Northern Michigan Holidays: The crazy cooking creative staff at Traverse Magazine (aka MyNorth Media, MyNorth.com, Northern Home & Cottage and many other publications!) is celebrating the holiday at The Box in Traverse City. We are excited about trying out Matt and Victoria Sutherland's new small-scale event venue at the corner of Boardman and Eighth Streets in Traverse City. In Traverse City's olden times The Box was a cigar box manufacturing company. Later it became a fitness center. Now the Sutherlands are transforming it into something completely new and cool.

Cool you say? Well, if we're not cool here at Traverse Magazine we are not anything. So we put on our bell bottoms, tossed our hair some Farrah, peeled on hot pants, zipped up pantsuits, shuddered into leisure suits, grabbed ponchos, whipped out our avocado green fondue pots and our creme-tangerine chafing dishes and challenged each department to come up with groovy (as opposed to bogue) fondue recipes.

Here's a taste of what our departments are cooking up for the Traverse Magazine Into The Box Holiday Fondue Party:

See Party Pics!

Note: *not optional ingredient

Sales Department Hot Chicks' Crab E Mood Fondue

8    ounces cream cheese 1    can crabmeat (drained)
1    clove garlic minced
1/4 cup mayonaise
1    teaspoon onion juice
1    teaspoon prepared mustard
1    teaspoon confectioners sugar
      Dash of Lawreys seasoned salt 2    tablespoons sauterne wine

Stir until melted in fondue pot. Dip with breadsticks and chunks of good bread. Peace baby.

Web Department It Barks Mexican Chihuahua Fondue

4    ounces ground chorizo 4    ounces parboiled Chihauhau (kidding!)
1/2    cup chopped onion
1 to 3    teaspoons canned chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, minced
1    clove garlic, minced
1    cup lager beer
8    ounces monterey jack cheese, shredded
8    ounces Chihauhau (cheese, not the dog)
1    tablespoon cornstarch      * Round of Margaritas for everyone at the party

In a medium saucepan cook chorizo over medium heat until browned. Drain all but 1 tablespoon fat. Add onion and cook for 5 to 7 minutes or until tender. Stir in chipotle peppers and garlic. Add beer; bring to a simmer. In a large resealable plastic bag combine cheeses and cornstarch. Seal bag; shake to coat cheeses with cornstarch. Slowly stir in cornstarch-covered cheese until melted. Transfer to a fondue pot and keep warm. Take the dog out (now that is For Sure funny!). Dip into with tortilla chips.

Note: No animals were harmed in the testing of this recipe.

Publisher's I Wish I Could Send My Staff Up Up and Away to Paris Coq Au Vin Fondue

3 1/2 cups vegetable stock 1/2    cup *Burgundy wine (brought back by the editorial department at Traverse Magazine from that publisher's trip )
1/2    cup sliced mushrooms
1       tablespoon garlic, minced 2       green onions, sliced

2      pounds cubed beef, pork and/or chicken cut up

Heat vegetable stock in fondue pot until it begins to simmer. Add all other ingredients, bring to simmer. Transfer to a fondue pot and keep simmering. Using a long fork, cook pieces of meat in the simmering liquid.

Editorial Department's Last Tango in Paris Cheese Fondue

1/2   pound Swiss-style cheese such as Jarlsberg or Emmenthaler, shredded 1/2   pound Gruyere cheese, shredded
2      tablespoons cornstarch
1      garlic clove, halved crosswise
1      cup dry white wine (such as Sauvignon Blanc)
1      tablespoon lemon juice
1      tablespoon kirsch (cherry brandy)
1/2   teaspoon dry mustard         Pinch of freshly grated nutmeg

Seal the shredded cheese and cornstarch in a plastic freezer bag. Shake to coat the cheese. Rub the inside of a 4-quart pot with the cut garlic. Add the wine and lemon juice to the pot, and bring to a low simmer on medium heat. Slowly stir the cheese into the wine. Stir constantly in a zig-zag pattern to prevent the cheese from seizing and balling up. Cook just until the cheese is melted and creamy. Do not let boil. Once the mixture is smooth, stir in kirsch, mustard and nutmeg. Transfer the cheese to a fondue serving pot, set over a low flame. Stuff your mouth with baguette dipped in cheese and mumble Marlon style.

Art Department Offer You Can't Refuse Pizza Fondue

1    teaspoon olive oil 2    garlic cloves
1    24 ounces Don Corleone (or similar type) marinara sauce
3    cups mozzarella
1    cup cheddar
1    cup Parmesan
1    teaspoon cornstarch
1/4 cup white wine 2    tablespoon chopped fresh basil

Lightly sauté the garlic and olive oil. Add the marinara sauce and white wine. Bring mixture to a boil. Mix the cheese and cornstarch together in a separate bowl. Stir cornstarch-coated cheese into the marinara and white wine. Pour into fondue pot. Dip with chunks of bread and similar severed items.

Marketing Department Mad WoMen Chocolate Fondue

 1    Far out amount of melted dark chocolate chips

       What there's more?

*Check back for a recap of the 2012 Traverse Magazine Into The Box Holiday Fondue Party!