Les Bonnes Choses De Mazet

Fondue in the summer, are you crazy? No, of course not. Fondue au Chocolate is the making of a Fantasmagorical Soiree where everyone gets to create their own unique, engaging morsels as often as they wish. Out of habit and culture, we may not think of chocolate fondue as part of our repertoire, so C&H Clubs is bringing you the very best chocolate fondue that we have ever tasted, by Leon Mazet from Paris, of course. The bad news is that you are going to be spoiled forever.

When it’s 80 degrees and then some, the last thing you want to do is bake “Martha Stewart’s Most Unforgettable Dessert,” but sometimes we are called upon to show our colors. Infamous and scrumptious, Au Duc de Praslin's Fondue au Chocolat by Leon Mazet, can be just the ticket, and it is always most inspirational A little shopping for unusual fruits, biscotti and the like, a little arrangement that capitalizes on color and texture, even edible flowers… and Voila! You have dessert fit for any gourmand.

Fondue au Chocolate is an impeccable complement for all the marvelous fresh fruits that are much more available during the summer months. This is the perfect time to try all those exotic fruits you been eyeing but wondering how to serve. And in my humble opinion, I don’t think you can ever beat wild strawberries dipped in Leon Mazet’s Fondue au Chocolate, except perhaps when you dip Chocolate Cherry Bread from Zingermans… but I’ll get into that later. <

We are not sure when or how chocolate fondue came about, so if you have any insight, please share it! Go to our web site chocolatemonthclub.com and drop me a note at “Ask Jude.” At least we can certainly credit the Swiss as the inventors of that other celebrated fondue… namely cheese. (FYI: If you appreciate International handcrafted farmhouse cheeses, there is no better place to scout than cheesemonthclub.com.)

One legend has it that the cheese version was started out of a desire for connection. During the Reformation, it is said that Catholics and Protestants living in Switzerland demonstrated a spirit of reconciliation by sharing food. Some contributed the cheese, and others brought the vegetables and meats… and what we call “fondue” was spontaneously born of good will. My guess is the French probably took it from there (fondue is the French word for melted), and created a version of the sublime Fondue au Chocolate you will soon be enjoying. A word of caution… don’t eat it all from the jar before you get to try a fondue!

Now, if you were wondering why we sent you Chocolate Cherry Bread, baked by the renowned Zingermans Bakehouse in Ann Arbor MI, just put a small piece on your fondue fork and you’ll wonder no more!  

ZINGERMAN’S Chocolate Cherry Bread

This bread is nearly as big an icon of Michigan as a 1967 Ford Mustang, and for most, a lot more accessible. It’s following is worldwide… Zingermans has even been asked to ship this bread to China. The inspiration for this bread came from the German dessert “Black Forest Gateaux” which is a chocolate cake made with cherries and cream. Zingermans Chocolate Cherry bread is made from Michigan dried cherries (In case you were unaware, MI residents claim to be the cherry capital of the world), Valrhona chocolate from France and Callebaut chocolate from Belgium. This Epicurean delight really is truly a multicultural chocolate bread!

Is it really bread? You betcha. It’s not a cake recipe made to look like bread. It’s a real bread recipe, yeast and all, with chocolate and cherries added to it, and I’ve never found anything comparable to date. There is a big debate over whether it’s the chocolate or the cherries that make this bread so arresting. MO Frechette, from Zingermans, says this bread wouldn’t be worthy of its remarkable acclaim without the two renowned chocolate ingredients and the incomparable Michigan Cherries. If you are critiquing the bread from a Michigan homesteader’s point of view, the cherries have the lead. Check out the brief overview of the festival, and the web site... Michiganders are serious about cherries.

Serving Suggestions

 Here are a few suggestions to get your juices flowing. Try alpine strawberries and bananas, apricots (fresh or dried), pineapple and peach chunks, mangos and melons. I’ll bet you have never tried chocolate fondue with figs or orange segments soaked in Grand Marnier… inconceivably phenomenal! This desert is so easy and a real crowd pleaser… but make sure you have enough or the crowd could get unruly! Another favorite of mine is dried orange peel dipped in Au Duc de Praslin's Fondue. Try it, you’ll love it. Other good choices besides the Chocolate Cherry Bread include pound cake, and all kinds of cookies.

• When you’re ready to warm the fondue, scoop out some of it so the glass is not completely full, and pop it in the microwave, but never warm it by itself. Even water heated in a microwave has been known to explode once you remove it. Just for safety, put a plastic or wooden spoon in the jar and warm it slowly. It may get hot spots, so you may need to stir it a couple of times. And PLEASE be very careful taking it out of your microwave.

• If you don’t have fondue forks (most households don’t), just use wooden skewers, or regular forks. You can put different colored tape on each one to avoid a lot of confusion.

• If it’s a special occasion, stick some sparklers in the fruit and make your entry with a bit of flair!

• When dipping food into fondue, swirl in a figure eight. This keeps the fondue from thickening toward the bottom.

• Usually I like to prepare several medium sized platters (obviously, it’s important to keep the wet fruits away from the biscotti). Some fruits like strawberries don’t usually need to be cut (unless they are those giant ones from California), and they are much more appealing if they are not cored.

• Perhaps the most important part of the presentation (until everyone starts to taste it) is the arrangement of the foods. If you are the creative type, forget all of the rules, but don’t be concerned if you are not. Remember that simplicity is a sophisticated art.

• If you’re really going all out, add some edible flowers! They will definitely stimulate conversion, add color, and be an important design element in your presentation. And they won’t increase waistlines! We all know that will really be appreciated especially during the summer months!

Fondue Customs

If a man loses his morsel in the pot, he must buy the next pot of fondue, a round of drinks, or bottle of wine. If a woman loses her morsel, her seating is definitely important, since she must kiss the person to her right!

Seventy Five Years of Cherry Festivals

The ultimate celebration of cherries is the National Cherry Festival. It’s held every year in July in the “Cherry Capital of the World, “Traverse City, Michigan.  This festival originated from a spring ceremony known as the “Blessing of the Blossoms.” Thousands of visitors come from all over the world to celebrate the harvest and, of course, eat cherries.

In the 1600s Settlers Brought Cherries to America

Cherries have pleased the palates of food lovers for centuries.  Their ruby-red color and tangy taste won cherries a prominent on the tables of Roman conquerors, Greek citizens and Chinese noblemen.  Later, French colonists from Normandy brought pits that they planted along the Saint Lawrence River and on down into the Great Lakes area.  Cherry trees were part of the gardens of French settlers as they established such cities as Detroit, Vincennes, and other Midwestern settlements.

Modern day cherry production began in the mid 1800s.  Peter Dougherty was a Presbyterian missionary living in northern Michigan.  In 1852, he planted cherry trees on Old Mission Peninsula (near Traverse City, Michigan).  Much to the surprise of the other farmers and Indians who lived in the area, Dougherty’s cherry trees flourished and soon other residents of the area planted trees.  The area proved to be ideal for growing cherries because Lake Michigan tempers Arctic winds in winter and cools the orchards in summer. 

The first commercial tart cherry orchards in Michigan were planted in 1893 on Ridgewood Farm near the site of Dougherty’s original plantings. By the early 1900s, the tart cherry industry was firmly established in the state with orchards not only in the Traverse City area, but all along Lake Michigan from Boston Harbor to Elk Rapids. The first cherry processing facility, Traverse City Canning Company, was built just south of Traverse City, and the ruby-red fruit was soon shipped to Chicago, Detroit and Milwaukee.

The Montmorency is the primary variety of tart cherry. It was planted in the early orchards and is still used today. The fruit is excellent for pies, preserves and juice.  The newest American variety of tart cherry is the Balaton.  Dr. Amy Lezzoni developed this cherry variety at Michigan State University.  It currently has limited production, but has great potential for the fresh market and for juice. 

The most famous sweet cherry variety is the Bing cherry.  The Bing, Lambert and Rainier varieties together account for more than 95 percent of the Northwest sweet cherry production. Maraschino cherries are made from sweet cherries and originated in Yugoslavia and northern Italy. Merchants added a liqueur to a local cherry called the “Marasca.” This cherry product was imported to the United States in the 1890s as a delicacy to be used in the country’s finest restaurants and hotels. In 1896 U.S. cherry processors began experimenting, using a domestic sweet cherry called the Royal Anne. Less liqueur was used in processing and almond oil was substituted for some of the liqueur.  Finally, the liqueur was eliminated altogether. By 1920, the American maraschino cherry was so popular that is had replaced the foreign variety in the United States.

Today, the U.S. cherry industry produces more than 650 million pounds of tart and sweet cherries each year.  Michigan grows about 75 percent of the tart cherry crop Oregon and Washington harvest about 60 percent of the sweet cherry crop.  Other states with commercial cherry crops are Utah, Wisconsin, New York, Pennsylvania and California.

A taste of the 2001 National Cherry Festival
"Go Nuts!" Bed Race! Tuesday, July 10, 2001.

This wacky event is one of the Festival's great traditions. Thousands of spectators sit curb-side before the AAA Michigan Heritage Parade July 10th to see the fastest bed race in Traverse City cross the finish line. This year marks the Festival's 75th Anniversary, so be crazy and creative,

Milk Carton Boat Regatta! Saturday, July 14, 2001.

One of our great traditions at the Festival. All boats are made of milk cartons, wire, wood, and glue, and it is a race to the finish line. There are two categories that include speed and design. There are two boat clinics to help make your boat "stay a float" too.