my family was supposed to…
…head to London and Edinburgh after Christmas and through New Years, but when my Nonna passed a few days before Christmas, we decided to cancel the trip. we would have had to attend her funeral and then depart immediately to the airport, which is tough place to begin a vacation.
so instead I got to be home for a few extra days, spend lots of time with my extended family, watch all 5 Daniel Craig James Bond movies, attend some restorative hot yoga classes and ring in the New Year in my apartment with Jack and my family. it was not the plan but exactly what I needed.
the extra days also gave me ample time to do some reflecting on 2024 and goal setting for 2025. as someone who constantly falls into the mindset of I haven’t done enough, I haven’t worked hard enough, I am so behind… I find that annual reflecting is particularly useful in telling that shitty little voice to knock it off and remind myself of all I accomplished over the course of the year. I couldn’t believe:
I was still at my very first private cheffing job during the first few months of 2024- deep in the land of pink and bows and hearts
I moved into my apartment in February- it hasn’t even been a year!
I cooked at my very first pop-up in March and had the opportunity to do multiple over the course of the year
It always blows my mind because a year is both short and long. And if you have a similar voice in your mind saying you didn’t do enough… it’s quite certainly wrong. Scroll through your camera roll to remind yourself!
goal setting
last year, I set a lot of tangible goals, thinking that achieving them would give me the sense of accomplishment, pride, and ultimately, happiness that I was after. I gave myself benchmarks for earnings, follower counts, brand deals, etc- all with the thought back in January 2024 that “if I reach these numbers, I will definitely feel accomplished and happy.” I met some of these goals, which is great, but the feelings of accomplishment and happiness oddly enough didn’t really follow.
This year, my goals look different. I’ve decided to let go of a lot of the benchmark goals I always think will leave me satisfied, but never really do, and instead prioritize the small things that I know make a big impact. Things like:
Journal most mornings, or at least jot down a few things I’m grateful for…
Limit time spent scrolling content on social media, focusing more on creating over consuming… which leaves me more fulfilled at the end of the day
Commit to weekly Forklore newsletters… because longer form writing has been a lovely change of pace that consistently gives me the sense of accomplishment I’m after
Journaling and less time on social media… hardly reinventing the wheel here, I know. But when I reflect on the times in my life I’ve been happiest- it’s when those two things have been super consistent. I still have a few tangible goals, but it already feels nice to have smaller, less sexy goals that have proven track records of making me feel the ways I want to feel.
vision boarding
I always like to make a vision board after setting my goals- mainly because the process is quite enjoyable with a cup of tea in hand, blanket on my lap, and cozy playlist in the background… and also because it’s just enjoyable to romanticize the year I want to have. I choose photos that visually represent goals or that I more generally gravitate towards… there are no rules! I always like to include a few of my own photos because it’s a little nod to all that is ‘romanticizable’ in my own life right now. Practically, I like to use pinterest to find photos and then canva to compile them into an actual board.
onto my NYE fondue party
when I volunteered to host my family for New Years Eve, I had already decided I would be serving cheese fondue. hardly revolutionary… but there’s nothing cozier than a bowl of hot cheese with a variety of carbs, veggies, and fatty proteins to dip in it. If you’ve yet to have fondue this season… make it for your next winter dinner party.
The setup
You don’t need a fondue pot. As in, one of those swanky electronic guys that maintains the heat for you. In fact, I actually prefer using an enamelled cast iron dutch oven-I’m always looking for an excuse to break her out and she retains heat super well. I did have to reheat the cheese on the stove top one time mid meal…but it honestly served as a welcome breather from shovelling cheesy bread and potatoes into my mouth. I would recommend fondue forks, for both their form and function.
If you’re feeding a larger group and will be spread across a longer table, I suggest splitting the fondue between multiple pots for reachability and dipping ease.
The recipe
I loosely followed this recipe but with a few modifications:
Ingredients for 6 people as the main course:
1 garlic clove, halved
1.5 cup dry white wine
2 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1.5 pounds Gruyère cheese, grated
3/4 pound Raclette cheese, grated
Freshly ground black pepper
Freshly grated nutmeg
Optional: 2 tbsp Kirsch (I could not find so omitted)
Instructions:
*I divided these quantities in half and made the fondue in two separate pots. You can also make one large batch and split in half after.
Rub cast iron with garlic clove, then discard. Whisk together white wine, cornstarch, and lemon juice in pot, bringing to a simmer over medium heat. Begin adding in cheese, one fistful at a time, stirring until completely melted before adding more. Continue until all the cheese has been added and is melted. Stir in freshly cracked black pepper and grated nutmeg. You’ll want to serve this immediately, so make sure your table is set and dippers are assembled. Making the cheese mixture takes all of 10 mins and is the very last step.
let’s talk dippers
equally important to the cheese is what is being dipped into said cheese. here is what I served up:
Potatoes. Specifically super mini, baby potatoes that are perfectly bite sized. Prep them by boiling a pot of generously salted water (like a few handfuls of kosher salt generous) and adding your potatoes. Cook until knife tender, about 10 mins, then drain. Serve on the table warm.
Crisply blanched veggies. Like broccoli and cauliflower. Prep them by boiling a pot of generously salted water, adding your veggies (cut into evenly sized florets), and blanching for 2-3 mins until just barely tender. We still want them to have a nice crunch. Transfer from the boiling water into an ice bath to stop the cooking and lock in the nice bright color (this step is crucial!)
Pickles. Specifically cornichons and cocktail onions make for the perfect salty, sour complement to the rich, creamy cheese
Sausage. Like bratwurst and kielbasa. Check out the offerings at your local butcher shop and lean towards the stuff that’s housemade. I went to Dickson’s in Chelsea Market and got a mix of sweet Italian, roasted garlic and rosemary, and Merguez. To prep, I like to gently steam them first until cooked through, then slice on a bias and pan fry until all sides are caramelized and crispy. Just divine.
Apples. Get a mix of sweet honey crisp and tart granny smith. Cube them up just before serving so they don’t have the chance to oxidize. These are always my family’s fan favorite- the crunch of the apple under the blanket of hot cheese is something special.
Bread. You can’t serve cheese fondue without it. My favorite is a fresh sourdough baguette. If it’s been baked that day, if should be nice and crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Cube it up and serve as is, no toasting or oven heating required.
Pretzels. or chips! These were a new addition this year. I just got small crunchy ones from the grocery store but in an ideal world I would have found small, fresh soft pretzels to add to the spread.
We absolutely devoured the spread around 8:30 pm. At 9:30 we rounded out the savory food with a few strip steaks and mustardy little gem salad… and then by 10:30 pm we were onto the chocolate fondue (with raspberries, strawberries, bananas, mandarin oranges, vanilla wafer cookies and cantucci for dipping). By 12 pm we were toasting our champagne and failing to eat 12 grapes with our heads shoved under the coffee table. It was lovely.
& with that, Happy 2025.
happy to report that Forklore is here to stay. You can look forward to weekly annotated recipes… with the what and why behind the method, and the trials and tribulations behind the development. The ‘lore’ behind what’s ending up on my fork, if you will.
until next time,
Maddy
I love that you did a Fondue party! Totally adding that to my 2025 dinner party ideas.
Love this! What was the recipe for chocolate fondue? Or is it just chocolate :)