Shroom Fondue (help please)

[shroomgirl]

Incurable Epicureans is doing a wild shroom fondue/raccolete dinner end of Jan....
menu so far is

raccolette
boiled potatoes
cornichons/cippoline marinated onions

black truffle fondue
porcini fondue
beef (not sure wether I'm going to use oil or rich stock)
sauces
bread, apples, pears

truffle mousse pate

white chocolate fondue
dark chocolate fondue
orange pound cake
chocolate angel food cake

hot chocolate (liquors) homemade marshmellows

NOW this is where I need help.....
sauces for the beef suggetions (I'm thinking not rich the menu is a gout promoter)
cheese suggestions for the black trumpets
and porcini....I want those two to be different from one another< if there is another option to cheese I'm all eyes.
TIA
*As I read it I think it needs a root salad too

[Chef David Simpson]

Hi Shroomgirl, Sounds like a doozy. I will help you, but do you prefer Euro or American cheese?

[cape chef]

Shroomgirl, are you refering to Raclette cheese? Are the Porcinis and Trumpets going to be used as a Fondue? so you need melting cheeses or are you looking for cheeses mearly to accompony the shroomage?
For the beef how about a smoked red pepper sauce fortified with a little demi glace,oven roasted tomatoes and garlic cloves flavored with purple sage and all purred in a blender, miso,ginger and lemon grass broth flavored with green tea and served very hot, just a couple ideas. As for the salad I will go check my root celler and get back to you. Let me know about the shrooms
cc
P.S sounds like fun

[lynne]

Sounds yummy! Can I come?

Sauces: horseradish sourcream always a hit with the beef and mushrooms

chutney

curry sauce

[shroomgirl]

YEP.....we're pulling out the wedding gifts from yesteryear and apparently they are selling again hot and heavy....

shrooms in a dippy cheesy sorta sauce....
One can be un cheese but one of the shrooms should be cheese....american or european I don't care....got a great proveyer.....gets Neals Yard, alot of Vermont cheeses, etc....of course Emmenthaler, etc...they should melt
Beef, I think a stock will do better than oil
I have 2 Chinese (coal fueled) hotpots...what a mess!!! think the dipping sauces will be the "spice"....

I'm thinking parsnip, celery root, carrot alittle red pepper remouladey kinda salad...to cut the rich cheesy dippy thingy.
Mustard goes well with the flavors above....

The host has 2 raclette melting machines from Switzerland...so we'll use those.

****Now it's always byow...what Swiss wines
in a $ range of 10/15/25/+ would you suggest?
I know we'll have guys pulling from their cellars (these are my winies with wonderful generous incredible wines)I write about what they bring......
Thanks guys!

[m brown]

Russian sage once told me, to cut down the richness of a meal without cutting down on the richness of a meal serve iced vodka with lemon. this will cut the feeling of too much fat and cleanse the palate.

here's a weird idea, with the hot oil, why not fry your own calamari? with tom base dipping sauce and soy based sauces? kooky?

into spanish cheeses, why not serve a port soaked fruit and manchago cheese fondue?

sound like heaven, cheese, shrooms, meat, wine, root veggies!
I am now inspired to make dinner!

[cape chef]

shroomgirl, I have used Morbiar in fondues and the ash gives it a neat look.Also blending some maytag blue with a vermont white chedder delivers a unique flavor and you can use many types of wines or liquers to give flavor to the fondue. I like to use a dry white wine with some Kirshwasser as the base. As for some wines. I do not know a great deal of the wines of the swiss land, but these are some that I have had and are good examples. From J&P Testus in the dezaley
There is a wonderful wine called L'Arbalete the vinyards overlook lake Geneva in Laussane My boss who is swiss father is buried in that vinyard so he can look over the lake and feel at peace (sorry, i think that is thoughtful)It is a very fine wine and it is not cheap. It is considered to be the best of the Whites produced in the swiss land. Some others I have had are ferdand du Valais By Provins (white) Aigle, Clos des Murailles bye H. Badoux (white) and Dole du mont By Orsat ,sion (red) and Pinot noir du alais also by Orsat,sion (red)Most of these wines are medium body and share a nice balance of fruit and acidity. I have purchased these wines at acker merril in Manhattan.I hope you can find some of these wines or similar ones. If I know you I'm sure you will come back with a full report
cc Also for the salad Khorabi is in season as are turnips of every denomanation, Can you get beta carrots where you are? and have you ever jullianed lightly blanched beets? very earthy and pretty just sprinkle with a little vinager,suger and salt and serve as a garnish on the salad
cc

[This message has been edited by cape chef (edited 11-28-2000).]

Speaking of beets, we do a nice terrine of baby beets (anything but the red ones) on our veggie tasting menu at work. It's just cooked baby beets with thickened ver jus over them. Cut into slices, sprinkle with a little fleur de sel and garnish w/ dressed greens. Very tasty AND elegant...and easy! Can't wait to hear how it goes!

[shroomgirl]

OOO yeah we get beta carrots....I love that cheddar and blue mix (done in mac and cheese before) think the black trumpets will go well in that (garlic? white wine)
Morbier oh yes....I use it with truffle honey...think the porcini will do well...talk about earthy combo.
Beets Yes, my farmers do wonderful beets...kohlrabi (I gotta wonder why it exsists) never found one I cared for, maybe just not prepared them right.
I'll check out our Swiss wine availability.
Thanks for the input all.
Remember dinner is end of Jan....I need to just get out the invites...$12 and bring your own wine. What a deal!

The next shroom meal is Japanese in April...