IO71245@MAINE.BITNET (12/04/90)
This is quasi-stolen from a restaurant called Avalonia in Bangor,
Maine. We had it, decided $4.50 for this was just a tad bit pricey for
this, and came up with a very convincing rendition of it at home - and
much cheaper, too! This is almost ridiculously easy to make, easy to
adjust for however many you're serving, and easy to clean up - one
dish! :)
INTERNATIONAL CHEESE MELT (It's worth yelling about!)
Per person:
2 oz. sharp Cheddar cheese
2 oz. Swiss cheese (Emmentaler or Gruyere)
1 oz. grated Parmesan or Romano
1 clove garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. dried basil, crushed between fingers
3 tbsp. lemon juice (yes, bottled is fine)
assorted raw veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, and carrot is good)
a large baguette (whole-wheat is best!), sliced into 1 1/2 inch
chunks (slice diagonally for prettiness) (1 baguette
per -2- people unless you're -really- hungry)
Combine cheeses, garlic, and basil in 6-inch cast-iron frypan or heavy
ovenproof casserole. (You can use a larger pan or casserole for several
people - individual servings are really unnecessary for this) Pop into
a 350 degree (F) oven until cheese has melted smoothly. Toss the bread
slices onto the rack along with the pan of cheese, toast for one minute
on each side. Serve by tearing up the bread slices and veggies and
dunking them in the cheese. it really helps if you can keep this warm
(fondue pot, chafing dish, what-have-you) as the cheese solidifies
rather quickly. This is one of those things that is great for when you
want something filling but really don't feel like going to any great
effort for dinner....