Cooking with Alcohol: Soundside Swiss Sunset Fondue

I enjoy recipes that are enhanced with alcohol. This
past week, in the Outer Banks of North Carolina with
our friends, we had a request from one of the boys for
fondue night. This child has requested fondue night on
each of our last seven beach vacations. And since fondue
requires alcohol, I an only too happy to oblige him.

Only problem: in the outer banks, you must buy specialty
alcohols like, for example, KirshWasser---the required
element for swiss cheese fondue---only at ABC stores. Which
are few and far between in our soundfront dwelling.
We had to improvise.

What we did have: Rum. And maraschino cherries in syrup.

What we did with what we had: Improvise.

Here is the wonderfully tasty result, that even my picky
eater boy gave a taste. It will have a light pink hue due
to the cherry syrup. Think of the sun setting on the sound
when you see the pink.

Swiss Cheese Fondue with Cherry Rum

1/2 pound run-of-the-mill Swiss cheese
1/2 pound Gruyere cheese (required. Get this at Avon Wine and Spirits)
2 tbsp cornstarch
3 tbsp rum
1 tbsp syrup from maraschino cherries
2 cups cheap chardonnay
1 clove garlic
A loaf or two of crusty, stale french bread
(staleness can be hastened by cubing and placing in a warm oven)
a fondue pot (preferred) or a regular saucepan (bit of a pain)

Cube the bread into 1-inch cubes or smaller.

Cube the cheeses into 1-cm cubes or a bit smaller.

Mix together the rum, cherry syrup and the cornstarch. Set aside
and let meld while you prepare the fondue.

Peel skin off garlic clove. Rub the inside of the fondue pot with
the garlic clove, crushing it a little as you go.

Put two cups of wine in the fondue pot and start it simmering.
Finely chop the garlic, and add it to the wine.

When it is just about to boil, add 1/3 of the cheese cubes.
Maintain this temperature carefully; don't let the wine really boil.

Stir til nearly very well mixed.

Add a second 1/3 of the cheese cubes and stir again until nearly
well mixed.

Add the last 1/3 of the cheese cubes and again stir til nearly
well mixed.

At this point, and while stirring continuously, slowly add the rum-
cherry-cornstarch mixture, and continue to stir, adjusting heat if
necessary, until the fondue has reached a uniform consistency. At this
point it is ready for taste testing.

The taste tester should skewer a bread cube, dunk into the fondue mixture
and see if it is perfect. If it is "not", she should repeat the process. Keep
taste testing it until it is perfect. There is very little you can do at
this point to adjust it. It *will* be perfect, or nearly so. And in a moment,
the rest of your party will devour it. So keep taste testing it while you can,
and tell the folks "yup. It's almost perfect. Just another second or so..."

Serve and watch the feeding frenzy in amazement.

Next time: Chocolate fondue. With, guess what?!, rum!