Fondue [Paperback]

Lenny Rice (Author), Brigid Callinan (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 2007

Whether it'¬?s the first course or the entire menu, fondue is the perfect party food or casual company dinner: it provides an instant theme; the little prep needed is done well in advance; and it'¬?s guaranteed to create a leisurely, cozy atmosphere. From Northern California'¬?s wine and cheese country comes Cowgirl Creamery'¬?s head cheesemonger Lenny Rice and culinary instructor Brigid Callinan with a collection of fifty fondue recipes combining the fun of the seventies craze with the complex tastes of European tradition-all in one fondue pot. You'¬?ll find recipes for tried-and-true classics made with traditional as well as artisanal cheeses, novel spin-offs on favorite flavors like pizza and French onion soup, and chocolate and caramel desserts that will keep the tea lights burning long and bright. And should a melted pound of cheese or chocolate not be reason enough, you'¬?ll also find deliciously creative accompaniment and beverage pairing suggestions sure to inspire a return to blessedly uncomplicated and authentic fondueReviews"Anyone who already loves fondue, or who wants to dust off the old fondue pot and put it to work, needs to find a copy of this little book. It will revolutionize your fondue aspirations."-Oakland Tribune

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

* A fresh look at a favorite party pleaser, sure to inspire many a feast of melty cheese, chocolate, and caramel delights. * Includes 50 fondue recipes (40 savory, 10 sweet) with 20 full-color food shots. * Features a fondue primer, equipment essentials, a guide to cheese selection, basic prep guidelines, fondue party menus, and accompaniment and wine pairing suggestions for each fondue. * Failsafe formulas for using now widely available artisanal cheeses.

About the Author

LENNY RICE and BRIGID CALLINAN left the East Coast for Napa in 1996, Lenny to teach at Robert Mondavi Winery and Brigid to be pastry chef at Mustards Grill. In 2000, they formed the original culinary team at Copia. Lenny has since become head cheesemonger at Cowgirl Creamery/Tomales Bay Foods, and Brigid teaches cooking and baking at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center. Both live in Petaluma, California.


LENNY RICE and BRIGID CALLINAN left the East Coast for Napa in 1996, Lenny to teach at Robert Mondavi Winery and Brigid to be pastry chef at Mustards Grill. In 2000, they formed the original culinary team at Copia. Lenny has since become head cheesemonger at Cowgirl Creamery/Tomales Bay Foods, and Brigid teaches cooking and baking at the U.S. Coast Guard Training Center. Both live in Petaluma, California.

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Ten Speed Press (September 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1580088597
• ISBN-13: 978-1580088596
• Product Dimensions: 6.3 x 0.4 x 6.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #240,737 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #5 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Cooking by Ingredient > Sauces, Salsa & Garnishes
  • #7 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > Cooking, Food & Wine > Special Occasions > General
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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Mmmm... Molten Cheddar..., August 13, 2007

By 

H. Grove "Errant Dreams Reviews" (Maryland, USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Fondue (Paperback)

Lenny Rice and Brigid Callinan's Fondue starts off with basic ratios of cheese to liquid and starch; tips for holding a themed fondue party; dipping ideas; and notes on various types of fondue pots and fuel.

White not exactly a negative, I should note so you know what to expect from this book that it consists of three different chapters of cheese fondues and one of dessert fondues---no non-cheese main-course fondues. The cheese chapters include some basic cheese fondues, gourmet fondues, and "melted makeovers" or fondues meant to replicate the flavors of such things as pizza. There's also a homemade dippers chapter including such temptations as donut holes and pound cakes.

The flavors were uniformly delightful. The cheese and base combinations worked beautifully. The desserts are delectable. We made both simple and gourmet recipes, and they bowled us over. The boursin and camembert fondue was our favorite of the cheese fondues we made, but the dulche de leche beat everything else simply because, well, it's dulche de leche!

The cheese fondue recipes aren't entirely kid-friendly; the vast majority of them use alcohol as a base, and while of course the majority of the alcohol cooks off, I think most kids would still be able to taste the flavor of it (certainly I could). This is a bit of a shame, as fondue can be great fun for kids. However, you should be able to substitute apple juice for wine or beer in many of the recipes without it affecting them adversely (apple juice is one of their own suggestions for possible bases).

We also had some difficulties with the texture of some of the cheese fondues. They kept separating, which I'm not accustomed to, and the authors' directions for fixing such separation never worked for us. This didn't affect the flavor, but it did make the fondues a little less attractive. If you plan on just enjoying them at home with your spouse that's fine, but if you want to put on a festive fondue party for others that might not make you so happy.

Consider my score 3.5 out of 5.

[Review copy courtesy of 10 Speed Press]

3.0 out of 5 stars Just Okay, August 1, 2010

By 

Crystal M. Evans "C Evans" (C Evans) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Fondue (Paperback)

The book is small and compact and has some decent recipes in it. However the requirement for some specialty cheeses may make cooking some of these Fondues a little difficult if you don't have access to a cheese shop or a good selection of cheeses (as is my case). I was looking for some out of the ordinary recipes and this book has some, but instead of varying other ingredients this book most frequently varies the cheeses used.