By Anne-Marie Nichols of This Mama Cooks! and My Readable Feast

Photo by Anne-Marie
of This Mama Cooks!

When you think of Switzerland, you think of two things - chocolate and cheese. And boy did we eat a lot of both during my family’s trip there last spring. My husband Paul, my children Nathan and Lucie, and I went to visit my sister, Michèle, her husband Ingmar, and her two boys, Oliver and Adam. They live in Lutry, right on the shore of Lake Geneva, which is 53 kilometers (a 45 minute drive) from Gruyères, home of Gruyère cheese.

While we were there we visited La Maison du Gruyère, a cheese museum that is also a working cheese factory. Not only do you learn how the cheese is made, you see it being produced right in front of you. The museum appeals to all your senses - you listen to a presentation about the cheese, and you smell the local grasses and plants that the cows eat, and you snack on the packaged sample of cheese (three pieces aged 30, 60 and 90 days) that came with your admission ticket.

After viewing the exhibits, we went to the museum’s Restaurant de la Fromagerie to try their wonderful fondue, which was half Gruyère and half vacherin cheese. As expected, we dipped pieces of bread into the fondue pots. Our server showed us another fondue tradition. She dipped a large spoon into the fondue pot and drizzled the warm cheese on to small, white potatoes. Delicious!

For the children, my sister ordered Röstis Montagnard, fried shredded onions, potatoes and ham (like prosciutto) covered with melted Gruyère cheese. I couldn’t decide who had the better meal, us or the kids.

Photo by Anne-Marie
of This Mama Cooks!

We adapted this version of Röstis Montagnard at home based on this recipe from Lesley’s Recipe Archive. Get the kids involved in the kitchen! They can help shred the cheese and potatoes and measure out ingredients. This dish can be a bit greasy, so you may want to cut back on the butter and oil. Also, some children may not like the taste of Gruyère and prosciutto. If that’s the case or you want to save some money, use preshredded Swiss cheese and ham slices from the grocery store. They can work up to the fancy stuff when they’re older and can appreciate it.

We also made a Classic Cheese Fondue from Food & Wine Magazine. Note: I cooked up my fondue in my cast iron Le Creuset fondue pot on the stove on medium high heat until the cheese was bubbling. Then I transferred the pot to the stand and had the burner going full force. We turned the flame down as we got half way through the pot - only a little bit on the bottom was burnt.

Yes, the cheese was too hot to eat. However, it needs to be that way so you can easily dip the bread, into it. The trick is to dip, and bring the food to your plate to cool off before placing it in your mouth.

There are lots of other delicious variations on fondue both traditional and new. À La Carte has a great primer on the history and origins of fondue including a recipe for Fondue Bourgignonne, in which you dip beef into hot oil and then your choice of dipping sauces. Other intriguing variations include Fondue Vigneronne (from Rubber Slippers In Italy) - beef dipped in wine - and Fondue Chinoise (from Off The Broiler) - beef dipped in broth, inspired by Chinese Hot Pot. For a new take, Andrea’s Recipes has a recipe for Chicken Pesto Fondue, which puts an Italian twist on the Swiss classic.

Photo by Anne-Marie
of This Mama Cooks!

If your kids are trying the fondue, please supervise them closely so they don’t burn their hands and arms on the pot or their mouths on the cheese. You may want to dip a few items for them and have them hold the fondue fork and blow on the cheese until it cools off.

Making family memories with food

Many of our family activities involve food, like our occasional outing to a local Asian market. The kids loved looking all the exotic food, everything from chicken feet and ducks’ eggs to frogs’ legs and whole squid. And I love all the cheap produce and spices.

We also cook as a family. Using the pork we purchased at the Asian market, Paul and the kids made English style bangers from scratch. And unlike me, their father lets them use sharp knives to cut up vegetables, cheese, and meat. The kids do a good job, while I try not to freak out about them cutting their fingers.

Since Nathan and Lucie were only seven and four at the time of the trip to Switzerland, I try to keep their memories fresh by serving some of the food we had in Europe. (Well, any excuse to get Lindt chocolates and fancy cheese.) Through food we bond as a family while we reminisce about past activities and trips.

I hope this post serves as an inspiration to you to try new cuisines with your children, cook as a family, and create memories around food.

Still curious about fondue? You and your family can find more Fondue Recipes, including: Traditional Fondue, Modern Fondue, Swiss Fondue, and Chocolate Fondue on the FoodieView Recipe Search Engine.

Anne-Marie teaches parents how to combine children’s books and cooking to promote family togetherness at her blog, My Readable Feast.

And when she’s not eating cheese and chocolate, you can find her at This Mama Cooks! On a Diet sharing healthy recipes and fitness and weight loss tips.