Mother Teresa once said, "The world today is hungry not only for bread, but hungry for love; hungry to be wanted, to be loved." Even a nun like Mother Teresa, the pinnacle of self-denial and sacrifice, knew the truth: Food and love just go together, like spaghetti and meatballs, peaches and cream, or chocolate and strawberries. This time of year, so close to Valentine's Day, food and love seem to be on a collision course that can make or break the hopes of anyone trying to gain the favor of their romantic interest.
The connection between love and food is no secret to any gentleman who has scrambled to make a reservation at some fancy restaurant with the hopes of impressing a beautiful young lady.
Valentine's Day dinner has earned a place just below sending home a card for Mother's Day in the pantheon of vital interpersonal priorities. A top notch V-Day meal can bring two lovebirds closer together. A droopy, disappointing dinner, however, could mean another night of hugging your pillow.
The question is, how do you make a big splash? Sure, a trip to the North End is a safe bet. I'm sure no one would blame you for taking the easy way out. But this is the cause of love. Isn't it worth taking some risks? If you want my advice for a bold, adventurous dinner option, I've got one word for you:
Fondue.
No, seriously. Come back.
Fondue makes perfect sense as a romantic meal. What it lacks in actual culinary romance (am I the only one who has winged cupids floating around his head when he thinks of melted cheese?), it makes up for in terms of the eating experience.
With its pot of cheese, its cubes of bread, and its long dipping forks, fondue is a completely interactive meal, from start to finish. It's the meal you eat together.
There aren't a whole lot of options for fondue in Boston. The Wine Cellar, located at 30 Massachusetts Ave, is a restaurant riding the crest of fondue's resurging popularity. The Wine Cellar offers a three course fondue meal; cheese (with bread and potatoes), oil (with beef or chicken), and chocolate (with a variety of fruits). Each course is paired with a different bottle of wine. The prices, anywhere from $100 to $300 per couple, are a bit steep, but like I said, it's the cause of love.
Purchasing your own fondue pot could be a wise investment. Fondue sets can range in price from $25 (the Chantal Fun Fondue) to $100 (Le Crueset's Traditionelle Fondue) and beyond. Aside from romantic dinners, fondue offers a fun alternative to pizza or Chinese food at a small get together. Think of sitting around a campfire with your friends, roasting marshmallows, except you can eat fondue indoors, and there are no pumas lurking in the darkness.
Cheese fondue is easy enough to make. All you need is a saucepan and a stove. The ingredients for cheese fondue can, and do, vary based on individual tastes.
You can use Swiss, Gruyere, cheddar, brie, Monterrey Jack, American ... the list goes on. Most fondue recipes include garlic and spices like dry mustard, as well as some type of alcohol to lower the boiling point (white wine or brandy work well). French bread works best as a dipper, but any crusty bread will do, as well as fried or broiled potatoes.
Dessert fondue can be even more fun. Basically, anything that's sweet and can melt will work as a fondue, including chocolate, peanut butter, toffee, and butterscotch. Strawberries are the dessert fondue standby, but bananas, melon balls, and cookies work just as well.
We all saw Lady and the Tramp, and believe me, it's really hard to get close to a girl by slurping the same strand of spaghetti. If you want to get up close and personal over dinner, fondue is the way to go.
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