Hmmm… wonder if I could use this to make my beloved Queso Fundito?!
For the dad that has everything?
How 'bout we just pull down from the top of our pantry the (unused) waffle iron and the (multiple, unused) fondue pots and call it a day.
There’s a restaurant here in Philly where the proprietors are Swiss or French, and a couple times a year they have an impromtu informal gratis raclette party at the bar. I forget the exact setup, but I think you buy your beverages and the food is on the house.
It’s not something that’s part of their normal menu options; it’s–as described by other posts–a big fun social event.
Gotta find out when that’s happening again.
[QUOTE=sproulio, post:40, topic:286001]
Can I use this with my new iPowerPro 150 Watt UltraSlim Universal Power Inverter in the car for an on the go snack?
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only if you use your Dazzle Video Plus Creator Plus HD to edit a video of it for youtube
I think I may be able to codify and amplify some of the above.
I had never heard of raclette until I spent about half a year in Zurich and was invited to a few home-cooked dinners with Swiss friends.
Fortunately, my inquisitiveness was not met with typical Swiss-German reserve…
Traditional Raclette is, like fondue, a winter-only hearth meal - a half-wheel of gruyere-ish cheese is melted near a fire, and the melted portion is scraped over potatoes. These days you can still buy machines meant for half and quarter wheels (http://www.pourlacuisine.com/im/articles/raclette%204.jpg) but they are generally only used in banquet situations or by dudes like this guy selling at street fairs or near ski areas(http://turosdolci.files.wordpress.com/2009/10/cheese.jpg).
As it was explained to me, there are slight regional variations on the meal with respect to garnishes. However, as Raclette is a very social meal enjoyed over the holidays with extended family, there is also a strong familial component - if your mom hated gherkins, you probably don’t think of them as required.
Therefore, in general and at risk of mortally offending someone’s mother, I venture to describe a basic Swiss-German raclette meal.
First - on the cheese. The quality and variety of cheese available in Switzerland is legendarily good. When choosing cheese for raclette, the Swiss are, inexplicably, as likely to go for pre-packaged, pre-sliced, hermetically sealed supermarket variety as one of the life-changingly good artisanal choices. Why? Price and convenience. Point is, there is no need to sweat the cheese selection - at the end of the day, how bad can melted cheese taste?
The table is set with small compartmented plates (http://www.raclettecorner.com/product/F66102), forks and knives at each place. Each person is also given their own little raclette dish/pan. There is a plate of pre-sliced raclette cheese, and small bowls of pickled gherkins and onions. There is also generally some sort of meat - often mini-sized veal bratwurst or pork sausages. Yes, I know, here in the states we think bratwurst = pork, but in Switzerland, bratwurst = veal.
There is also a basket of boiled, skin-on waxy potatoes. The basket itself is impossibly quaint, has no obvious analog stateside, and looks like this: (http://www.raclettecorner.com/product/KF-77500).
Raclette, like fondue, is always accompanied by alcohol, generally white fendant wine. Fendant is generally awful, but considered necessary for digestion of all that cheese. Your choice is either wine or Swiss schnapps (Kirsch), which is almost exactly unlike what we think of as schnapps. It tastes like lamp oil with essences of sour cherry and arsenic. Me, I’ll stick with the nasty wine.
In Zurich, there is a long, uncomfortable pre-prandial pause where everyone looks everyone else in the eye, before (finally) the spell is broken by the host, who says “en guete” (which means “have a nice meal”) and the feast begins.
Everyone takes a few garnishes, throws a mini-brat or two on the top of the grill, drops a slice of cheese into the raclette pan and places the pan on the bottom rack of the grill. Polite conversation is made while the meat and cheese cook. Once the cheese bubbles, you take a potato and cut it up on your plate, fetch the raclette pan, scrape the cheese over the potatoes, sprinkle with salt, pepper and paprika, and dig in.
It really is a lovely, social, tasty, filling meal. Which makes this little device a real head-scratcher. Raclette for two, in all honesty, smacks of quiet desperation and paralyzing loneliness; like a fully-decked Christmas tree in a old widow’s home. This little machine calls to mind an image of a elderly, childless couple sharing a wordless meal, early on a drizzly Christmas eve, where the most fleeting eye contact would lead to a night of sobbing regret.
Too creepy. That’s why I’ll order two and vow never to eat alone.
[QUOTE=screwjack, post:45, topic:286001]
I think I may be able to codify and amplify some of the above.
I had never heard of raclette until I spent about half a year in Zurich and was invited to a few home-cooked dinners with Swiss friends.
Fortunately, my inquisitiveness was not met with typical Swiss-German reserve…
Edited for brevity
It really is a lovely, social, tasty, filling meal. Which makes this little device a real head-scratcher. Raclette for two, in all honesty, smacks of quiet desperation and paralyzing loneliness; like a fully-decked Christmas tree in a old widow’s home. This little machine calls to mind an image of a elderly, childless couple sharing a wordless meal, early on a drizzly Christmas eve, where the most fleeting eye contact would lead to a night of sobbing regret.
Too creepy. That’s why I’ll order two and vow never to eat alone.
[/quote]
This is an awesome post. Now, I want to own a raclette. Just not this one. We entertain all the time, and this would be a great experience for our guests.
[QUOTE=screwjack, post:45, topic:286001]
It really is a lovely, social, tasty, filling meal. Which makes this little device a real head-scratcher. Raclette for two, in all honesty, smacks of quiet desperation and paralyzing loneliness; like a fully-decked Christmas tree in a old widow’s home. This little machine calls to mind an image of a elderly, childless couple sharing a wordless meal, early on a drizzly Christmas eve, where the most fleeting eye contact would lead to a night of sobbing regret.
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WOW! I second the sentiments that that is an AWESOME post! The last sentence of this paragraph almost made ME start sobbing!
. . . and thanks to your post, raclette is something I’ll definitely try in the near future! I entertain family & friends once or twice a week, and usually try to think of something unique to bring to the table. Thanks, Screwjack!
[QUOTE=ryanroat, post:43, topic:286001]
There’s a restaurant here in Philly where the proprietors are Swiss or French, and a couple times a year they have an impromtu informal gratis raclette party at the bar. I forget the exact setup, but I think you buy your beverages and the food is on the house.
It’s not something that’s part of their normal menu options; it’s–as described by other posts–a big fun social event.
Gotta find out when that’s happening again.
[/quote]
Hey, maybe you could convince Pat’s or Geno’s to serve up some Cheez-wiz raclette…
[QUOTE=screwjack, post:45, topic:286001]
This little machine calls to mind an image of a elderly, childless couple sharing a wordless meal, early on a drizzly Christmas eve, where the most fleeting eye contact would lead to a night of sobbing regret.
[/quote]
Unless, of course, the lonely couple really hits up the fendant and kirschwasser, then, who knows?..
AWESOME post!..
[QUOTE=reggaemyelitis, post:48, topic:286001]
Hey, maybe you could convince Pat’s or Geno’s to serve up some Cheez-wiz raclette…
[/quote]
Great idea!.. They already have Cheez fries… why not raclette frites?..
[QUOTE=screwjack, post:45, topic:286001]
I think I may be able to codify and amplify some of the above.
(snip)
[/quote]
Excellent post. In case anyone is confused:
From Wikipedia: “Raclette (pronounced /rəˈklɛt/) is both a type of cheese and, informally, a dish featuring this cheese.” (someone linked there earlier)
Additionally, folks have taken to using the term for a variety of melted cheese dishes. Here’s a primer that includes many cheeses that are easy to find in America.
Here’s an entry at practicallyedible.com about the cheese itself. Note that the whopping 45% (and higher!) fat content of the French version makes it one of the most filling foods in the world.
in for 1! This looks awesome to my wife and I, as we really enjoy the experience of fondue, and having one just for two will be perfect! Can’t wait to try it out!
[QUOTE=screwjack, post:45, topic:286001]
This little machine calls to mind an image of a elderly, childless couple sharing a wordless meal, early on a drizzly Christmas eve, where the most fleeting eye contact would lead to a night of sobbing regret.
[/quote]
Well presented. I looked at Amazon and “full” sized machines aren’t a lot more $$ than a couple of these and look like they have better grilling surfaces.
[QUOTE=Lighter, post:53, topic:286001]
Well presented. I looked at Amazon and “full” sized machines aren’t a lot more $$ than a couple of these and look like they have better grilling surfaces.
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I like the idea of two of the little ones, spread them out on the table, save everyone from trying to reach the center.
[QUOTE=drnoo, post:37, topic:286001]
Is this energy efficient? What’s the wattage of these things?
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Electric Heating elements usually convert 100% of electrical energy into heat, so yes they are energy efficient. However, gas is cheaper to use the electricity, which is why it is preferred to electric heat
From Cesare’s Amazon link it states the Product Dimensions: 12 x 4.3 x 4.3 inches… that means the pan size for melting cheese is around 3+ inches… that seems quite small and labor intensive… could those dimensions be correct?..
[QUOTE=brucedoesbms, post:56, topic:286001]
From Cesare’s Amazon link it states the Product Dimensions: 12 x 4.3 x 4.3 inches… that means the pan size for melting cheese is around 3+ inches… that seems quite small and labor intensive… could those dimensions be correct?..
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Why not? Even if the pans are 1/2" deep, they’ll still hold a lot of cheese, and there are 2 of the pans. Now if you’re hosting a party at the White House…
This item looks to me to have all of the marks of future wootoff killer.
Off topic I know - but just got my Corrison from the 5/28 woot off - and both bottles leaking!!
Please Woot gods - start summer shipping earlier! It gets hot in Dallas before June - you should know this…
email sent to customer service…
[QUOTE=lurcher, post:59, topic:286001]
Off topic I know - but just got my Corrison from the 5/28 woot off - and both bottles leaking!!
Please Woot gods - start summer shipping earlier! It gets hot in Dallas before June - you should know this…
email sent to customer service…
[/quote]
This week’s woot had the summer rates with the normal “WTF is wrong with the shipping price” posts that followed.
Thanks goodness to as I stopped buying when it got real hot here in Houston.