Fondue Love & Dinner at The Melting Pot

The pots are placed on a heating element that is built into the center of the table.  

Above, the Bourguignonne fondue, with Tempura & Sesame Batters on the either side.

Before I moved to the Seattle area, someone told me about The Melting Pot.  I have always loved fondue.  My family and I would often have an oil-based fondue made at home, on special occasions, since the time I was a young child.  It was a fun bonding experience for me -- hearing the sizzling of the oil, as it cooks the food just however you want it; the aggravation of losing something off the fondue fork, and trying to fish it out using a spoon, without getting burned; talking with friends and family as you wait for the two items currently cooking to be done.

I did not have cheese or chocolate fondue until I was in 7th grade.  It was assigned as a project for Home Economics.  Those two fondues work much faster.  Just heat the sauce up, and dip!  Very easy, very tasty.

A few years ago, some friends invited my sister and I to a fondue party at her house.  They had a cheese fondue, a broth-based fondue, and a chocolate fondue.  It was a fun party.  They also mentioned The Melting Pot, and sort-of tried to recreate the experience in their home, which I felt was done very well.

Over the weekend I finally had the opportunity to go to The Melting Pot with my parents.  I was not disappointed!  We decided on the Four-Course Meal, which is having a special this month.  The trickiest thing about ordering, is having all members agree on what kind of cheese for the first course, what cooking style for the third (the second course is easy, you pick your own salad), and what kind of chocolate for the last.

We started off with the Traditional Swiss Fondue, which our server made right in front of us.  He was very well informed, letting us know about each ingredient he added to the pot.  He left us, warning us that the pot gets very hot, so be careful.  After he left, we dug in.  The Swiss fondue was rich, thick, and delicious!  My mom thought it was too bitter.  She blamed it on the alcohol added, but I don't think that is what caused the bitterness.  I liked how it tasted, and so did my dad.  It disappeared rather quickly.

Our next course was an individual salad of our choosing.  I did not realize until after we were all served, that we all ordered the same exact salad!  We all ordered The Melting Pot House Salad.  It had a tangy honey-mustard dressing that complimented the rest of the ingredients nicely.  We all agreed that it was a very good salad.

Our main course involved an oil based fondue, called Bourguignonne.  My dad and I had The Classic dippers for our course, which had a variety of different meats, while my mom ordered the Steak Lovers.  Our dippers came with a variety of sauces to try, and some batters to dip food in and fry.  That was an interesting thing I never thought of for fondue!  Dipping food into a batter, and frying it!  Sure, I have dipped food into batter and fried it before, just not that way.  I did not batter-dip very many of my items, because I enjoy the food plain fried as is.  However, I did have a few mushrooms that way, and one of the shrimp.  From this course, I liked the Angus Beef and the Memphis-Style BBQ Pork Medallion best, but everything was so good!  I think it might have been the Ginger Plum sauce that complimented Pork Medallion nicely.  My dad and mom both liked the Teriyaki-Marinated Sirloin best.  Of some of the other dippers given to us, I was really surprised how much I liked fried broccoli.  It gave it a totally different texture, which was very different, but very nice.  I tried some fried bread as well.  Very tasty indeed.

My dinner  (isn't the presentation pretty?) -- The Classic:  Starting at the middle then clockwise from top left:   Angus sirloin, Memphis-style BBQ pork medallion, Pacific white shrimp, herb-crusted all-natural breast of chicken, and teriyaki-mainated sirloin.

We were enjoying each course so much, I forgot to take more photos!

For dessert, we decided on the Pure Dark Chocolate fondue.  Like the cheese fondue, it was also very rich, but very smooth.  Most things could be dipped into the fondue, but the cheesecake needed to have the chocolate spooned onto it.  The spoon, even though it was rather long, extending beyond the pot, got rather hot, it may have been nice if it did not have a metal handle on it, or possibly some kind of small pot holder to use, but that is my only small complaint.

I really liked everything they had to dip in chocolate.  The most interesting things they had were some marshmallows, one coated with what may have been Oreo cookie crumbs, the other possibly coated in a graham cracker-cinnamon mixture.  We could not eat all of the last course.  We were way too full at the end.

The service was excellent.  It must be noted that during each course we were asked if we wanted any more dippers, and if so, they would bring more of anything we would like.  So, we were not lacking in food by any means.  I had a relative who had visited The Melting Pot before, and complained that they don't give you very much.  Perhaps it is different if you only order one course, but we felt like we were given plenty.  Dinner at The Melting Pot can be pricey, so it not a place that most are likely to frequent very often, but I enjoyed my dinner immensely, and will look back on it as one of my favorite meals.

For more information on The Melting Pot, go to:  www.meltingpot.com

What I Learned from Fleas...

So... the past couple of weeks have not been that fun for me.  I experienced a couple of bites one day (about 10).  Over the next couple of days, a heck of a lot more (like, over 100).  I found the source of the problem about the second day.  My apartment had become infested with fleas.  I have no pets, but I have visited some cats, and unfortunately, their fleas seem to like me too.  These notes are mainly for myself to remember in case of future outbreaks.  Not everyone is the same, I realize.  I am not an expert, but I have done quite a bit of research for my personal information.  The following is either to be informative or amusing, both or neither.

You don't have to own pets to have fleas enjoy a stay at your home.

Fleas don't mind taking long road trips with you in the car.

If you visit a cat with fleas, or one visits you, you may (or may not) get an infestation that takes FOREVER to get rid of.

They multiply very, very quickly.

Being bitten by fleas is what it must feel like to be bitten by tons of teeny-tiny vampires.

Not every human is attractive to fleas.

Fleas find me attractive.  The feeling is not mutual.

Calamine lotion has never worked for me, and never will.

Maximum Strength Cortisone 10 (clinically proven to moisturize 24 hours), does not keep the itch away five minutes, let alone 5 seconds.

Lemon juice works better, but still is temporary.

Hydro-cortisone cream works well, but you are only allowed to apply 2-3 times daily, and you will itch more than that.  Trust me.

Ice has always worked the best.  Always.  However, it is very time consuming, and also temporary.

The "Magic Cubes" that came with the "Slushy Magic" you only used once, work really well for this cause (put them in a zip-lock, when they melt, they won't drip out of the bag!).

Baking Soda mixed with water.  Good at first.  When it dries, itches like crazy.

I need to try an anti-septic, like Neosporin.  It is supposed to help.

Be prepared to take cool baths/showers at least twice daily.

Wash hair with blue dawn, comb out with flea comb.

Say goodbye to pretty smelling shower gels for awhile.

Take Vitamin B-12 daily with food.

Launder all clothing bedding with Borax and laundry detergent.

Scatter Borax and Sea Salt on carpets, brush in with broom, wait awhile vacuum.  Repeat.

Vacuum, vacuum, vacuum.

Launder, launder, launder.

Clean, clean, clean.

Fleas supposedly don't like the smell of lavender.  After bathing, rub lavender lotion on skin.  It helps it stay soft and hydrated too.

Drink orange juice.  It is supposed to help you heal faster.

Eat pineapple.  It supposed to be an inflammatory.

Pie tins filled with a little water mixed with blue Dawn for color makes an excellent flea trap.  Die pesky fiends, die!

When the vacuum that you never liked dies while trying to get rid of your flea problem, use it as a great  opportunity to get a new and better vacuum!