salad:

Strawberry Spinach Salad

Ingredients:

• Spinach
• Strawberries
• Blueberries
• Avocado
• Pine nuts
• Feta cheese

Directions:

1. Lay down a bed of clean spinach into a serving bowl.
2. Clean strawberries and blueberries, and peel the avocado.  Slice the strawberries and the avocado into bite-sized pieces, and add all three on top of the salad.
3. Toss the salad, but be careful not to toss too much–so as not to bruise the fruit or the avocado.
4. Top with pine nuts and sprinkle with feta cheese.
5. Eat without dressing, so long as you have enough feta cheese and avocado for each bite! The avocado is rich enough on its own.

Lindsey prepares part of the mixture for the fondue.

Comments:

• “It was a fantastic salad.  I had salad with fruit before, but this had a lot more of it. Pine nuts were a good touch.” –Alex
• “I think I went for thirds!” –Alex
• “There was a proper balance, but it was not properly mixed.  There was a lot of fruit left on the bottom.” –Eric
• As Alex pointed out, this improper mixture was due to the fact that granular media settles at the bottom.  In other words, because the fruit is smaller and the spinach large, the fruit will always settle at the bottom. Sadness.

“I thought the avocado was great in the salad–it made the salad so rich it didn’t require dressing.” –Lindsey

• “It needed mixed more.” –Ed (See above note on granular media)
• “I loved the ingredients, but I think it definitely needed the dressing, too.  Maybe the dressing from the arugula salad would go well?”–Madi
• “I do think there was too much spinach.  However, the fruit and avocado were amazing.”– Toni

“Wait, there were blueberries in there?” –Craig

Variations:

• Try with many different types of fruit.  Raspberries and blackberries can also go well with this salad.
• Pine nuts can be substituted with sunflower seeds or sliced almonds.

TOTAL COST: $17.87

Dessert:

Grandma Truitt’s Strawberry Dessert

Grandma Truitt's Strawberry Dessert is a recipe that has been passed down in Craig's family. He was nice enough to share it with us!

Ingredients:

Directions:

Comments:

• “It was fantastic.  It’s everything I want from a dessert.” –Alex
• “It was too mushy.”–Eric
• “It’s a very sweet dessert, so keep portions small, because I couldn’t finish mine.” –Lindsey
• “I could have eaten more, but I eat like a pig…*laughing* I DO!” –Ed
• “It was wet, but very strawberry-y and good.”–Madi

“I thought it was superbly delicious.  I wanted to have more–in fact, I may steal the rest.”  –Toni

• “My mother makes it better than I do.” –Craig
• “I don’t like soggy things, and that’s what this dessert made me think of.  However, I did enjoy the taste….I just disliked the texture.”–Kristin

Variations:

Attendees:

Madi, Kristin, Ed, Craig, Toni, Evan, Stephen, Lindsey, Alex, Eric

Rich and Spicy Delicacies

From L to R: Toni, Kim, Lindsey, Madi, Stephen , Evan, Craig, Kristin, Ed

The Gathering

Phew!  The group continues to grow…to the point where we actually had to split the group into two tables (which is both sad and exciting).  We had nine people for our sixth week, with one new face and the rest returning for what must be some reason.  We must be doing something right?  In any case, we only have one fondue pot at this point, so splitting the tables was a bit difficult.  We had to scoop the cheese out onto plates and carry them away, which was inevitably a little less fun…but just as delicious.  That’s the one thing about fondue…it’s great for groups, but if you have more than 6 or 7 people, it might behoove you to get more than one pot.

After we ate we gathered in the living room for our usual meeting to decide what we thought about our fondue this week, as well as what our plans will be for this week to come.  Youtube video surfing soon followed.

Lindsey shows off our delicious fondue spread!

Chicken Curry Fondue...a delicious, thick mixture of awesome.

Main Course:

Chicken Curry Fondue

Ingredients:

• 1lb. 2 oz. (500g) skinless, boneless chicken breasts
• Salt
• Pepper
• 1/4 cup vegetable oil
• 1 cup vegetable broth
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• White bread
• 1 lb. Gouda cheese
• 2 garlic cloves
• 4 shallots
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 tablespoons curry powder
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons orange juice
• Nutmeg
• 1 bunch asparagus
• 1 small package small mushrooms

Directions:

1. Cut fat from the chicken before seasoning with salt and pepper.  Heat the oil in the skillet and saute chicken until browned on all sides (about 6 min. on each side).  Pour in 1/2 cup of the broth and soy sauce and cook, covered, over medium heat for 10 minutes.  Let cool a little and cut into bite-size pieces as an accompaniment.
2. Prepare other accompaniments.  Cut the bread into bite-size cubes.  Boil asparagus for 1 minute, then steam for 5 minutes until crisp-tender before cutting into small pieces.  Cut mushrooms and saute in butter and sauce left over from the chicken.
3. Trim crust from the cheese and grate coarsely.
4. Finely chop the garlic and shallots.  Melt the butter in a saucepan on the stove over medium heat and saute the onion and garlic until tender.  Stir in curry powder, pour in the remaining broth and the wine, and bring to a simmer.
5. Gradually add the cheese, stirring constantly in a figure 8 until melted.  Mix the cornstarch with the orange juice, stir into the hot cheese mixture, and bring to simmer again. Season with nutmeg and pepper before pouring fondue into fondue pot on the burner.

Comments:

Stephen is a true master of chopping...with the SLAP CHOP!

Saute the onion, garlic and the chicken...and don't be stingy with the butter.

• Frickin’ awesome cheese fondue.

“I thought the onions were too big…make sure to cut them properly.  But I still loved it.  Very, very tasty.” –Kim

• We had to cut this cheese with a fork, if was so thick.  We think this happened because we added too much cheese to our mixture (more than the 1lb.).
• Do not add milk to cheese to thin it.  Lindsey’s past experience with adding milk while cooking: “It’s too thick! Add milk!…Ahhhh, what happened?! It’s solid!!!!!!”

“It was all kinds of kickass.” — Craig

“This and the cheese tortellini fondue are now my favorites.  I could have eaten the entire pot, but I think we could have gotten the same effect with cheaper cheese.” –Madi

• Asparagus was key to this fondue!  It was cooked perfectly and worth the time it took to go back to the store to get it.
• The chicken was fantastic!  Soy sauce + vegetable broth over sauteed chicken? What a concept!

“I loved everything.  I would just suggest lightly toasting the bread before cutting it to make spearing it easier.”– Stephen

• Mushrooms absolutely MUST be cooked!  We will never serve mushrooms as an accompaniment without first cooking them again.
• Leftover juices from the mushrooms make a good oil to dip leftover bread in.

“I liked the cheese–especially the curry, which was excellent and not overpowering.” –Evan

• The cheese would not stick onto the asparagus =( But! It was still very delicious together.
• Goes well with a serving of dry white wine used in the cheese.

“This was fan-frickin’ tastic!  And I actually liked the thickness of it.  Leave it the way it is.” –Toni

“For a group this size we could have made a little more.” –Ed

Variations:

Following the recipe is entirely over-rated.

• Originally this recipe called for chicken broth, instead of the vegetable.  For our vegetarian we altered this a bit, and it still tasted great with a side of chicken.  However, trying it with the chicken broth might be interesting to try.
• The Gouda could be substituted with a mild white cheese, if you are worried about the price.

“Baguettes or Italian bread would work especially well for garlic bread.” –Ed

• Try making your own garlic bread to go with this, or as Stephen suggested, at least lightly toasting the bread.

TOTAL COST: $43.10

Dessert:

Devil’s Food Cake with Butter-cream Frosting

Ingredients:

Directions:

Rich and delicious, it's a sin against your waistline.

Comments:

• “I had two pieces–it was really good!” –Ed
• “I could have done without coffee in it.  I like my chocolate plain and pure.” –Madi

“I am generally not a fan of chocolate cake–in fact, I hate chocolate cake–but I loved this one.  I really liked the frosting, especially because I love butter and I could taste it in every bite.” –Toni

• “Cake + tea combo = something I would not change!  It was perfect for me!” –Evan
• “I think having more than one piece was a mistake.” –Craig
• “I liked the cake and frosting, but not together. ” –Kim
• “I did not like that I could taste the butter in the frosting.” –Kristin

We had to extend our eating to the counter to fit everyone.

Variations:

• Used weaker coffee for this particular cake, though generally people would have preferred it strong (especially with the rich butter cream frosting!).
• Vanilla or chocolate frosting would have complimented the weaker coffee better.
• The butter cream frosting would have gone better with a bland, less sweet cake.

Attendees:

Madi, Kristin, Ed, Craig, Toni, Evan, Stephen, Lindsey, Kim

Celebrating Autumn a Little Early…

Evan and Madi re-enacted the historic "Battle of Whipped Cream"

The Gathering

A slightly smaller gathering than last week, our fifth gathering was marked with a single fondue–in an attempt to try something simpler than last week’s chocolate waffle craziness.  We welcomed another new member, though we did not add anymore rules (yet!).  After the delicious meal we also had some of our own sundaes, and closed the gathering a bit early for those of us who needed some extra sleep.  All in all, another good event!

Main Course:

Apple Nut Brie Fondue

Prepare the potion, my minion! Craig sautes the apple and onion while the broccoli cooks.

Ingredients:

• 500g Brie
• 1 small onion
• 1 sour green apple
• Italian bread
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup apple juice
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• Black pepper
• Salt
• 1 teaspoon mustard
• 1/4 teaspoon paprika
• Nutmeg
• 4 oz. walnuts, chopped
• Pears
• Mushrooms
• Broccoli florets
• Red potatoes

Directions:

1. Cut rind off the Brie and finely cube the cheese.  Finely chop the onion.  Peel and core apple and grate coarsely.
2. Start to prepare the items to be dipped.  Cut bread and pears into bite-size cubes. Cook broccoli and potatoes under tender, and clean mushrooms.
3. Melt the butter in a fondue pot on the stove over medium heat and saute the onion and apple until tender.  Pour in the apple juice and bring to simmer.  Gradually add cheese, stirring constantly over low heat.  Keep stirring in a figure 8 until cheese is melted.
4. Mix the cornstarch into the cheese mixture. Season with pepper, salt, mustard, paprika and nutmeg.  Stir in the nuts and keep the fondue hot on the burner.
5. At the table, spear bread cubes, pears, etc. on fondue forks and draw through the hot cheese  mixture. Yum!

Comments:

Rich and creamy apple nut brie fondue.

Craig wonders if he's stirring cheese correctly.

It was good.  There was chunkiness, and it was good.  Mushrooms, bread–it was all good, too.  I preferred last weeks, though. — Ed

Pretty good.  I liked the onion flavor, but I couldn’t taste the apple.  It was best with the bread and broccoli. –Craig

I liked it!  Walnuts were delicious, and I liked it with the bread.  I personally liked this better than going to the Melting Pot! — Toni

I thought it was going to be sweet, but it wasn’t.  It was still better than I expected–had it been sweeter, I probably would not have liked it.  It was especially good with the apply juice on the side, as well as the potatoes and the bread.–Evan

Potatoes and broccoli=awesome! I liked last week’s cheese fondue better, and I thought this one would be sweeter.  It might have been better with meat. –Madi

TOTAL COST: $45.52

Salad:

Cauliflower Salad

We had a vegetarian in our midst this past gathering. Whoops! Guess the bacon in the salad was a bad idea...sorry, Toni!

Ingredients:

• 1 bag lettuce
• 1/2 head of cauliflower
• Around 1/2 red onion
• Vinegar
• 1 small bottle of Mayo
• Powdered Parmesan cheese
• Bacon bits

Directions:

1. Mix the lettuce, cauliflower, onion, and vinegar (to taste) together.
2. Mix mayo, Parmesan cheese and bacon bits, and spread on top of salad.

Comments:

Very tasty.  I went back for seconds. — Ed

I thought it was very tasty, but too much mayo for my own taste.  I also don’t like bacon. –Kristin

• Not a good vegetarian dish (as poor Toni is, in fact, a vegetarian!).  Perhaps it would be better to put the bacon on the side.

It was excellent, but I’m not a fan of cauliflower.–Evan

Toni, the vegetarian, is wrong.  Bacon is amazing. The salad was amazing, too.  –Madi

Attendees:

Madi, Kristin, Ed, Craig, Toni, and Evan