New Year's Eve is the perfect night for "family time." I really prefer that no one is out driving--much better to settle in for a long night home together.

Fondue makes a perfect New Year's Eve dinner. As Christian so aptly put it, "It takes forever to dip and cook enough to make a meal."

Three Cheese Fondue

1 cup White Wine

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Tablespoon Unbleached Flour

7 Ounces Gruyere, grated

7 Ounces Emmenthaler, grated

7 Ounces Cheddar, grated

Bring the wine to a boil in a small saucepan and turn it off. Then, melt the butter in a different saucepan, using medium-low heat. Stir the flour into the butter until it's smooth. Stir the wine into the flour mixture, slowly, using a wire whisk. Over medium-low heat, slowly add the cheese, stirring with the whisk as you go. Before we were finished adding, we had to switch to a wooden spoon. When it's all smooth, transfer to a fondue pot and keep it melted and gooey on low.

We dipped Granny Smith apples, hearty rustic sourdough, and blanched broccoli florets. There was no three-cheese left over, but we had bread, broccoli, and apples left on New Year's day. So, I used the above recipe, substituting a cup of beer (not too dark) for the wine, and four generous cups grated cheddar for the cheese. Before adding the cheese, I sprinkled it with a healthy dose of garlic powder and cayenne.

Very yummy.

At the other end of the island, we cooked marinated cubes of London Broil in equal parts butter and olive oil. I had marinated over night in bottle Italian dressing. Simple and really addictive.