recipes

I couldn’t possibly travel all the way to Switzerland and not have a traditional Swiss fondue!

There are many different recipes for cheese fondues. My Grandma has her very own, tried-and-true fondue recipe which is based on what’s known as fondue vaudoise. When Grandma was a young woman she worked at a restaurant in the French part of Switzerland. That’s where she prepared and served many fondues.

The other day it was my first time for a fondue. I didn’t really know what to expect, but as soon as Grandma started with the preparations, a yummy smell permeated the kitchen—perhaps it had something to do with the Kirsch?

The fondue is served!

mmmh… this is delicious!

I really, really liked Grandma’s fondue, so much so that I asked her for her (no longer) secret recipe. Here it is:

Before I go, here’s a tip: If you live in New Zealand like me, and can’t find the real Swiss made Gruyère and Emmental cheeses, Robynne, a friend of my Dad’s, has a fondue recipe that uses New Zealand cheeses on her CheeseShop website.

Bye for now, I’m going to have another sip of Kirsch…

My Grandma is a fabulous cook! Tonight she prepared an apricot fruit flan—one of my favourite dishes.

You may wonder why the Swiss eat something sweet like fruit flan for dinner. Well, in the German part of Switzerland, the main meal is lunch, whereas dinner is generally a smallish, light meal.

Fruit flan is a somewhat traditional dish in Switzerland. Grandma told me that both, her mother and her grandmother, baked fruit flans that were normally served for dinner.

Apricot fruit flan—yum!

Usually seasonal fruit is used to put in the flans. Even vegetables like rhubarb make a good ingredient. I’ve had fruit flans with apples, apricots, cherries, rhubarb, and damsons.

Fruit flans are really easy to prepare. Here’s how:

Voilà mes amis! Bon appétit!