It's that MOST WONDERFUL TIME OF THE YEAR! Six years ago, when I first moved to Atlanta, I put my head together with my friend Henry, and we decided to host the WUSSIEST Superbowl party ever. Renaissance Faire and Broadway themes were floated and rejected, then we lit on the idea of a SUPERBOWL FONDUE PARTY! GENIUS! What is fondue anyway, if not Swiss nachos? Soon, the party was christened SuperFonduperBowl, and package was complete.
The first SuperFonduperBowl was held in the living room of my tiny apartment, along with 7 or 8 friends. Not many of the guests knew each other beforehand, but fondue is a great equalizer. The rules were clear from the beginning: Traditional Swiss fondue for the first half, and chocolate for the second. The Swiss make people who drop their morsels of food in the fondue pot give out kisses, but in keeping with the the spirit of the event, we made perpetrators sing a commercial jingle.
SuperFonduperBowl was a rousing success, and we moved it to Henry's (larger) apartment. Again, SuperFonduperBowl struck a chord with the masses, and every year, it grew bigger and bigger. The year of the Janet Jackson wardrobe malfunction, we broke out the TIVO to prove that there was really nothing to see. Usually, lots of folks from the Atlanta rock scene show up for the event, and I can tell you that Puppy Bowl (our pre-show warm-up) has become as popular as the main event. A tear comes to my eye every time I think of The Black Lips going "awwwwwwww" while the puppies play.
Hosting a SuperFonduperBowl party involves a lot of work, but it can be incredibly rewarding. You should set up your living room for easy access to the fondue pot. I recommend keeping a couple of fondue pots going--one in front of the television for the hardcore footballers, and another off to the side for the people who would rather immerse themselves in cheese and conversation. I always make traditional Swiss Fondue. Henry's gotten to be an ace at preparing the fondue pots by rubbing them with a halved clove of garlic. The Swiss recipe is:
- 1/2 lb grated Emmentaller
- 1/2 lb grated Le Gruyere
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 1/2 cups dry white wine
- 1 tbsp lemon juice
- 3 tbsp flour
- 1 T kirsch (or more to taste)
- pepper and nutmeg to taste
I always prepare the fondue on a pot on the stove ahead of time, bringing the wine to a temperature just below boiling, add the lemon, then slowly add the cheese and flour mixture, a handful at a time. Once the fondue comes to a low boil, I transfer the fondue to a lighted fondue pot and add the kirsch, along with a pinch of pepper and nutmeg. Watch your fondue pot to make sure it doesn't get too hot. Nobody likes scorched fondue! Watch the pots, and have more fondue at the ready when your guests need it.
We Fondudes always provide the fondue, and the guests provide the dunkables. Crusty baguettes are
a must, but vegetables, meats...almost anything tastes better with CHEESE! For the second half, we break out the CHOCOLATE! In keeping with the Swissness, I like a good Toblerone fondue. Here's the recipe:
- 14 oz. Toblerone.
- 8 tablespoons cream
- 2 tablespoons kirsch
Melt the chocolate in a double boiler, then slowly add the cream. Finally, add the kirsch, and serve in fondue pots. Sometimes, I cheat with an electric fondue pot for the chocolate. Shhhhhh! Pound cake, ladyfingers, fruit...and KRISPY KREMES are great for the chocolate fondue.
Just add some football, and stir! You'll be surprised how easy it is to keep a large fondue party happy. When different circles of friends who don't know each other show up, they have to bond over fondue. Be strict about making your guests perform their punishment if they drop their food in the pot. In no time, your friends will be calling you "Fondude". Oh yeah...Go Colts!
