Cheese: Kachkéis

"Kachkéis" in Luxembourgish, or "Concoillotte" in French is a melted, but chilled cheese spread that has a brie-like texture and a camembert-like taste. It is smeared over bread.

To learn more about Kachkéis, click HERE

Meal: Ham, Fritten an Zalot

Ham, Fritten an Zalot is a traditional Luxembourgish Dish, which is essentially huge portions of ham, french fries and salad! Delicious! It goes well with a Luxembourgish beer!

Meal: Quiche Bourgogne & Quiche Lorraine

Quiche Lorraine is a local treat from the Lorraine Region of Nothern France. In it is ham and compte cheese.

Quiche Bourgogne has cheese and olives.

Meal: Fondue

Fondue is Switzerland's most renowned and traditional dish. Fondue consists of cheese, typically Gruyere and Emmental; white wine, usually Fendant; and a splash a Kirsch, a Swiss cherry liquor mixed together in an earthenware pot called a "caquelon" over low heat. Once melted together the caquelon is placed on a stand over a small flame to maintain the consistency while on the table. Fondue, which means to melt in French, is consumed with pieces of bread placed on a long fork and is drunk with Fendant wine.

Meal: Charbonnade

Another Swiss tradition to go along with table top frying and melting -- tabletop grilling!

Charbonnade is basically a French (and therefore fancy) way of saying little grill. The process of preparing the meal is much like preparing Korean BBQ. Place the raw meat over the tabletop device and when cooked to preference, remove and garnish.

Served with fries, a simple but fun way to enjoy a meal.

Dessert: Meringues with Double Cream and Rasberries

A Gruyeres specialty, this simple yet decadent dessert takes locally-made meringues and tops them with fresh berries and a wonderful double cream.

The cream is what really makes the dish. With the consistency of house paint, the cream is all produced from the milk of Gruyeres cows (including that uppity heifer Cherry...), the same milk used to produced the world famous Gruyeres cheese.

A splendid way to top off a day in the Swiss countryside.

Beer: Cardinal

Pretty much Switzerland's best and most widely consumer lager. On draft most places, with the added bonus of being cold.

Meal: Penne Fois Gras

Unlike in the United States, Fois Gras is produced and consumed with wanton abandon over here. In this case, a healthy portion of the rich, fatty goose liver is served over penne pasta with red bell peppers and a drizzle of olive oil. Within minutes the fois gras melts, coating the pasta with flavor.

Mmmmm...

Fish: Lac Leman Perch

Caught in Lac Leman (Lake Geneva), these small perch have a great texture and end up as a great vehicle for sauces and spices.

Served here with new potatoes and clarified butter.

Cheese: Raclette

It starts out as a brick of cheese, mild and smooth texture. When placed under a heat source (in this case, a coil on the underside of the lid on the mechanism pictured), the cheese melts.

Once the cheese is light brown and viscous, it is scraped using a long knife (actually a short blade with a long, wooden handle) onto hot fingerling potatoes.

So yeah, just bubbling cheese and potatoes. Find me someone who doesn't like that and I'll find you a liar.