Grillin' & chillin'

The foodies say fondue is "in" again, back from its heyday in the Swingin' Sixties.

But if you've already been there, done that and prefer to avoid a Twiggy-and-go-go-boots flashback, try another Swiss dish for a romantic Valentine's Day. Like fondue, raclette is a centuries-old European cooking method that involves melted cheese and interactive cooking.

With today's high-protein diets putting cheese back on the table, raclette might very well end up as chic as fondue once was (or now is). It's a new offering — and a sell-out — at the posh Deer Valley's Empire Lodge this season. And, Utah stores that carry electric raclette grills have seen a rise in sales.

"I don't know if raclettes will get as big as turkey deep fryers did, but they will do as well as fondue sets," said Burton Vick, manager of Orson Gygi, a cooking supply store.

However, it's not considered posh or trendy in Switzerland, it's just a way of life, said Anna Juhl, owner of the Juhl Haus Market & Deli in Foothill Village. Her store stocks raclette grills, as well as specialty cheeses, meats and other European products.

"It was a poor man's meal, with leftover cheese heated over a fireplace and dipped with vegetables and hearty bread," said Juhl. "In Switzerland, you buy a grill and you have it for life because it's a staple item there; where in the U.S. fondue pots are trendy, they come and they go."

The Juhl Haus has been serving fondue dinners on Saturday nights, and from that success, Juhl decided to add raclette on Friday and Saturday nights. The store's electricity was rewired with outlets near the dining tables, so the electric grills can be used tableside beginning Feb. 28.

The grills have two tiers. On top, you saut� the meat and veggies while cheese melts and bubbles in individual shallow pans below. Diners take some of the meat and veggies from the grill and then pour their cheese over the top.

Most grills are designed to serve up to eight people. Locally, the Juhl Haus, Sur La Table, Spoons & Spice and Orson Gygi sell them. At around $90 to $140, they're a bit pricey if you use it only once and then let it gather dust in a kitchen cupboard. But you can rent a raclette grill at the Juhl Haus for $10 — use it first to find out if it's really your cup of camembert. (Because supplies are limited, reserve ahead, especially on weekends, at 582-7758.)

Judith Nielson of Salt Lake City rented one last December for a birthday dinner for her husband, Kris, who developed a fondness for raclette when serving an LDS mission in Germany and Switzerland 20 years ago.