During the late sixties and early seventies, nearly everyone owned a fondue pot and used it. One of the appeals of eating this Swiss classic was the primal act of sitting around the fondue pot, spearing chunks of bread on long forks, and dunking the bread into the hot, creamy cheese sauce. Originally, Swiss fondue was a frugal dish the Swiss conceived of to use up stale bread and old hard cheese. When we got wind of fondue, we turned it into the trendiest fad ever. Give fondue another try; it is good fun and worth making. Try cutting up your favorite vegetables and dunking them in the hot cheese sauce along with the bread. You won't end up with any leftovers to worry about with this dish.

SERVES 4

12 ounces Gruyère of Emmentaler cheese, grated (3 cups)
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 cloves garlic, peeled
1 3/4 cups dry white wine
Salt and white pepper to taste
Ground nutmeg to taste
2 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup heavy cream
French bread, trimmed of crust and cut into small pieces

Mix together the grated cheese and the flour.

Boil the garlic and wine together until the wine is reduced to three-quarters of the original amount. Strain into a 1 1/2-quart earthenware casserole. Discard the garlic. Place the casserole over hot (not boiling) water. Add 1/4 cup of cheese at a time, stirring until each addition is completely mixed with the wine before adding another. When all the cheese has been blended in, add salt, white pepper, and nutmeg to taste. Add the butter and cream, and mix well.

To serve, place the casserole on an electric warmer (or place the fondue in a chafing dish) on the dining table. Spear each cube of bread with a fork and dunk in the fondue with a stirring motion. If the fondue becomes too thick, stir in a little more warm wine or cream.