Posted on 09/29/2018 5:48:07 PM PDT by Jamestown1630
I recently discovered Raclette – which term can refer to a type of cheese, a kind of dinner party, or a unique table-top grill. As a dish, Raclette is similar to Fondue, and evolved from the practice of Swiss cowherds taking cheese with them as they tended their herds in the mountains, and melting the cheese over campfires to eat on bread. Traditional accompaniments are potatoes, gherkins, pickled onions, and various cured meats.
It looks like a fun way to entertain in that it’s a dish or dinner where everyone is involved in choosing and cooking their own portion; but it’s less messy than fondue, and offers more variety in terms of ingredients and ways to cook them. You can grill or warm over various meats and vegetables on the top of the grill, while melting portions of cheese in the little pans underneath. And if you don't want to make a meal of it, I'm thinking it could be a nice break-the-ice hors d'oeuvre with drinks, to get a dinner or cocktail party started.
It also seems uniquely suited to low-carb eating, adding interest and variety.
Raclette cheese can be be purchased online; but it can be difficult to source locally in many areas of the US. I believe it will become more available, but in the meantime you can substitute Gruyere, Emmental, Fontina or Appenzeller.
Here, from the website Viva, is a typical recipe for two:
http://www.viva.co.nz/article/food-drink/raclette-and-vegetable-grill-recipe/
and here’s an ad/demonstration for one of the popular brands:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Wfqts9weaY
Raclette machines come in various shapes and sizes; I think I’m in the market for one, and if anyone has one they like, let me know!
Here are reviews of some of the other brands; the Boska Holland ‘mini’ looks great if you just want to try it out, or want one just for your small family:
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I also discovered ‘Texas Tornado Cake’, from Phyllis Stokes of ‘Southern Frugal’; it’s a cake with fruit cocktail, brown sugar, nuts and coconut; a little more complicated than the average ‘dump’ cake, but looks really wonderful. There are lots of variations on this cake, including one using canned pineapple instead of the fruit cocktail. Phyllis includes links to the recipes she used/adapted:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i8jyrEl31vs
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I’ve been an avid birdwatcher all my life, and while searching for something bird-related I happened to find the YouTube channel of Maurice Baker, a gentleman in Shropshire, England who photographs the feathered life in his garden. He has many informative and beautiful videos about birds, but also many of Nature and wildlife in general, with outstanding photography accompanied by restful, ambient music:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GN73qE3TWmg
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_fzRygNIUY
About Maurice:
https://www.youtube.com/user/MauriceBaker100/about
-JT
(Disclaimer: I am not associated/compensated in any way with regard to the promotion of the various appliances and other items - or the websites - that I write about on this thread. They are simply things that I’ve personally found interesting and want to share.)
Nice, hey how are you doing since that big event?
Big event? Which one? :)
The one involving guns is the only one I know about.
I have guns ....but not sure of any recent event ...
Thanks. I’m very sorry that we’ve lost him - I liked seeing those threads.
Oh my, is there another Freeper with Bunny in the name? I thought it was you. I was on a thread after a shooting and a Freeper was present and one of the hostages. She was downloading and getting a lot of love. I thought it was you.
LOL!
He’s listed in the Freeper Memorial Wall and you could probably access his old threads. He took great pictures.
Psycho_Bunny
I was a hostage at the Trader Joe’s in my neighborhood. Thought you meant MY. guns!
LOL then it was you. Thought I was losing it. Just was asking how you are doing but sounds like you are fine. You had a lot of prayers for sharing what happened.
I was a hostage while the guy held a gun on us. He has been sent to jail.
Trader Joe’s drove to my house and returned the $110.00 for the spoiled groceries.I went to the grand opening of the store .... they had policemen strolling the aisles .... I think they had gift cards.
They spritzed the place up a bit ...and the place were they held us sitting on the floor was turned into the “manager’s desk”.
I’m doin’ OK.
It turned put it was a police bullet that shot and killed the manager of the store. Terrible!
I never want togo through something like that again.
Nothing to contribute but this fact:
Thinking of you/your thread today and hoping to see you post soon. :-) a thank you for this.
That’s great. Your “bunny slippers” must be covering “sh!t kickers”.
I’ve been dealing with a lot of practical *stuff* over the last few months.
Hope to return to weekly posting in the not-too-far future.
Meantime, we’re doing it monthly.
Swampsniper I think is who you are talking about.
There’s no ‘protocol’ for this thread, Aliska. Just post whatever you like and want to share :-)
Thanks. I don’t know if we have enough ‘watchers’ and ‘twitchers’ to start a routine thread; but I’m in, if some others want to.
Had raclette one night, all you could eat, for ~5 Swiss francs. Obscenely great exchange rate at the time, so it came out to about $1.50.
Your picture shows the fancier, modern version, with updated veggies.
IIRC, raclette was originally a shepherd's meal of fire-melted and scraped cheese, baby potatoes, gherkins, pickled onions, and I think some trockenfleisch.
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