CLASSIC FONDUE

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 3 tablespoons dry white Riesling or Chablis wine
2 cloves garlic, crushed
2-1/2 cups shredded Emmentaler cheese (10 ounces)
1-1/2 cups shredded Gruyère cheese (6 ounces)
1-1/2 tablespoons arrowroot
2 loaves whole wheat French bread
3 tablespoons Kirschwasser liqueur
1 teaspoon white pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

There are two important things for making a successful fondue. First, the cheese must be cooked over a very low heat so it does not become stringy. Second, the fondue must be kept hot at an even, low temperature.

Preparation

1. In a fondue pot or electric wok,* heat 2 cups of the wine and the garlic over medium heat until air bubbles rise to the surface. Reduce the heat to low and add a handful of cheese to the wine. Using a wooden spoon, stir the cheese until it melts. Add the cheese in small amounts while continually stirring. (Do not worry that the cheese and wine do not blend completely.)

2. Dissolve the arrowroot in 3 tablespoons of wine, then stir it into the fondue. Cook over low heat until the cheese and wine have become a homogeneous mass.

3. Cut the bread into bite-sized cubes, keeping a crust on each cube. Place the cubes in a single layer on a baking sheet and toast them in the center of a 350oF oven until crisp and lightly browned (about 12 minutes).

4. Add the kirschwasser, pepper, and nutmeg to the fondue and stir until well blended.

5. Using a fondue fork, spear a crisp bread cube and dip it into the gently bubbling fondue. Remember, you owe your partner a kiss if you lose your bread in the fondue.

* A wok's sloping sides make melting and stirring the ingredients easier and retrieving the dunked bread simpler. But, better still, a wok is a natural gathering place for a crowd.

Makes 4 servings.