Raclette

Have you worked up a huge appetite after all that mountain/glacier scenery in yesterday's post? 

I've got just the thing for you...

Raclette!

You see, after being tourists all day, 

braving scary gondolas, 

breathing in fresh (freezing cold) air 

& marveling at Mt. Blanc, 

we were famished.

We needed potatoes & melted cheese & cold cuts & pickles (oh, and wine!)

Fortunately, there were several restaurants in Chamonix with raclette on the menu. 

The hotel recommended one called "Le Monchu" that turned out to be fabulous. 

They do raclette the old-school way. 

Because although cheese, whether melted by electricity, open flame or what-have-you, 

is already pretty fantastic, 

cheese melted by hot coals at your table?!? Now we're talking!

Step One:  push big chunk of cheese towards thingy containing embers.

Step Two:  wait (I know it's hard, but it will be so worth it... you'll see!)

Step Three:  Once cheese has gotten good & melty on one side, 

take spatula thingy & scrape off a layer.

(Nerdy French Fact:  "racler" means "scrape"... hence the name of this dish!)

FQ shows off his expert technique (scraping from the bottom towards the top like a real professional.)

Step Four:  Put melty cheese deliciousness on potatoes.  Dig in.

Step Five:  Approximately 5 million calories later, concede defeat.

Turns out taking a photo of a melty, oozy, crusty lump of cheese isn't easy.

Yum.