The Atlanta Constitution from Atlanta, Georgia • 77

SECTION Thursday, Feb. 16, 1978 'J ax Mjmuum.xummr'$mmm,mm iiu'iti- j-mmwiihiiiih mii.m iumimi inmnwHunii 'J onaues Encourage if WIN 1 a '-v "-Jv tMh 4 I1 tfAiA, 4- a ye I JtgAt tempting morsels of scallops, lobster and sole are ready to be cooked in hot fisb bouillon. After they are cooked, the dunkers can drink the stock. Below, chunks of beef and sauces with which to season them after they have been dipped into a fondue pot of hot oil Cooking, Eating From Same Dish Creates Atmosphere of Togetherness cheese fondue is the crust that forms on the bottom." One more suggestion, for hot oil fondues plan on no more than four to six people per pot for safety's sake and so that the temperature of the oil will remain hot enough. FONDUE BOURGUIGNONNE 2Vz pounds filet of btef, trimmed, cat in te-inch cubes 'i pound butter 1 cup oil Choice, of sauce XiM y5 till i sp 7, tJ "it By Jean Thwaite Constituiion Staff Writer Fondues are still fun.

Five years ago fondue pots, especially electric ones with thermostats, were the rage. Now it's woks and mini-fryers, but having pests cook together around a fondue pot guarantees success for a party. Dante Stephensen, owner of what Business Week three years ago tagged the top fondue restaurant in the country, has on each of his menus the following quote from an unknown source; "Communal eating (fondues) reflects the ancient belief that sharing food and drink or eating out of the same dish or pot, will produce an intimate relationship among the participants." To which Stephensen adds, "We believe it works." At Down The Hatch, his restaurant in Underground Atlanta, he serves only three fondues beef, cheese and chocolate. For heat, he uses denatured alcohol for the beef and cheese and candle for the ceramic pot in which the dessert fondue is made. The beef and cheese fondues are prepared in aluminum pots covered with porcelain.

Because beef requires the highest heat, the ceramic is on the outside only. The cheese fondue pot is lined both inside and out. Stephensen doesn't believe in using peanut oil for beef fondues. He explains, "Peanut oil has the flavor of peanuts and this tranfers to the meat that is cooked in it. If you are using a good high-quality meat, this is unde-sireable." Instead, he suggests using the "purest derivation of soy bean oil, which is as clear as water.

Safflower oil is my second choice. Both are clear and have a tendency to cling less than peanut oil." He said anyone can feel and taste the difference in meat cooked in safflower and peanut oil. The fondue was invented by the Swiss as a matter of simple necessity back in the Dark Ages. During the long Alpine winter, cheese and bread got so hard, they had to be dunked in hot wine or hot milk to be edible. Cheese melted in wine, seasoned, and with hard bread to dunk into it, evolved into the Swiss national dish.

Now fondues are classified into three categories cheese, oil and dessert fondues. Dessert fondues must be kept warm; cheese fondues hot, and oil fondues very hot. Fondue pots need to have sturdy well-balanced legs so that there is no danger of the pot tipping over and spilling its especially in the case of the hot oil fondues in which the temperature of the oil may reach as high as 350 degrees F. And all fondue pots should be kept out of the reach of children. If there is a flare-up during a meal, slide the cover of the dish over the burning area or toss handfuls of baking soda on the flames.

It also is a good idea to keep a fire extinguisher handy, just in case. Electric fondue pots, which have thermostatic controls, are fine but somehow they take some of the romance or togetherness out of the dunking. In addition to fondue pots, fondue forks are necessary. Two per person are needed for oil dunking as the metal on the fork transfers heat quickly and the second is for eating to prevent any burned mouths. Partitioned fondue plates which keep the different sauces separated are nice to have but not indispensable.

For the classic cheese fondue, Stephensen says, "The heart of the artichoke of the ss; iA" 4 a Fondue pot or chafing dish, on burner, should be at center of table where all can 'reach to dunk. Melt butter, add oil and bring to boil, then turn heat down to keep at low boil. Supply each guest with about two dozen beef cubes. If you have compartmented fondue plates, three sections may be used for sauces, one for relish. Or sauce can be served in separate bowls.

Each guest is given two forks, one to spear the meat and dunk-cook and one to eat with. Simply spear meat securely, cook to taste, dip in sauce or season. Bearnaise Sauce 2 egg yolks 1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar 2 tablespoons cream Salt Pinch cayenne 4 tablespoons butter 1 teaspoon chopped fresh tarragon 1 teaspoon chopped fresh parsley 1 teaspoon chopped fresh chives Mix egg yolks, vinegar, cream, salt and pepper in an earthenware bowl. Place bowl See FONDUE Page 24? Ai The Question Is: How Sweet It Is? Inside Eggs Important To State's Economy Page 13-F i Famous Steak Has Debatable Name By Kim Upton The Crtic90 Sun-Times It's a funny thing about presweetened cereal. Depending on whom you talk to, it's either blessed or damned.

It's a great conversation starter, especially if you mention it to a parent or a cereal company executive. Kids, without exception, think it's great. Those in favor of eating presweetened cereals contend all the publicity is silly and say sweetened cereals are nothing more than unsweetened cereals with the normal spoonful of sugar Those against eating presweetened cereals believe cereals are nothing more than high-priced sugar with a bit of starch thrown in. They also think parents tend to think of them as a nutritious snack, rather than the sugar treat they are. The prevalence of these attitudes has led to an amazing number of magazine, television and newspaper stories criticizing the sugar content of cereals.

And the airing of this anti-cereal sentiment has in turn led to a flurry of ads and news releases defending the purity of the sugared cereal product. In two full pages of the Wall Street Journal, In California, a tiny public interest law firm Public Advocates Inc. has filed a class-action suit against General Foods for unfair and deceitful practices against children, false and misleading advertising, unfair business practices and a host of other charges. The California suit asks that the courts order General Foods to (1) award everyone who claims they have purchased cereal during the last four years their money back, if they want it; (2) disclose on box labels and in ads the percentage of sugar in its presweetened cereals along with a warning that excessive sugar promotes tooth decay; (3) pay the dental bills of children who have suffered from tooth decay caused by sugar consumption in presweetened cereals and (4) pay punitive damages that will support advertising corrections of any misconceptions the court deems improperly promoted in previous advertising. Surprisingly, General Foods doesn't produce the highest of the sugar-content cereals on the market.

It was chosen for the suit, says Sidney Wo-linsky, Public Advocates senior attorney, because "they are the worst, the most aggressive advertis- the ad said indignantly. And besides, "ready-tc-eat cereals (industry talk for the presweetened stuff) provide only 2 percent of the total consumption of cane and beet sugars in the U.S." General Mills quoted F.C. Waller company vice president, as saying, "We are not going to be a passive target for emotional challenges and ill-founded attacks." He countered criticisms by suggesting that cereals have nutritional benefits as well as sugar and that any breakfast is better than no breakfast at all. "If a child finds a presweetened cereal he likes he's just that much more likely to come to the breakfast table," lie said. This reasoning is ripe for criticism and consumer protection groups have taken swipes at it.

Consumers, too, are angry that once again, foods they believed were one thing have turned out to be something different. Consumer advocates have been complaining about high sugar content in presweetened cereals for some time. But suddenly, publicity caused by pending Federal Trade Commission regulation has made the general public aware that many of the cereals their children are eating are composed of over 50 percent sugar. And they're beginning to shout about it. Page 16-F Mock Turtle Famous Before Meeting Alice Page 26-F 4 the Kellogg CO.

complained that presweetened ce- i i mi so 1 Dr. Walter Britton getting am rap. They are nutritious, reals are CEREAL Page 5-F.