All you need to do is melt chocolate, mix it with cream, put out some crowd-pleasing dippers, and it's ready to go -- unless, of course, you want to give it a spicy upgrade. Level up your fondue ...

She suggests trying chocolate fondue with hard cheeses since they'll be easier to dip (think English cheddar or manchego). If you're dipping soft cheeses, Patel says they'll work best combined ...

choose a pot with a wide mouth to allow for easy dipping. Ceramic is best for cheese and chocolate. If you don't have a fondue pot, no worries. Simply serve fondue in the saucepan placed on a trivet.

As a mom of two teens, I find it's becoming increasingly rare for my entire family of four to sit around a dinner table together. My kids have their own social lives and busy schedules, but going ...