Fondue

Whether it's the first course or the entire menu, fondue is the perfect party food or casual company dinner: it provides an instant theme; the little prep needed is done well in advance; and it's guaranteed to create a leisurely, cozy atmosphere. Here, you'll find tried-and-true classics (Gruyère, Cheddar), recipes to please cheese connoisseurs (Taleggio, raclette), novel spin-offs on favorite flavors (pizza, French onion soup, Rueben sandwich), and chocolate and caramel desserts that'll keep the tea lights burning long and bright. Rice and Callinan transcend the seventies craze--which delivered the experience but not the complex tastes of European tradition--to inspire a return to the blessedly uncomplicated and authentic fondue.