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Cheese Fondue à la Kara

• White wine, 2 ½ cups, plus extra for thinning the sauce

• Butter, at least ½ cup or more, to create your desired consistency

• Flour, about 1 tablespoon; a little more is OK

• Salt and pepper, to add according to your taste

• A dash of onion salt

• Three different cheeses, cubed:

• Gruyere cheese, one pound
• Sharp cheddar cheese, one pound
• Emmental cheese, one pound

• Dippers, such as day-old French baguette loaf bread or vegetables

In a large fondue pot or a good-size saucepan, gently heat 2 ½ cups of white wine.

Meanwhile, melt the butter over medium-low heat in a small sauté pan. Add the flour with a whisk, blending together and cooking for about five minutes or so, stirring constantly to avoid sticking and burning.

Pour the flour/butter mixture into the pot with the white wine, which should be bubbly but not boiling. Blend. Then slowly add the cheese a little at a time. Stir gently and constantly to help the cheese melt. The pot should be hot enough to melt the cheese but not hot enough to scorch it.

Pour in more wine as needed to thin the mixture. I estimate that half a cup or more of extra white wine will be needed.

When you are ready to eat the fondue, be sure to use a low flame to keep the fondue pot warm. Fondue pots with adaptive burners can easily be adjusted to a low heat. You don’t need a fondue pot, however. We often serve the fondue in small bowls and replenish as necessary.

The best dipper is French baguette loaf bread. Use day-old bread—the consistency holds up well in the cheese fondue. Other dippers include vegetables, such as broccoli and cauliflower florets.

Adapted by Kara Amey from a recipe found on the internet.