Laowai

We can now cross another Swiss experience off our list. We have had raclette. What is raclette? It’s melted cheese of course.

You get yourself a raclette grill at your local brocki (like Goodwill). Then go to the grocery store and choose a package of pre-cut raclette cheese. Take it home and prepare the traditional accompaniments: boiled little potatoes, pearl onions and little pickles. Then you plug in your raclette grill and wait ’till it’s nice and hot, put a chunk of cheese on one of the little trays and insert it into the grill to melt. When you hear some sizzling and bubbling your cheese is ready. Use your special raclette spatula to scrape the cheese off the tray and pour it over your potatoes. Sprinkle with a little raclette spice – and try not to burn your mouth when you dig in. Mmmmm. 

Yes, there is some history to this tradition that I could mention and I probably, maybe, likely didn’t make it very authentically. But really – it’s all about the cheese – the melted cheese.

The raclette maker is an early Christmas gift for Brian. He loooooves melted cheese. And our Bea has come a long way from being pouty about the fact that they don’t sell orange cheese in Switzerland. She ate the raclette cheese right up. Yes, we are so very proud when our daughter eats a whole meal of cheese. The only thing that would make her meal more complete would be some Swiss chocolate.

But wait – we skipped the swiss chocolate for dessert and combined our meal with an oh so American dessert. They don’t sell canned pumpkin here so I made a pumpkin pie from fresh pumpkin. It turned out surprisingly well. 

Bea helped whip the cream.

And – doesn’t my table look nice. It’s thanks to the new Christmas runner and matching napkins that my Mom-in-law made for me.