Fondue party?

[Jenise]

Friends of mine want to do an entire fondue dinner. I don't object, but can't instantly picture how this would work, especially with five couples. If you were charged with hosting such an event, how would you approach it?

Vary it. Besides cheese fondue, have a chocolate fondue for dessert. Maybe some kind of spin on shabu-shabu where there are pieces of meat on the skewers, the Japanese have come up with several variations on that theme. Cheese fondue would be the central theme and you might have say 2 kinds of cheese, one batch that is more cheddary and one that is swiss with Kirschwasser...

Shabu-shabu is a good suggestion (or "fondue Bourguignonne")
How about bagna cauda?
All cheese would be a bit challenging.

I like Frank's suggestions. However, I think Jenise is thinking along logistics and how would you present and serve it. If I were to do such a thing, I think it might have to be set up buffet style, unless you have a large round table with center turntable. Perhaps everyone would have a plate and a few small bowls for dipping? I have triple crock pot similar to this, which might work: http://www.amazon.com/Rival-SCRBC909-BS-3-Quart-Cooker-Stainless/dp/B002TSJEYO

[Jenise]

Everybody's right. My concerns were multiple: how to organize (as all would contribute) an interesting array of foods that are not just cheese and chocolate, as well as how to serve drippy food to ten people. For instance, we LOVE shabu shabu and have done it at home many times (I own an electric wok for this one purpose alone), but it's always dinner for four so that we can all be equidistant from the cooking vessel. There's no way I can think of to do that for ten people at a dinner table, or even a stand-up buffet. Unless, I suppose, one had multiple stuff going on in the same room at the same time. Bagna Cauda's a great idea too, Dale--I'd be really interested in making sure there are a lot of vegetables available.

We are doing exact that : "February Fondoo". Everyone is asked to contribute a dish and accompanying wine as well as a "reading" of their choice. One of the guests is a published poet and she always brings poems that she gifts to guests. This year we are asking that others contribute to the reading with either historical or culinary or humorous references to fondu.
We have so far : bagna cauda for assorted vegetables; traditional cheese fondu - not sure which regional cheese they will choose; shabu-shabe for meats ; a seafood in an Asian flavored broth and a dessert fondu chocolate, caramel.
Except for the dessert they will be served at stations around the kitchen and island with their wines at their station. I will try to orchestrate the stations so veg, cheese, seafood, meat are in succession. There will be a variety of tables for sitting to eat but I expect that people will meander between choices to be able to visit with everyone.
I have a very open kitchen with lots of serving counters at different heights with electricity for the plug in pots as well as the induction burner on the island that is accessible from 3 sides. This has worked well in previous years - not stuffy, more than a cocktail type event and not overwhelming like a 5 course dinner would be.
It's been a lot of fun. I do this in the winter and started a terrine event last summer. The ethnic Sundays fill in between times

I can see it getting tricky for that many people. I'd think you'd need 2 tables and 2 fondue pots for each course. But then how to arrange the seating so that each couple could sit together if wanted.. guess it would be 4 and 6.

I recently made the absolute best cheese fondue. Ever. I've been tweaking the recipe for nearly 30 years and this last batch was perfection. I found an amazing cheese for it at our little cheese shop, Antonelli's. I love love love fondue.

I'm with Cynthia on this much: you'll need two pots of everything. I don't think you have to sit folks in even numbers, however... spouses get to see each other the rest of the time... I suggest, with each potful that you bring out, put names into a hat and change the seating!

It is not that tricky when all of the mains are served simultaneously. Some eat a single offering standing around the pot, others load up a plate and take it to a table and then return for a different option. What you do need are extra plates at each station - some people don't like to mix offerings on the same plate. We usually manage 12 like this

Cynthia, recipe please ?? I'll pass it along to the couple bringing the cheese fondu or I'll make a second cheese option. This reminds me I'll need to make bread...nothing ruins a fondu like foundry bread ! What are your thoughts about the bread ...what flours, crumb/crust textures do you prefer ?

Agree with Cynthia and Jeff, maybe even three pots! Love Howie, but I don't think buffet style will work because it would be so slow with each person doing their own thing.

[Jenise]

Agree with Carl, a three-pot-connected situation would be a traffic jam. And where I think breaking down the party into smaller groups is a good idea, I couldn't do that at my house (I have one large table for eight, ten squeezed) and no smaller options. Christina's method is how I'd have to go if I'm the host--I'm heartened to hear that's worked well for her.

Say, had a cool fondue idea while driving around yesterday: raw shrimp with remoulade-ish dipping sauces, say one hot and one mild or differently seasoned, set inside cooked, de-choked artichokes. The shrimp you cook, and the artichoke you help yourself to. It would be easy to make sauces compatible to both the vegetable and the seafood.