Fondue...For Guido

32 years ago, I met a wonderful Swiss man named Guido. Ok, so he was half Swiss and (obviously) half Italian. We became great friends and, as cliche and amusing as it might sound, Guido became Godfather to my first born child. He always thought this was so hilarious and never minded others getting a chuckle at his expense.

The years flew by and after many bumps in the road, two divorces and a few heart aches here and there, Guido and I were brought back together by the fates, the gods, or maybe cupid? However it happened, we started a new version of our long time friendship and quickly fell in love and began to plan a wonderful life together. Our shared passion for food and travel had us happily trying new foods and restaurants and traveling all across this wonderful world.

Tragically, as is often the case, fate's plans and our plans were not the same. My love, my life partner, my dearest friend, my travel companion, my champion, was taken from me suddenly, one year ago today, December 2,2017. The past year has been a rough one and my heart aches everyday, but I know he would have wanted me to try to move forward and be happy.

Guido was my greatest fan and cheerleader and he always wanted me to start up this blog, so for him and for myself, I finally published My Gypsy Kitchen. Working on the website and blog has been cathartic and I believe he is guiding me and encouraging me through this new endeavor. I know he would be so happy and proud.

I’m so fortunate that I was able to have him in my life and I cherish all of the special moments we had and all of the amazing travels we experienced together. This post is inspired by Guido and his home town of Zurich, Switzerland. He was so excited to show me where he was born and we had a very emotional and memorable trip to his home town. I usually try to be informative and helpful with my posts, but please indulge me with this one as I share some memories of our trip to Switzerland.

Stunning Zurich was our first stop. The city is located on the north end of Lake Zurich, with the Limmat River flowing right through town. We stayed in the old town, at Baur au Lac, a beautful hotel adjacent to the river. We both agreed that we would really just like to move in there and never leave! We walked all over the old town area, enjoying the many magnificent churches and admiring the intricacies of the medieval architecture.

Of course, we had to get right out and try some authentic Fondue! We were told that Le Dezaley was the place to go for the cheesy national dish, so we headed across the bridge to find the perfect spot for our first real Swiss fondue.

Super cheesy! Me... and the fondue...

After eating more chesse than any two humans should ever attempt to eat...we took a stroll around the old town. The city is just as beauiful at night as in the day. All of the lovely old churches are lit up and their sparkling lights glisten off the river.

Oh, and the Swiss LOVE their cows...don't ask!

After a couple of days in Zurich, we headed up to Saas- Fee, an adorable little ski village, a few hours south and up into the Alps.

We stayed at The Dom Hotel, which is just steps from the Saas-Fee chairlift and a perfect location to walk anywhere in the tiny mountain village.

The first morning in darling Saas- Fee, we woke up to a very serious blizzard! So, instead of skiing, as was planned, we had hot mulled wine, shopped for souvenirs (Guido's favorite travel pastime!), walked around the quaint little town and ate more fondue! Not a bad way to spend a snow day...

The weather did finally clear up, so we headed up the hill to try out the famous Swiss slopes. They certainly didn't disappoint and we had a great day of skiing.

Our favorite part of the ski day...hot toddies on the deck!

The Matterhorn and Zermatt!

Guido really wanted to take me to see the iconic Matterhorn, and we got lucky with another clear day, before the next storm was due to blow in. We had a driver take us around the mountain to Zermatt for the day. What an amazing sight! For those of you who grew up going to Disneyland, like myself, seeing the REAL Matterhorn was quite the experience.. Zermatt is another glorious alpine village, not to be missed!

The only negative I can find with traveling to Switzerland...is hat hair! Please see below...

I miss my Swiss (and Italian) partner in crime, so much...I believe he's looking down on me and telling me that we have many more adventures still to come... in our next life together. Until then, I'll make fondue and remember our wonderful adventure to Switzerland.

On a side note: My kids and I have a tradition of making fondue every year at Christmas. It started when they were just toddlers and I wanted to decorate the tree with them and eat dinner at the same time. The fondue was the perfect thing! So, fondue means a lot to me and I hope you like this version. It's not the typical Swiss fondue made with Gruyere, but I think you will find it to be earthy and creamy . Even the toddlers liked it!

Remove the rind and cut up one pound of Brie cheese into 1/2" pieces. Toss them in tapioca flour (or cornstarch if you don' have the tapioca flour). Make sure they are all coated with the flour.

Mince some shallots and finely chop your favorite mushrooms. I like the Crimini mushrooms, but you could use a mix of wild mushrooms or whatever looks the freshest in the market. They need to be very finely chopped. Nobody likes a chunky fondue!

Next, melt the butter in a saucepan, over medium heat and add in the chopped mushrooms. Saute them until they are soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add the minced shallots and saute for one minute.

Pour in the beef broth and turn up the heat to high. Bring the broth and mushrooms to a simmer and let cook until the broth evaporates. Once the broth is cooked out, add in the white wine and let it come to a simmer. If you don't want to use the wine, you could substitute more beef broth, but the classic fondue always uses white wine.

When the wine starts to simmer, start adding in the cheese in three batches. Whisk continually as the cheese melts and make sure all the cheese is melted before you add the next batch. Once all the cheese has been added and has melted completely, you can taste and add salt and pepper if needed.

Pour the melted cheese mixture into a fondue pot (I have had this Farberware fondue pot for over 30 years and it's still perfect! click on this link to see it) and light the heating element underneath to keep it melted while you dip your favorite little bites into the cheesy goodness. I like to serve small pieces of cooked chicken, cooked vegetables like brocolli, cauliflower, brussels spouts and parsnips. You can also cube up your favorite bread, which is the Swiss favorite, along with baby potatoes. I think parsnips or sweet potatoes would make a good sub in for the potatoes. Use whatever sounds good to you! I hope you enjoy it as much as me and my family have, over the years.

Mushroom and Brie Fondue

Yield: 4 Servings

Prep time: 10 minutes

Total time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

• 8 oz Crimini Mushrooms (or any kind you like), finely chopped

• 2 tablespoons butter

• 2 tablespoons minced shallots

• ½ cup beef broth

• 1 pound Brie cheese, chilled, rind removed, cut into ½” pieces (about 2 cups)

• 3 tablespoons tapioca flour (or substitute 2 tablespoons cornstarch)

• ½ cup white wine (or substitute beef broth)

• Salt and pepper to taste

• Bite sized pieces of cooked chicken, cooked vegetables (such as broccoli, cauliflower, brussels sprouts, parsnips), firm bread of choice

DIRECTIONS

In a large saucepan, heat butter over medium heat. Add chopped mushrooms and sauté until soft, about 3-5 minutes. Add in minced shallot and cook for 1 minute. Pour in beef broth and increase the heat to high. Simmer until the liquid evaporates, about 10-15 minutes.

Toss Brie pieces in tapioca flour to coat. Add white wine to mushrooms and bring to a simmer, then turn down the heat to medium. Add in the cheese pieces in three batches, whisking constantly, until the cheese is melted completely, after each addition. Don't let the cheese boil and continue to whisk. Once the cheese is completely melted, season to taste with salt and pepper and transfer the mixture into a fondue pot to serve. Serve with bite sized meats, vegetables and bread.

SPECIAL DIET INFORMATION

Lectin Free, Gluten Free