Cooks' Books by Lisa Messinger

"Fondue" by Lenny Rice and Brigid Callinan (Ten Speed Press, $9.95)

The always anticipated new season of AMC's award-winning 1960s drama "Mad Men" recently got underway and, if last year was the one that the slick New York City ad men and their wives tripped on hallucinogens at vintage parties, currently fondue is exciting them just as much.

During gatherings, they are draped on the floor stabbing cheese and chocolate onto their bread chunks with the long, thin forks from the distinctive hot pots that populated most chic homes of the day.

Fondue is fun and a blast from the past. Lenny Rice and Brigid Callinan, however, have blasted it right into the present with their confection "Fondue," a hip reworking of the '60s and '70s favorite that has become a favorite of mine over the last few years.

The slim volume is stuffed with innovative ideas, from savory classics, to gourmet dishes, makeovers of everyday meals in fondue form, to divine desserts.

Today's fine, accessible artisan cheeses get a workout, like special selects of dry Jack, Pantaleos and young pecorinos and semi-firm sheep's milk cheeses. You can go gourmet, or most recipes offer easily found alternatives. Many other recipes rely solely on old, reliable favorites.

"Meal replacement" fondues include choices like a "rearranged" Reuben that tops the inspiration sandwich any day with its blend of caraway seeds, red onion, sauerkraut, beer and cider vinegar cooked in melted Swiss or Gouda or a blend of both. Toasted rye bread cubes, chunks of pastrami and corned beef, roasted potatoes and assorted pickles are the delicious dippers.

Seasonal fare fares well. A standout in the fall, for instance, is a wonderful blend of white cheddar, hard apple cider and apple cider vinegar. Dip into it with apple chunks, ham cubes, steamed broccoli and walnuts.

White and dark chocolate and fruits make for dazzling desserts. Limoncello (the famed Italian lemon liqueur), grated lemon zest, lemon extract, white chocolate and heavy cream are a dream. Wonderful suggested dippers include blueberries, blackberries, strawberries, peaches, plums and toasted angel food cake cubes.

Beverage suggestions and a chapter on making your own dippers (like Irish brown soda bread, cinnamon sugar doughnut holes and devil's food pound cake) are nice additional touches, as are the mouth-watering color photographs.

Fondues are fast and easy light meals or desserts and yet, as the "Mad Men" crowd has found, make spectacular presentations.

It's about time for a mod makeover like this one.

WHITE CHEDDAR-APPLE CIDER FONDUE

1 pound of sharp white cheddar cheese, grated

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 cup hard apple cider

1 teaspoon apple-cider vinegar

For serving (see below)

Yields 3 cups.

Toss the cheese with the flour in a bowl and set aside.

In a fondue pot, bring the cider to a boil over medium-high heat. Decrease the heat to low and add the cheese mixture, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until melted after each addition. Add the vinegar and stir until smooth. Serve immediately.

Serving suggestions: Toasted rustic bread cubes, apple chunks, steamed broccoli florets, ham, cut into bite-size cubes, chopped toasted walnuts.

Beverage suggestions: Dry hard cider, syrah/shiraz, ruby port

REUBEN REARRANGED FONDUE

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon caraway seeds

1 small red onion, diced

1 1/2 cups sauerkraut, minced

2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups beer

16 ounces Swiss or Gouda or a blend, grated

4 teaspoons cider vinegar

Kosher salt, to taste

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

For serving (see below)

Yields 3 cups.

In a fondue pot, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the caraway seeds and cook, stirring frequently, for 1 minute.

Add the onion, sauerkraut and flour, and cook, stirring until onion is soft, about 5 to 8 minutes.

Add the beer and bring to a boil. Decrease heat to medium-low, so that the mixture simmers gently.

Add the cheese, 1/2 cup at a time, stirring until melted after each addition. Add the vinegar and stir until smooth, then season with salt and pepper. Serve immediately.

Serving suggestions: Toasted rye bread cubes, pastrami and corned beef, cut into bite-size pieces, red or Yukon gold potatoes, roasted or steamed, Russian or Thousand Island dressing, assorted pickles.

Beverage suggestions: Cremant d'Alsace (sparkling wine), dry riesling, lager or pilsner.

Lisa Messinger is a first-place winner in food writing from the Association of Food Journalists and the author of seven food books, including "Mrs. Cubbison's Best Stuffing Cookbook" and "The Sourdough Bread Bowl Cookbook." She also writes the Creators News Service "After-Work Gourmet" column. To find out more about Lisa Messinger and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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