Jan's Swiss Cheese Fondue

Ingredients:

• 450 gr (1 pound) Gruyère cheese (sharp, salty if available)
• 450 gr (1 pound) Emmentaler cheese
• 225 gr (½ pound) Tilsitter cheese
• 100 gr (¼ pound) Appenzeller cheese (= soft and high fat)
• 100 gr (¼ pound) Vacherin cheese (= soft and almost high fat)
• 1 dl (1/3 cup) dry white wine per person
• garlic clove
• Kirschwasser (cherry schnapps)
• cornstarch
• pepper (NO salt)
• french bread (not too fresh), diced
• Dutch or pearl onions, relished pickels, prosciuto
• if possible, have the cheeses grated when you buy them (most cheese stores won't do this for the soft cheeses)
• you need about 250-300 gr cheese per person; above amounts are for 4 persons

Instructions:

• grate the cheeses, and mix
• a crock-type fondue pot is best
• rub the inside of pot with garlic clove; if desired, put couple of teaspoons minced garlic in pot
• heat up some wine in the pot, enough to cover the bottom ½ - 1 cm (¼+ inch)
• reduce heat to "low"
• add some of the cheese, stir
• a wooden spoon with hole works best; adjust your stirring pattern according to your stove (old fashioned electric plates have hot spots)
• as necessary, add some wine, to keep the cheese smooth
• keep stirring!
• bit by bit, add the rest of the cheese, and some wine as necessary; keep stirring
• slowly increase the heat
• keep stirring until smooth(takes a while)
• in a shot glass, dissolve a couple of teaspoons cornstarch in Kirschwasser
• as necessary, add some cornstarch to the pot, to get the right consistency
• season with some pepper
• whole melting process takes up to 45 minutes
• serve with chilled white wine, hot black tea, Kirschwasser (NO softdrinks or beer)

• serve with the diced bread. According to local Swiss customs, women who drop their bread in the cheese pot must kiss all men at the table, men who drop their bread have to donate a bottle of wine
• serve with Dutch or pearl onions, relished pickels, prosciuto [original recipe by J.C. van Straaten]