Fondue memories

[fbhjr]

My aunt has a place near the ocean.  When I was growing up I spent the
majority of my summers there.  It was a great place.  Near the beach, a
river to paddle around in my boat, fish to try and catch, places to
explore, etc.

Back then there were more farms then houses around the place.  So, not a
whole lot of other folks in the area and my aunt (as is typical of my
mother’s side of the family) didn’t get along with a majority of the folks
that were in the area.

One of the families she did get along with had a daughter who was about my
sister’s age.  (15 years older than me.)  She was an opera singer in NYC,
which I thought was pretty cool.  I was still playing violin then and the
idea of anyone making a living off classical music in NYC was pretty cool.
(Actually, my opinion on that hasn’t changed even though I gave up the
violin 34 years ago.)

When she was visiting her parents from NYC, she would often invite my aunt,
my mother and my sister (if she was around) to come over for fondue.
It was made very clear to me that whatever this fondue was, it was not
something for children, but was something that was very cool.  Every time
they would come home from one of these things, my aunt, mother and sister
would go on at length about how good the fondue had been.

While they were off at these dinners, my brother and I were left in the
care of my grandmother.  The same grandmother than made Archie Bunker look
like a liberal.
So, although the people who went would say it was great, while they were
gone I was told how strange, foreign and bad it most certainly was.
That, of course, only made me more interested in it.

Eventually, a different neighbor bought the plot of land between my aunt
and this other family.  You’d think that wouldn’t mater, but there really
seemed to be an “out of sight, out of mind” thing that went on, and they
stopped mixing.

Almost two decades later we had some friends who were also into fondue.
As before, I got to hear about how wonderful it was.  But, by then I had
developed my milk allergy and I was told “Sorry Frank, but this is all
cheese and it would make you sick.  So, you can’t have it.”
(Yes.  I know.  You can do it with things other than cheese.
I am aware that they could have made it inclusive if they wanted to.  The
people in question are no longer considered my friends…)

So over the last 40 or so years I’ve had this somewhat unclear image of
what fondue is.  Yes, I can and have looked up information about it.
That’s not the same.

Last week on the Top Chef Master’s show, they did a bunch of 60’s food and
fondue was mentioned.
I mentioned to my wife my mysterious history with fondue of always hearing
about it and never getting to experience it.
“Why don’t you go buy a fondue pot and we’ll have that for Easter dinner?”
she said.
So, we did.

I have to admit, I had some worries.  After all, 40 years of mystery.
How could anything live up to the hype?

We had some chocolate sauce with fruit and marshmallows.

Given the warning labels on the pot we bought, I can see why they didn’t
let kids near it.
“Caution, contents may be hot!”
“Do not spill contents of severe burns may occur!”
“Contact with heated sauces could cause permanent damage!”

It was very nice, and I’m very glad my wife encouraged me to try it.
But, it’s hard to see what all the fuss was about.

Comments

[pallid-regina.livejournal.com]

I still contend, fondue restaurants be damned, that fondue is a specific time and place in our history.

Sure. Deep frying meat at a table while wielding a pointy metal stick is fun. But that doesn't mean that it isn't dated.

[fbhjr.livejournal.com]

There are restaurants for it?

[silverdragonma.livejournal.com]

Yes, the one in Burlington, MA is just a few miles from my work.
http://www.meltingpot.com/

[morgan-lafaye.livejournal.com]

fondue seems to be making a come back. Don't know if it has anything to do with the age of some baby boomers. I think you would have liked the cheese fondue if not for the illness facture. There are other kinds besides cheese/ chco. that you might like to try sometime. I am glad you were able to live a memory.

[evrgreen.livejournal.com]

Now Frank has got a fondue stick
no more mystery from before
While somewhat fun, it's overrated
'cause the cleanup's such a chore!

Oh!!!!
The ol' fondue, the ol' fondue,
Ya better never bother with his ol fondue!
You can have his hat or quarter-staff too
but ya better never bother with his ol fondue!

:-)