A couple of weeks ago – just before the big ice storm – we dug out our portable propane stove and a box of Sterno cans just in case the power went out and we had to use those implements for cooking.
Boy, those Sterno cans brought back lots of old memories – memories of a fondue pot on the dining room table and guests gathered around.
Our first house, circa 1968, had all avocado appliances. That was the hot color in those days. We also had an avocado-colored fondue pot when that was a big thing. I never really cared for fondue pots and cooking – it took too long to cook stuff, but Nancy loved the concept. Therefore, we did a lot of entertaining around the old Fondue pot.
The Swiss were mostly responsible for the rise in popularity of fondueing. They created national dishes as a way of promoting cheese consumption. One of their earlier promotions was called “La fondue crée la bonne humeur”.
The fondue concept was initially designed to melt cheese, for dipping bread. But when fondue pots came to America, all sorts of meats and seafood would hit the hot oil, fueled by cans of Sterno. I remember it taking forever to get the oil hot enough to sort-of cook a chunk of meat – usually a cut of sirloin. Fortunately, I like rare meat, so I ate my chunks as soon as they were the slightest brown on the outside, Nancy, however liked her steak well done and had to cook her chunks for 5 or 10 minutes, which meant her fondue forks occupied much of the space. Red hot in the late 60’s, the fondue craze slipped into the mid 70s before dying a merciful death – but not before triggering the birth of aa national franchise, The Melting Pot, founded in 1975.
I guess people still fondue stuff, but if I have a good steak, I want to slap it on the grill, flip it a couple times and eat my meal all at once – not in tiny bite sized portions over the course of an hour and a half.
Here’s hoping the fondue craze stays dormant for a good, long while.
