Melted cheese, please!

When the winter chill settles in, we all become at least a little bit cheesy. We give ourselves permission to drool over the most diet-UNfriendly recipes on social media if they're covered in melted cheddar or reblochon. Judging by the popularity of the #meltedcheese hashtag on Instagram, we're not alone. The popularity of the classic raclette recipe has never waned. It is followed closely on the list of French people's favorite dishes by Comté fondue. Of course, you can always head to town for a raclette get-together with friends without having to take off your skis. A good raclette requires zero talent in the kitchen, it's a fun experience to share with others, and household appliance makers have even come out with colorful, stackable, and even plug-in models!  

Chefs turn loaded fries into gourmet fare

Nothing beats a good cheesy fry. Quebeckers have known this for a long time. Their famous poutine, a mixture of brown gravy and cheese with fries, is taking France by force. Loaded fries, an American fast-food dish that pairs fries with melted cheese, bacon, and fried onions, are having a moment as well. Even gourmet chefs are getting in on the trend. In Lille, the chef Florent Ladeyn serves fries with a maroilles cheese sauce at his modern cafe, Bierbuik. In London, a city that's always up with the latest trends, the Neapolitan pizzeria chain Pizza Pilgrims has recently joined forces with The Cheese Bar to create a fondue pizza. Featuring a blend of melted English and Italian cheeses, the new pizza also sports a ricotta-stuffed crust, prosciutto, an onion marinated with balsamic vinegar, and dippable cornichon pickles, according to the brand's posts on Instagram. You can't stop progress.