Cheese; Food of the Gods

This is an electric Suisse Raclette set, a fancy grill that cooks the veggies on top and melts the cheese underneath in small pans known as coupelles. Like Fondue, it's an especially popular dish in Switzerland during the cold winter months.

Last night we dined atop a hill overlooking the lights of Zurich called Uto Kulm. It took a half hour train ride and a brisk 20-minute climb uphill to reach the restaurant. Along the way, evergreen trees decorated with Christmas lights turned the dark abyss into a winter wonderland. It had snowed earlier and the branches weighted heavy with glistening white powder.

I was feeling gitty from the thinning altitude and a hungry stomach. We reached the top where party dwellers huddled around campfires roasting bread on a stick, similar to what we do with marshmallows or hot dogs in the states. A Suisse Italian banker by the name of Marco offered me a sample... and his area code. I took both!



Before long, we were escorted to our seats inside the restaurant where 2 Raclette sets, one on each end of the table, waited. My mouth watered with anticipation. The cheese was the traditional Raclette, a semi-firm, salted cheese made from local cow's milk. The server brought a plate of ready-sliced cheese, a dozen tiny white cups filled with condiments and a basket of boiled potatoes. We took to the feast like sharks in a pool of chum (or at least I did).

It was the perfect meal, one I had been relishing and craving for days. I thought nothing could beat it until I dined at Hildl but that blog will have to wait for another day. I'm too full to think.