How do I blend real cheese into a dip?

[Beery Swine]

If you read some articles on how to make fondue it gives the chemical rules for keeping cheese emulsified.

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basically you need something acidic to make the cheese smooth and not runny.

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there are basic rules the exact ingredients can be changed as long as they stick to the rules.

Alright, this is a good starter. Does anyone know what the wine:cheese ratio should be? Can you use other acidic things, like hot diced tomatoes and green chilis in a can? Maybe salsa? This is really important stuff here. I don't wanna screw up the first time I try a new dip. Any tips please.

[Motor Jax]

i've never made dips besides jalepeno salsa

get 8 lbs of jalepenos and boil them down, chopped/minced garlic, 2 onions... cooked for 6 hours... and may need a gas mask to enter the room (my mom actually broke out when she walked through the room)

is best when warm, but can also serve refrigerated also

[azelismia]

Alright, this is a good starter. Does anyone know what the wine:cheese ratio should be? Can you use other acidic things, like hot diced tomatoes and green chilis in a can? Maybe salsa? This is really important stuff here. I don't wanna screw up the first time I try a new dip. Any tips please.


I don't think salsa would work. I think you need an actual liquid. I'd browse the internet for proportions in various dips. FWIW, when I try something new that I am partially making up, now and again it will work right first time but often I have to make it with varying recipes about five times before I perfect them.

[xtremegeek]

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[mkay]

Alright, this is a good starter. Does anyone know what the wine:cheese ratio should be? Can you use other acidic things, like hot diced tomatoes and green chilis in a can? Maybe salsa? This is really important stuff here. I don't wanna screw up the first time I try a new dip. Any tips please.

I make regular fondue with 1 pound cheese to about 5/6 a bottle of beer, with a quarter cup of flour. I've used the same amount of wine before, and that's worked fine. Never tried adding stuff to it other than spices. (I like garlic powder and salt.) The flour keeps the cheese from separating. (I throw cubed cheese and flour in a Baggie to coat.) I'm not into cooking, so this is the only recipe I've used for years, and it's never failed. I vary the kinda cheese for taste preferences.

[Learning]

Not sure what consistency you're looking for... but maybe adding milk?

[azelismia]

Not sure what consistency you're looking for... but maybe adding milk?


milk would not keep the cheese from curdling. it has to be an acid.

[Learning]

Is it a hot dip or a cold dip? If it's hot, milk might be okay...

[Ytterbium]

I have a vague memory of cooking sour cream/creme fraiche and then mix some hard cheese into it. It was a sauce however but I'll guess that's what a dip is too.

[Beery Swine]

I make regular fondue with 1 pound cheese to about 5/6 a bottle of beer, with a quarter cup of flour. I've used the same amount of wine before, and that's worked fine. Never tried adding stuff to it other than spices. (I like garlic powder and salt.) The flour keeps the cheese from separating. (I throw cubed cheese and flour in a Baggie to coat.) I'm not into cooking, so this is the only recipe I've used for years, and it's never failed. I vary the kinda cheese for taste preferences.

So about 10 oz. or so? If you're not in America, would our weaker beer make a difference to the amount needed?

[mkay]

So about 10 oz. or so? If you're not in America, would our weaker beer make a difference to the amount needed?

I usually use a dark beer because I prefer the flavor. I don't know about different beers. (I'm in America.) If you're going to use 10 ounces, I would start with about a half-bottle and add as needed. This recipe is easy, or I wouldn't be using it at all. It's hard to go wrong:

Cube cheese (I usually use 8 oz. cheddar and 8 oz. Emmenthaler or Gruyère.)
Coat with flour (Doesn't have to be exactly quarter-cup; recipe is forgiving.)
Heat up beer. Once beer starts bubbling, add cheese cubes that have been coated in flour. Keep stirring. Add salt and garlic powder to taste if you want. You can always add a little beer if it's too thick. Better to add than start with too much beer, which will make your fondue runny.

I started with a recipe that said to heat all this stuff in a pot on the range before transferring to a fondue pot. But I'm always looking to cut steps and found that I can heat the beer (or wine) in the fondue pot and throw in the cheese. So less cleanup.

My fondue set is nothing fancy -- a ceramic Chantal (that's a brand name) set that probably costs like 30 bucks. I've used it for years. I've cracked a couple of the pots and replaced them for like 10 bucks. (I prefer that to buying an expensive set because I get a new color each time I replace the pot.) Just remember to keep enough fondue fuel on hand if you like to fondue. It sucks to come home with everything for fondue and discover you've run out of fuel.

If you like chocolate fondue: I use a smaller Chantal fondue set and throw in dark-chocolate chips, nothing else. Heats with a tealight. You can add kirsch, pear brandy, lots of other stuff, but I've tried and found I dark chocolate alone. I've used apples, pears, strawberries, pretzels, marshmallows.

Suggestions: Use wooden spoons to stir when using ceramic pots -- less likely to crack the pots. ... Sometimes I prep for fondue ahead of time -- cube cheese and coat with flour in a Baggie, which I leave in the fridge before friends show up. Fondue is good for having a few friends over -- you can make them cube bread, cheese, fruit and you all get to eat quicker.

[Beery Swine]

Would it make a difference if I used cooking wine as opposed to regular wine? We have some stupid "dry" zones in Texas.

[mkay]

I hear ya. I've visited "dry" parts of Texas. I think you'll end up with less-appetizing fondue if you use cooking wine. But it probably depends on taste.

This is from Wikipedia:

Cooking wines are convenient for cooks who use wine as an ingredient for cooking only rarely. However, they are not widely used by professional chefs, as they believe the added preservative significantly lowers the quality of the wine and concomitantly the food made with that wine. Most professional chefs prefer to use inexpensive but drinkable wine for cooking, and this recommendation is given in many professional cooking textbooks as well as general cookbooks. Many chefs believe there is no excuse for using a low quality cooking wine for cooking when there are quality drinkable wines available at very low prices.

Cooking wine is considered a wine of such poor quality, that it is unpalatable by itself and intended for use only in cooking. There is a school of thought that advises against cooking with any wine one would find unacceptable to drink.

[thod]

I guess I would just make a cheese sauce. Heat up some milk and set aside. Melt some butter and add flour to make a paste, then add the milk to dissolve it. Next just add the grated cheese, it melts into the hot liquid. Keep adding until you cant dissolve any more.

[mkay]

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[azelismia]

I hear ya. I've visited "dry" parts of Texas. I think you'll end up with less-appetizing fondue if you use cooking wine. But it probably depends on taste.

This is from Wikipedia:

Cooking wines are convenient for cooks who use wine as an ingredient for cooking only rarely. However, they are not widely used by professional chefs, as they believe the added preservative significantly lowers the quality of the wine and concomitantly the food made with that wine. Most professional chefs prefer to use inexpensive but drinkable wine for cooking, and this recommendation is given in many professional cooking textbooks as well as general cookbooks. Many chefs believe there is no excuse for using a low quality cooking wine for cooking when there are quality drinkable wines available at very low prices.

Cooking wine is considered a wine of such poor quality, that it is unpalatable by itself and intended for use only in cooking. There is a school of thought that advises against cooking with any wine one would find unacceptable to drink.


I agree with this. the taste of the wine doesn't cook off entirely. if you don't like it enough to drink you're not going to like it any better in your food. I like lemon juice at that point becomes a better substitute. Maybe mixed with a little apple cider or something like that. chicken stock...

[Beery Swine]

Alright, thanks for the help everyone. I'll wait till I can get to a wet zone before I cook this stuff proper like.