Dear Adrian,
We have just returned from three weeks in Switzerland. In Gruyere at the restaurant where you can tour the wonderful museum of cheese making, I had excellent cheese toast. It was the best I had in Switzerland. Could you please get me the recipe for that ?

Lois
 

 
Dear Lois,
 
The secret of cheese toast is quite simple: It’s the cheese.
 
From  Gruyere, comes one of the most appreciated Swiss cheese. They are serious about making the very best Gruyere cheese available. It's no wonder, you liked the cheese toast!
 
There are many cheese toast recipes, so please forgive me— I can’t give you the specific recipe for the toast you had.
Just remember, it IS the cheese. Make sure, you take a well-aged Swiss cheese (matured at least one year, better still, two or three years).
 

There is one Swiss cheese toast recipe, which I will never forget. It’s the official cheese toast of the Swiss army.
 
For five servings:
5 slices of whole wheat bread
56 oz. of grated hard (=well aged) Swiss cheese (Gruyere or Emmental)
25 oz. of flour
7 oz. of finely chopped onions
4 (!) cloves of garlic, finely chopped
47 fl.oz of milk
4 eggs
salt, pepper, paprika, muscat nut
 
1.     Mix the grated cheese with the flour
2.     Add the milk and the well mixed eggs
3.     Fry the onions and the garlic in a pan
4.     Add the cheese mix, season it with freshly ground pepper, paprika and muscat nut
5.     Let the mix rest for couple hours
6.     Spread the mix approx. 0.2 inch onto the bread slices
7.     Fry the toast upside down in oil
 
This is definitely not gourmet cheese toast. Neverthless, no other cheese toast is "Swiss-er" than this one. Nearly every Swiss man has emotional attachments to this toast.
 
Kind regards
Adrian
PS: There is a little secret about cheese toasts: Before topping the bread with the cheese, many Swiss chefs soak the bread in dry white wine.

THE TRUTH ABOUT FONDUE?

Dear Adrian,

I read the article "The Trouble with Fondue " on the Swiss Roots newsletter.  So which restaurant (or other establishment) in New York City is best for fondue?

Thanks!

Jane

Dear Jane,
 
My last visit to NYC dates back to 1998, and during my 18 month stay in NYC in 1987 – 1988, I did not once go to a fondue restaurant. Sorry that I can’t give you an answer to your request.
 
However,The Zagat's Restaurant Guide which is based on consumer experience, lists one restaurant, Brasserie Swiss, in Ossining, New York.

I remember my brother complaining, that pasta in Greece was very bad. ‘Funny’, I told him, ‘ the stifado in Rome too tasted strange’. Eat fondue where it comes from. The spectacular view over snow topped mountains and the flickering fire in the cozy cottage adds the magic touch to that rather strange dish.
 
Kind regards,

Adrian

(Editor's note: There are two  restaurants in New York City which serve reputable fondue: Swizz Manhattan and  Mont Blanc Restaurant. You can find Adrian's own recipe for fondue in our Recipe Section)

Do you have culinary questions or gastronomic gripes? You are not alone, talk to Adrian and he'll resolve your problems, aid and abet your gourmet ambitions or just mete out much needed advice on these very pages— AskAdrian@helveticabold.net This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Custom blend espresso at Adriano's