From Cheesy to Chocolatey - Using My Caquelon All Evening Long #SundayFunday

I am hosting the Sunday Funday writers this week. I invited them: "For our New Year's celebrations, I like to have lots of different small bites that we can stretch out for hours while we wait for midnight. Let's share your favorite nibbles. Sweets, savories, whatever you want to share."

Stacy of Food Lust People Love, Sue of Palatable Pastime, Rebekah of Making Miracles, and Wendy of A Day in the Life on the Farm coordinate this low-stress group; we only participate when we are inspired. Here's this week's line-up...

• An Elegant Start to a Dinner Party for the 4th Day of Christmas by A Day in the Life on the Farm

• Boiled Egg Sandwiches by Sneha's Recipe

• Cranberry Brie Bites by Mayuri's Jikoni

• Fried Cheesy Pickles by Amy's Cooking Adventures

• From Cheesy to Chocolatey - Using My Caquelon All Evening Long by Culinary Cam (you're here)

• Mushroom Duxelle on Toast by Sid's Sea Palm Cooking

• Scotch Quail Eggs by Food Lust People Love

From Cheesy to Chocolatey - Using My Caquelon All Evening Long

Did you know that 'caquelon' is another word for 'fondue pot'? I have had many pots. Someone gave us a stainless steel one on a spinning rack for our wedding; its footprint on the table was far too large. I had cast iron ones; those were ridiculously tough to clean. Finally I got my hands on two enameled cast iron caquelons (affiliate link on Amazon) and I love them!

I decided to pull out my caquelons to make three different courses. R, Jake, and I lingered around the dining room table over a cheese fondue, a savory broth fondue, and a chocolate fondue. D missed out because he was in the Bay Area with some friends. So, I might have to do this again before his Winter break ends.

Fondue cheese is an Alpine version of cucina povera, an inexpensive way to feed a family; the original version was simply stale bread dipped in melted Gruyère. Now, this gooey concoction of melted cheese is a decadent way to celebrate chilly winter nights. I like to use a mixture of Gruyère, Fontina, and Gouda in a base of leftover wine with a bit of garlic and a squeeze of lemon juice. I have seen variations that include a swirl of mustard or a sprinkling of fresh herbs. The cheese layer that crisps up at the bottom of the pot is called 'religieuse' and is enjoyed at the end of the meal and is prized like the soccarat on paella.

Cheese Fondue

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound Gruyère, grated

• 1/2 pound Fontina, grated

• 1/2 pound Gouda, grated

• 1 Tablespoon cornstarch

• 3/4 cup leftover wine (I used a sparkling brut Rosé, but traditional is white wine)

• 1 teaspoon freshly squeezed lemon juice

• 2 teaspoons fresh garlic, minced

• 1/2 cup whole milk, as needed

• freshly ground black pepper

• Also needed: caquelon (fondue pot) for serving

Procedure

In a medium mixing bowl, toss the grated cheeses with cornstarch.

In a saucepan, whisk the wine, lemon juice, and garlic together. Bring to a boil, then add half of your cheese. Stir until beginning to melt. Add in the remaining cheese. When the cheese is completely melted, add in milk, as needed, until you get a satiny, silky mixture that will coat a cube of bread easily.

Before serving, stir in a few grinds of black pepper. Pour the cheese into your caquelon and serve hot.

I served this with chunks of regular an gluten-free baguette, lamb chorizo coins from Tablas Creek Vineyard, Russian fingerling potatoes, and slices of Pink Lady apples.

Broth Fondue

When most people hear fondue, they think about the wonderful cheesy goodness (above) or maybe a decadent chocolate (below), but given that one of my guys is dairy-free, I opted to do a broth fondue. It's basically a Western hot-pot. There is no real recipe for this one. I just bring some beef bone broth to a boil and pour it into a caquelon. To dip, I offered paper thin slices of steak, baby crimini mushrooms, and cauliflower florets. Diners skewer the dippers and cook them in the simmering broth. Also needed: whole grain mustard for serving with the meat.

Chocolate Fondue

Chocolate fondue is a rich, decadent, and incredibly simple dessert. It requires only two ingredients and an array of fun things you want to dip in chocolate! I added in a third ingredient just for fun.

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy whipping cream

• 2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips or chunks

• 1 Tablespoon Frangelico liqueur, optional

• Also needed: caquelon (fondue pot) for serving

Procedure

Pour the cream into a saucepan and heat until the edges shows small bubbles and the cream is steaming. Remove from heat. Add in the chocolate chunks and swirl until they are completely submerged. Let stand for three minutes, then whisk until smooth. Stir in the liqueur. Pour into the caquelon and serve hot.

I served this with cubes of gingerbread cake, gluten-free madeleines, fresh strawberries, fresh golden berries, gummy fruit squares, dried persimmon slices, and even pretzels.

My favorite dipper, especially at this time of year, is my gingerbread cake. Gingerbread + lemon = culinary bliss. At least in my world. And I pair them together a lot. Take a look at my Olive Oil Gingerbread with Lemon-Ginger Curd, Bourbon Gingerbread with Lemon Curd, and Mrs. Coughran's Southern Gingerbread with Lemon Sauce that actually launched this little obsession of mine. Gingerbread + chocolate is a close second

Gingerbread Cake

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 cups flour

• 3 Tablespoons organic granulated sugar

• 3/4 teaspoon baking soda

• 1 teaspoon ground ginger

• 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

• 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

• 1/2 teaspoon ground allspice

• 6 Tablespoons butter, melted

• 1/2 cup molasses

• 3 Tablespoons hot water

• 1 egg

• 2/3 cup sour cream

• 1/3 cup chopped candied ginger

Procedure

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Line baking dish with parchment paper and set aside.

Whisk together the flour, sugar, baking soda, and spices. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the butter, molasses, hot water, egg, and sour cream until smooth and combined. Add in the dry ingredients and stir until just moistened. Fold in the candied ginger.

Bake in the preheated oven for 40 to 45 minutes. Let the cake cool in the pan for 5 minutes before inverting and letting cool completely on a wire rack. Cut into cubes that can be easily skewered and dipped into chocolate.

That's a wrap on my final #SundayFunday offering of 2024. Here are a few of my favorite posts from the year...Mushroom Ragù, A Grazing Board for Gratitude, and Painted Peppermint Cookies.

We'll see you in the new year. Next week we'll be sharing nutritious nibbles. Stay tuned!