Swiss Cheese

In this simplified version of raclette, one of Switzerland's classic dishes, Swiss cheese replaces raclette cheese, and the cheese is melted in individual portions instead of being scraped from a large wheel as it melts. This dish makes a terrific appetizer, or it can be served with a green salad.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

The recipe calls for both chicken broth and beef broth, but using either one or the other will give an equally good result.

This do-ahead main-course strata is simply a savory bread pudding. Pour a Pinot Blanc or Viognier throughout the meal.

If you can't get premade patties, buy bulk pork sausage meat and form your own.

To make quick work of the slicing, simply stack the ham and cheese and cut into strips approximately 1 1/2 to 2 inches long and 1/4 inch wide. Serve with: Sourdough rolls. Dessert: Peaches drizzled with honey.

Serve these with a couple of tall, cold beers.

The microwave makes this dish a snap to prepare.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Active time: 25 min Start to finish: 3 hr

Serve with: Red cabbage slaw and pickles. Dessert: Fudge brownies.

If you wanted to entertain in the '60s, a fondue pot was de rigueur, presenting a casual alternative to the formal dinners of earlier eras. Some of us still have the dregs of that original bottle of kirsch in the back of the liquor cabinet. This is fortunate because, with the current and unprecedented cheese renaissance in this country, it's time to unearth that old fondue pot and light up the Sterno.

For an elegant dinner, just add a salad of Bibb lettuce and Belgian endive with walnut-oil vinaigrette, and pass a basket of warm French bread. A purchased apple tart makes a lovely finale.