By The wedding was on Saturday, April 12th, 2025. James and Elise stood under the cherry-wood arch in the garden of the historic district house, surrounded by the roses and the herbs and the particular beauty of a Charleston garden in spring, and they said vows that James wrote himself — vows that were precise and emotional, the vows of a lawyer and a poet, the vows of a man who was raised in a kitchen where love was expressed through food and who now expresses love through words, and the words were the food, and the food was the love.
The rehearsal dinner was Friday evening — cooked by me, served in the kitchen, the menu the cookbook: she-crab soup, shrimp and grits, biscuits, collard greens, peach cobbler. Elise ate the she-crab soup and closed her eyes, the same gesture she made five years ago when she first tasted it, the involuntary review that told me everything. Elise's parents — Dr. and Mrs. Turner from Columbia — ate the biscuits and asked for the recipe, and the asking was the highest compliment, because the asking says: this food is good enough to be replicated, and the replication is the honor.
The ceremony was small — forty people, family and close friends, under the arch in the afternoon light. Robert walked James to the arch. Carrie read a poem — Mary Oliver's "The Summer Day," the poem whose last line has been the family's question for years: "Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?" James's answer was Elise. And the answer was correct.
Mama was not there. But the she-crab soup was there, and the biscuits were there, and the cast-iron skillet was in the kitchen, and the cookbook was on the shelf, and all of these things are Mama, and Mama was at the wedding.
When I think about what to bring to a table like the one we set on that Friday evening — forty people becoming family, a kitchen that smelled like cast iron and peach cobbler, love expressed through food because that is the only honest language we have — I keep coming back to fondue. Not because it was on the rehearsal dinner menu, but because it is exactly what that night was: a single warm thing you gather around together, dipping in and pulling back, sharing from the same pot, nobody eating alone. This Three Cheese Fondue is the recipe I reach for when the occasion calls for closeness and celebration in equal measure, when the food has to do the work of holding people together while the words catch up.
Three Cheese Fondue
Prep Time: 10 minutes | Cook Time: 15 minutes | Total Time: 25 minutes | Servings: 8
Ingredients
- 1 clove garlic, halved
- 1 cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc or Pinot Grigio)
- 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
- 8 oz Gruyère cheese, shredded
- 8 oz Emmental cheese, shredded
- 4 oz sharp white cheddar, shredded
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- Pinch of kosher salt, to taste
- For serving: crusty baguette cubes, blanched broccoli florets, apple slices, boiled baby potatoes, cornichons
Instructions
- Prepare the pot. Rub the inside of a medium heavy-bottomed saucepan or fondue pot thoroughly with the cut sides of the garlic clove. Discard the garlic or mince and add it back in if you prefer a stronger flavor.
- Warm the wine. Pour the white wine and lemon juice into the prepared pot. Set over medium heat and warm until the wine is steaming and just beginning to simmer — do not let it boil.
- Coat the cheese. In a large bowl, toss the shredded Gruyère, Emmental, and white cheddar together with the cornstarch until evenly coated. This step keeps the fondue smooth and prevents clumping.
- Melt the cheese. Add the coated cheese to the pot one large handful at a time, stirring in a slow figure-eight motion after each addition and waiting until each handful is fully melted before adding the next. Maintain medium-low heat throughout.
- Season. Once all the cheese is incorporated and the fondue is smooth and glossy, stir in the nutmeg, white pepper, and a pinch of salt. Taste and adjust seasoning.
- Transfer and serve. Move the pot to a fondue burner or keep it on the lowest heat setting on the stovetop to maintain warmth. Arrange bread cubes, vegetables, apple slices, and potatoes on a large platter alongside. Serve immediately with fondue forks or skewers.
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories: 310 | Protein: 19g | Fat: 21g | Carbs: 6g | Fiber: 0g | Sodium: 380mg