The Lessons of Cheryl's Kitchen - It's Okay to Be Cheesy

Few things in life epitomize my feelings about the social purpose of food quite like fondue. It's perfect for cold weather and any size of party can benefit from having a melt-ey pot of goodness for your friends to commune around. This is likely a result of having a childhood where the little orange fondue pot of my mother's was frequently out on the table. There are so many options that I've even thrown dinner parties where the entire multi-course menu was comprosed of types of fondue.

Growing up, it's easy to see why fondue was fascinating and such a good option for me. Above all things, it's just fun to do. From a silky smooth chocolate fondue to a more rare and exotic shabu shabu these dishes are guaranteed to be a huge hit. Now when I make it for my friends, I can feel like I'm at one of my parents parties. Just a group of good friends gathered, sharing stories, joking, and simply enjoying some quality time with one another. 

Personally, and we probably have my mom to thank for this, I still feel that the king of these dishes is the swiss-style cheese fondue. Anytime I would smell the gruyere and white wine concoction simmering in that little pot... I probably wasn't too far behind with a piece of bread. Therefore, it should be no surprise that I often make this dish when I have friends over. By it's very nature it encourages talking and laughter, and it's just the right amount of messy. It's a socially acceptable way to play with your food.

This was absolutely the case this Sunday when I invited my friends Tom and Matt up for fondue and dessert. 


I'm so fortunate to have found a great group of friends so quickly after moving up to Wisconsin from Ohio. We've gotten together for tours, go out to the most chic of local watering holes, and (most importantly) gather regularly to make dinner with one another. I would never have imagined that I would feel so at home after moving so far away.

This was actually the second time we've had fondue, this time because Matt was unable to attend the first fondue party we had thrown. With 2 of the regulars out of town, and maybe just a little bit because of a personal craving, I had promised him we would get together and make cheese fondue(not originally on the menu). It was definitely the right dish considering the temperature outside and because all too often whoever is cooking is stuck in the kitchen. Fondue also ensures that everyone can eat at the same time, which I like.


All tolled, most of my mom's lessons are still sinking in. One though has always been apparent. If you have good food and good friends and spend time to bring them all together, everything will seem just a little more right with the world.


(My Spin on) Cheryl Coalmer's Traditional cheese Fondue:


2 Cloves garlic peeled and crushed
1c Dry White Wine (Chardonnay works well, any full bodied dry white that isn't too fruity is perfect)
1T Kirschwasser
Pinch of Kosher Salt
3 pieces of blade mace
8oz Emmenthal Cheese Shredded
6oz Gruyere Cheese Shredded
3-4t cornstarch (the more you use the more viscous the fondue will be)
pinch of white pepper
Fresh Grated Nutmeg (optional)


Cubes of Dry Bread, marinated and grilled steak tips, vegetables, pretzels, etc. for dipping.


Take the garlic cloves and rub the bottom and lower sides of a medium saucepan until evenly coated with the garlic juices and throw away the garlic. Add the wine, kirsch, salt, and blade mace and bring to a simmer over medium-low heat.  
In a bowl, toss together the shredded cheeses, cornstarch, white pepper, and nutmeg until the cheese is lightly coated in the dry ingredients.
Remove the mace from the wine mixture after it has simmered for a few minutes. Increase the heat to medium.
Then, in VERY small amounts, add the shredded cheese to the pan, stirring with a whisk until the cheese has melted and dissolved into the wine and allowing the mixture to return to a simmer before making the next addition (This is key, if you add the cheese too quickly allow temperature of the wine mixture to drop too low it will become a gooey lump of cheese in a cloudy bath of wine soup)
When you're done adding all of the cheese taste the fondue and add any needed spices or salt to taste. 
Transfer from the saucepan to a fondue pot, hand out the forks, and have fun.


Trust me when I say this will be a HUGE hit every time. Also, rest assured that I will make other posts regarding different types of fondue in the future. Until then... stay cheesy.

Date night with the Crew.

So, MANY years ago I had my first ever experience going to the drive-in with some of my friends. I was instantly enamoured with this format, even though I loathe seeing movies in the theater. Anyone who knows me would realize that sending me to a place with a bunch of strange people with whom I cannot talk, where I have to sit still for 2 hours, and where my shoes stick to the floor is a recipe for disaster. The drive-in allowed me to do away with all of these attributes, I was in heaven.

Now, I've done the cheesy thing of taking a few dates to the drive in, but this is not my favorite use for such a great venue. Over the years I've taken advantage of the flexibility of the drive-in and had many a great night out with friends. I've come to the conclusion from all of my extensive research that the best recipe for a good time is to gather about 3-4 friends, pile them into a truck, pack a picnic basket full of goodies and head over to catch the latest double feature.

Last night, I had the opportunity to catch this perfect storm and gather my favorite crew from Woohattan and head over to Strasburg, Ohio to the Lynn Drive-In. This place was spartan, compact, and likely hadn't been updated for 30 years. I was again, in heaven.

For this adventure I packed a picnic basket (well... plastic bag in this case since I was running behind again as usual)for everyone to enjoy. If I look back at my treks to the outdoor screens, I notice that I've tried many things with which to fill the basket: Calzones, salads, even potluck style dinners. But by far my favorite is this recipe that I developed about 6 years ago specifically for a trip to the drive-in and I've been making it ever since. I call it a picnic sandwich, and it draws inspiration from a stuffed loaf, and a pita. It's perfect for this type of gathering because it's completely self contained, easy to transport and serve, and (the element I'm most concerned with) it looks unavoidably delicious. So unavoidable in fact that I may have to send one of my friends flowers to apologize for forcing her to break her diet. Sometimes when I make a dish, it looks phenomenal, but falls short of the taste mark. These are the dishes that are never seen again. The fact that I make this sandwich repeatedly for many occasions is a testament to it's ability to deliver on all fronts.

I start by heating a bit of olive oil in a deep skillet, in order to sautee some sliced portabella mushrooms. Once these are nice and tender, I add sliced roasted red and yellow peppers, a handful of roasted garlic cloves and if you like, Kalamata (or Black) olives, Diced oven roasted chicken, chopped fresh basil and oregano, black pepper and salt to taste. Reduce to low heat and allow to cook for a few minutes to allow the flavors to meld. Remove from heat and place in a bowl. Fold in a small handful of shredded parmesean cheese. Then in the same pan wilt spinach with about 2 tablespoons of water and sea salt. remove from heat when complete. Next take a whole loaf of bread. (here I used a round loaf of whole wheat house sourdough from Broken Rocks Cafe in Wooster) Slice lengthwise to creat a top and bottom half. Remove the soft bread from the middle of the loaf creating a cavity for the filling. fill the bottom half with the chicken mixture. Place a layer of sliced provolone cheese on top of this, and then top with the wilted spinach and place the top half of the loaf back on top. You should not be able to see the filling from the side. This actually does two things, keep the filling from spilling out, and retain the heat of the filling. Wrap the entire loaf in 2 layers of foil and place into a 325 degree oven for 15-20 mins.

Leave it in the foil to pack it, and bring along a bread knife to cut it. this will definitely impress each time you bring it along. Pair it with a wine or even better, a beer (but don't blame me if they kick you out for having alcohol.) and make sure to pack a bold dessert that stays together on it's own. This time around I made my mom's Peanut butterscotch Rice Crispies Squares (which I'm sure I'll eventually post the recipe for in a future blog.) for dessert to make for one filling meal that kept even my overactive mouth quiet for the movie.