Swiss Fondue Old Recipe

Traditional Style with Cherry (Kirsch) and Cheese

This is one of my favorite winter dishes of all time. The optimal choice of pots is a steel or cast iron medium sized pot with an enameled interior. In a medium sized bowl, combine the three cheeses and toss with the flour. Rub the inside of the fondue pot with the garlic halves.Add the wine and heat over medium heat until hot, but not boiling.

Stir in lemon juice and kirsch. Add a handful of cheese at a time to the wine mixture, stirring constantly and not adding more cheese until the previous has melted, bubbling gently and has the appearance of a light creamy sauce season with pepper and nutmeg. To those that don't know what is Kirsch, it's simply a colorless fruit brandy that is added to Fondue. It's not a must but if you wish to prepare an authentic fondue, then that's the way to go! Remove the pot from the heat and place over an alcohol safety burner on the table. Adjust the burner flame so the fondue continues to bubble gently. Serve with plenty of crusty bread cubes.

How to make it happen!

1 1⁄2cups shredded Gruyere (6 ounces, 180 g)
1 1⁄2cups shredded Emmenthaler cheese (6 ounces, 180 g)
1⁄2cup shredded Appenzeller cheese (2 ounces, 60 g)
2 -3tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 garlic clove, halved
1 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 dash kirsch, a swiss liquor (optional)
fresh ground pepper, to taste
1 pinch nutmeg
Lastly, crusty bread, cut into large cubes

Traditional set of Fondue Cheese's from Appenzeller to Gruyere

The story 

The earliest known recipe for cheese fondue as we know it today comes from a 1699 book published in Zurich, under the name "Käss mit Wein zu kochen", "to cook cheese with wine". It calls for grated or cut-up cheese to be melted with wine, and for bread to be dipped in it.

However, the name "cheese fondue", until the late 19th century, referred to a preparation including eggs and cheese, as in la Chapelle's 1735 Fonduë de Fromage, aux Truffes Fraiches it was something between scrambled eggs with cheese and a cheesesoufflé.

The first known recipe for the modern cheese fondue under that name, with cheese and wine but no eggs, was published in 1875, and was already presented as a Swiss national dish.

The introduction of cornstarch ("Maïzena") to Switzerland in 1905 made it easier to make a smooth and stable emulsion of the wine and cheese, and probably contributed to the success of fondue.

Fondue was popularized as a Swiss national dish by the Swiss Cheese Union (Schweizerische Käseunion) in the 1930s as a way of increasing cheese consumption. The Swiss Cheese Union also created pseudo-regional recipes as part of the "spiritual defense of Switzerland". After World War II rationing ended, the Swiss Cheese Union continued its marketing campaign, sending fondue sets to military regiments and event organizers across Switzerland. Fondue is now a symbol of Swiss unity.

In the meantime, fondue continued to be promoted aggressively in Switzerland, with slogans like "La fondue crée la bonne humeur" "fondue creates a good mood" and (1981) "Fondue isch guet und git e gueti Luune" "fondue is good and creates a good mood" – abbreviated as "figugegl".

The extension of the name "fondue" to other dishes served in a communal hot pot dates to 1950s New York. Konrad Egli, a Swiss restaurateur, introduced fondue bourguignonne at his Chalet Suisse restaurant in 1956. In the mid 1960s, he invented chocolate fondue as part of a promotion for Toblerone chocolate. A sort of chocolate mousse or chocolate cake had also sometimes been called "chocolate fondue" starting in the 1930s.

6 ways to make the best instant noodles of all time

Every student worth the name loves noodles. Not only are they stupidly easy to cook (except that time you accidentally added way too much water, shh, we won't tell) but they can also be as cheap as $1.00 a packet. The problem is they get pretty boring on their own, and the flavor sachets aren't exactly renowned for their nutritional value. But at the end of the day, there are more benefits than negatives in instant noodles. And I will shortly tell you why!


So we've rounded up some awesome cooking hacks to help your noodles truly deserve the name 'super'.

1. Use condiments

We're not talking about adding ketchup to your ramen (please, NOT again) but splashing on a few simple sauces that require no extra cooking.

Your best options are things like Thai curry paste, fish sauce, harrisa (a hot chilli paste), miso paste, and rice vinegar, which can all be found in the world foods aisle of your supermarket.

Pictured left are noodles from Malaysia with spicy chili dressing - instant noodles made delicious with a mixture of chili seasoning, soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar and honey.

If you're not feeling adventurous, simply swap the flavour packet from your noodles with some low-salt chicken stock, as an excessive amount of sodium comes in those little sachets. Finish with a sprinkling of pepper or chili flakes.

2. Make latkes

Source: honestcooking.com

Latkes, if you've never had them (poor thing), are essentially fried potato and onion pancakes often eaten with sour cream. In recent years latkes have become very popular among students and housewife's. Although its very popular in Asia, it's not well known in the west. There are thousand ways on how to make Latkes, some people used to say different strokes for different folks!

Some internet genius decided to mix things up a little, however, and make latkes out of a packet of super noodles.

Simply tear up your instant noodles, stir them together with half a sliced onion, a tablespoon of flour, and an egg. Season and then fry in a hot pan. It sounds like a disaster right? But just look at it. It's your destiny.







3. Add simply peanut butter

Source: boredbug.com

If you think we're crazy, then you think Martha Steward is crazy too. Adding smooth peanut butter to your noodles is a cheap way to get that Pad Thai taste. This dish is simple but not for everyone, especially if you do not like nutty flavors. Add but do not cook pea nut butter! (Just in case, we never know!)

Try out this crunchy peanut butter and chicken ramen upgrade to make your cheap packet of noodles into a full blown meal. If you really cant make it without chili, then simply go for it and add some too! Hang on, dont add too much soy sauce.

4. Add some veggie

Source: yummytummyaarthi.com

Pretty obvious really. Chop up some old faves like pepper, spinach, or bean sprouts, or add some vegetables that require a little extra cooking such as bok choi, cabbage, or broccoli.

I personally love to add more veggie in instant noodles. Make the dish more leafy and green, that does not cost much time and is very economic too. If raw, then dont forget to wash the veggies before consumption.Hmm, now I am going to have some for tonight, too much talking about veggies makes me want to prepare an instant noodle veggie dish right now! 

5. Make a mac and cheese

Source: seriouseats.com

There isn't a single dish which cheese can't improve, and instant noodles are no exception. Ramen + cheese = ramac and cheese. Simply create a cheese sauce with milk, butter and your favorite cheese, stir in your cooked noodles, and stick it in the oven until the top is brown and bubbly. One of the most suitable cheeses are Cheddar or Gruyere Swiss cheese. The brand of the instant noodles is not crutial to make a cheese mac instant noodle dish. Most important is timing and do not over melt the cheese. All in all this dish can be more expensive than other instant noodles dishes provided that the cheese is authentic and not a fake imitation.

6. Throw in some meat

Chopping up and throwing in some chicken or pork is a guaranteed win, but you can also make some pretty delicious dishes with bacon.

Vegetarians can add tofu to bulk up their instant noodle meal. I love to use canned corn beef from Libby's. Or you can also add some crispy bacon. The instant noodles meat choice is wide and not necessarily expensive. Make sure that the dish does not end up too salty. A fresh egg makes up a nice addition. In fact, the first instant noodle was the chickin' noodle in the seventies invented by Momofuku Ando in Japan. He loved to enjoy instant noodles till his last day of life. Mr. Ando had a real passion for noodles. Thanks to him we can all enjoy great instant noodles today! :)

Samyang Ramen Spicy Chicken Noodles

Chicken Chow Mein - Easy steps on how to cook like a chef

I've been trying to find a good chicken chow mein recipe for a while now to be able to make it at home, as it's one of my favorite dishes from take away. Quick and easy, simple and fragrant, I simply love to eat chow mien at least once a week. From what I read in the encyclopedia is that Chow mein are stir-fried noodles, the name being the romanization of the Taishanese chāu-mèing. The dish is popular throughout the Chinese diaspora where it would appear on the menu of Chinese restaurants. This special dish is the easiest and best chicken chow mein noodles you’ll ever make. Healthy, budget-friendly and a zillion times better than takeout!

Nowadays chow mein is so popular that people know about it's existence even around the Mediterranean. There are two main kinds of chow meins available on the market:

• Steamed chow mein, and
• Crispy chow mein, also known as Hong Kong style chow mein

How to prepare an awesome Chicken Chow Mein

Marinate the chicken: Combine the 2 teaspoons soy sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Add the sliced chicken, and toss to completely coat. Set aside while you cook the noodles. Cook the chow mein noodles according to package directions, drain well, and set aside. Heat half of the oil (1 tablespoon) in a very large skillet or wok. When is is very hot, but not smoking, add the chicken mixture, and stir fry until the chicken is cooked through. Remove the chicken to a plate, set aside and keep warm. Add the rest of the oil to the skillet, then add the cabbage, bok choy, water chestnuts and garlic; stir fry for a couple of minutes until the vegetables begin to wilt. Add the noodles, and continue to cook until the noodles are hot, and well combined with the vegetables.

Add the soy sauce and oyster sauce, toss to combine. Add the chicken, toss to combine. Transfer the chow mein to a serving platter, and top with the chopped green onions. Serve immediately.

Chow Mein with spicy Sriracha flavor

Ingredients (from 3 to 4):

2 teaspoons soy sauce (I use low sodium)
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into very thin slices
12 ounces chow mein noodles (the soft kind found fresh, not the hard crunchy ones)
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 small napa cabbage, sliced into 1 inch strips
2 baby bok choy, sliced into 1 inch strips
5 ounces water chestnuts, sliced
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
2 green onions, chopped

How to make an italian coffee the good old way

In Italy, ordering a Caffe Moka is quite different from, say, calling for a Mocha coffee in America. To sound alike is not to taste alike, coffee-style. For making moka, the chocolate syrup is nowhere in sight. From Trieste in the north east all the way down to Trapani in Sicily, the espresso is very popular since many generations of italians. 

Small, two-chambered moka pots sit on many Italian stove tops, easy to use and producing a full-bodied coffee, rich in aroma. Many have an hourglass shape, but you can find moka pots in a variety of styles, all based on the same operating principle.

 Water is heated in a lower chamber. Vapor pressure approaching two atmospheres pushes the water up through ground coffee in a filter, which collects in the upper chamber as liquid coffee.

It’s really that simple, but it does take some practice, a careful eye and the right grind, never too fine. Use a low flame, and be sure not to overheat to coffee.

Making a moka coffee:

• Fill the base chamber with cold water up to the level of the valve. Insert the filter.
• Completely fill the filter with ground coffee, but don’t pack it down.
• Make sure the filter and rubber gasket are in place. Screw the two chambers tightly together.
• Place the moka pot on the stove. Warning: keep the heat low.
• Remove pot from heat just when coffee starts to gurgle, before it starts to rise and bubble. You’ll be sure to extract only the best parts of the coffee.
• Mix the coffee with a spoon before pouring into cups.
• Rinse the coffee maker with hot water and let dry thoroughly before screwing chambers back together.

The Italian coffee culture:

Coffee is so much a part of Italian culture that the idea of not drinking it is as foreign as the idea of having to explain its rituals. These rituals are set in stone and not always easy for outsiders to understand.

In fact, as in any self-respecting cult, they are made deliberately hard to comprehend, so that the initiated can recognise each other over the bar counter without the need for a curious handshake (which would only lead to stubborn cappuccino stains).

Some might object that the Italian coffee cult is now a worldwide church with branches in London, Dubai and Bora Bora. But although the Arabica coffee blend is often perfect, the cups just the right size and shape, the machines as Made in Italy as they come, Italian coffee bars outside Italy almost always adapt to the host culture – just like the vast majority of Chinese restaurants outside China. If you take your cue from your local high street espresso purveyor, you risk straying from the True Path on arrival in Italy.

The excellent alternative to an Italian coffee is Hawaiian!

At least equally or even better tasting coffee flavor is from Hawaii. To my surprise, I was impressed with the quality of their roasted coffee beans. What struck me the most is a type of coffee from the brand Lion. Original Lion Coffee is noted for its subtle sweet taste and flawless smooth finish. This original coffee blend is created from hand selected coffee beans from specific growing regions.