The More the Merrier

Do you ever feel like having a small group of friends over for a luncheon but think it's too much trouble, or that you doubt your culinary skills? Well have no fear because you can do it, or rather your guests can do it for themselves.

A friend turned me on to fondue recently, and I am so thrilled she did. Because fondue is a group activity it creates a communal atmosphere and is heaps of fun because your guests cook their own food.

The first one I tried is called fondue bourguignonne, a meat fondue where we speared bite-sized pieces of meat or vegetables and dip them into a hot sauce, allowing them to sit until the meat was cooked. Along with the meat we had potatoes, vegetables and seafood, all cooked in a simmering pot of broth. The wow factor is in the sauces or broth. We had three types of sauces. I'm vegetarian, so we had two fondues one specially for veggies. It was perfect!

The second one I tried pictured here, is called raclette which is a type of cheese from Switzerland similar to gruyere. Raclette is shaved and placed on a small serving tray which is placed under the heated dish, while on top the vegetables are cooking. Each person decides how much cheese to melt and once they have placed their food on their dish the raclette is pored over top of it. Mmmmm good stuff!

Fondue has a slow leisurely pace, and is a great way to spend time with friends without all the fuss. How could I have not done this before?