Foodie Valentine dinner; Mont d'Or Cheesefondue

If there is anything I dislike it's commercial holidays. It looks like Christmas is more about how much presents and expensive food you buy your family than about just being together. With Easter nobody is celebrating the resurrection of Jesus Christ; who would even think about that if there are chocolate eggs, chocolate bunnies and more chocolate around?

So it's probably no surprise that on Valentines Day I don't go out to have a 'romantic' dinner, in a loaded restaurant packed between other lovers. But off course there is nothing wrong with celebrating love ;-)


And to me there is only one perfect meal for two; Vacherin Mont d'Or cheesefondue!
If you never heard about this raw milk cheese that's riped in wood you should definitely check out this article from David Lebovtiz. 
In a nutshell: it's a soft, seasonal (sold between October and March) cheese made from cow's milk.

There are big cheeses where you buy a wedge from but I prefer to buy the little ones. These weigh about 500 grams and are sold in a little wooden box. Off course you could eat it like this at room temperature, but it's so much better if it's baked in the oven and served as a cheesefondue!

As I said before; it's the perfect Valentine dinner for two. Served with some bread and wine there is nothing more easy and romantic then dipping in this lovely melted cheese together.

But I sometimes also serve it for friends, after dinner, instead of a cheese platter.
Served this way one little Mont d'Or is enough for 4.

Here is how to make it:

Vacherin Mont d'Or Cheesefondue
adapted from David Lebovitz

Ingredients: 
- 1 Mont d’Or cheese, room temperature 
- 1 clove garlic, peeled and very thinly sliced (otherwise you will have a too strong garlic flavour) 
- about 60 ml white wine
Extra: aluminium foil

1. Preheat the oven to 200ºC ( 390ºF)

2. Wrap the wooden box of cheese securely in aluminium foil, making sure to enclose it so the foil goes up to the top of the outside of the container, but leave the top exposed. Set the wrapped cheese on a baking sheet.

3. Poke eight-to-ten slits in the top of the cheese with a paring knife and slide the slivers of fresh garlic in them. Pour white wine over the cheese, do this slowly to make sure the wine goes into the slits and into the cheese.  Bake the cheese until it’s very hot – it will take between 20 and 30 minutes.

Serve with a crusty French baguette and pair with a good flavorful white wine, Champagne or beer.
I prefer to drink a bit of an oaky Chardonnay with it. 

Mont d'Or cheese with garlic slivers and white wine, ready to go in the oven

Yummy Mont d'Or cheesefondue!