So I ordered a half pound of truffles

[Jenise]

Yuppers, 8 whole ounces. They arrive today, will be dinner tomorrow. I'm thinking thru the options but the main course will probably be an enhanced cacio e pepe.

8 ounces of Truffles!!! What a splurge. When I order them I typically get about an ounce and that lasts me for a couple of meals before I get tired of them. Same with morels and ramps. I have to order a pound each and wind up giving half of them away.

Dan

[Jenise]

Isn't it? My brother and his partner had never really cooked with truffles before I sent them a jar, now they're in love. Doing a whole meal with the real thing will be very entertaining. Yes, it's a lot, but I want the texture as much as the flavor and these are fairly mild. Any leftovers will adorn baked potatoes on Sunday. It's just a way of stayed entertained while we're hunkering down at home since we're not spending money on travel or eating out.

Wow. I'm not sure what we are talking about. Are these are black Burgundy?
I can't believe you get 1/2 pound of white Alba? Early in season, haven't heard about harvest yet. But 8 ounces would be huge- we do a big dinner for 10 with a couple of ounces.
Sounds fun whatever you have!

[Jenise]

Wow. I'm not sure what we are talking about. Are these are black Burgundy?
I can't believe you get 1/2 pound of white Alba? Early in season, haven't heard about harvest yet. But 8 ounces would be huge- we do a big dinner for 10 with a couple of ounces.
Sounds fun whatever you have!

Yes, black burgundy. My source will have white Albas next week.

I'll probably send one home with them to make an omelet out of tomorrow.


My menu for tonight with the root vegetable theme:

truffled parsnip crostinis
cream of potato-celeriac soup with truffles
carpaccio of beet, red onion, fennel, and chevre with horseradish vinaigrette
cacio e pape with truffles
lemon sorbet with fresh blueberries and tarragon

WOW!

I've only had truffles at Lameloise in Burgundy. One of the most memorable meals in my life.

I'm in total awe.

-Paul W.

WOW!

I've only had truffles at Lameloise in Burgundy. One of the most memorable meals in my life.

-Paul W.

That is one great restaurant. We enjoyed a meal there very much.

Have to be careful not to overdo truffles - will be interesting to hear of Jenise's menu plan is too much, just enough or not enough.

[Jenise]

Bill, the meal was great, because these were the milder Burgundy truffles I could use a lot for texture without any risk of overdoing the flavor. For the cacio e pepe, I was more concerned about the balance of cheeses (I used 3:2 parm to pecorino) and not letting the pepper overwelm the truffles. As well, I seasoned the soup with truffle salt and added a drizzle of white truffle oil before garnishing with the truffles and the overall effect was still mild.

I served all this with a flight of three pinots gauged by me to show young, middle aged and mature: '15 Calera 'Mills', an '08 Le Cadeux 'Equinoxe', and a '95 Buena Vista. The exercise was to note which age of pinot played best with the truffles. Chris and John were super impressed with the '95 as they'd never had anything like it (and even to me it was impressive, couldn't have asked for a better performance from a 25 year old American pinot)--the clear winner for food match, though independent of the food the Le Cadeux was all-around favorite for the majority.

Sounds great!

[Jenise]

Btw, if anyone's interested: $28/ounce for these puppies from Epicurus (not -curious, -curus) Gourmet in Sherman Oaks, California. Ask for Hilary.

Afraid my truffle source is out of action!

Don't think that they like stuff like that crossing borders. At least according to the Border Security shows I have been watching (indication of deep boredom...borderdom?)

They keep hauling chunks of meat etc. out of the luggage of idiots that say they have no agricultural products and nothing to declare and it turns out that they have a half a grocery store, enough new clothes to stock a store, a dozen fake watches, and far more currency than allowed (actually they can bring in any amount of currency they want as long as they declare it if it is over $10K, which they routinely fail to do).

Bill, the meal was great, because these were the milder Burgundy truffles I could use a lot for texture without any risk of overdoing the flavor. For the cacio e pepe, I was more concerned about the balance of cheeses (I used 3:2 parm to pecorino) and not letting the pepper overwelm the truffles. As well, I seasoned the soup with truffle salt and added a drizzle of white truffle oil before garnishing with the truffles and the overall effect was still mild.

I served all this with a flight of three pinots gauged by me to show young, middle aged and mature: '15 Calera 'Mills', an '08 Le Cadeux 'Equinoxe', and a '95 Buena Vista. The exercise was to note which age of pinot played best with the truffles. Chris and John were super impressed with the '95 as they'd never had anything like it (and even to me it was impressive, couldn't have asked for a better performance from a 25 year old American pinot)--the clear winner for food match, though independent of the food the Le Cadeux was all-around favorite for the majority.

DAMN, Girl!

[Jenise]

Afraid my truffle source is out of action!

Don't think that they like stuff like that crossing borders. At least according to the Border Security shows I have been watching (indication of deep boredom...borderdom?)

Too bad, because I'm getting wholesale pricing. The same truffles from well-known truffle purveyor Urbani? $45/ounce.

As for border security...a friend of mine (with dual citizenship now) who grew up in Vancouver describes coming down to the U.S. to shop for clothes and wearing like six bras home at a time in order to avoid getting taxed. Pretty funny to imagine--well, at least if you're a girl.

As for border security...a friend of mine (with dual citizenship now) who grew up in Vancouver describes coming down to the U.S. to shop for clothes and wearing like six bras home at a time in order to avoid getting taxed. Pretty funny to imagine--well, at least if you're a girl.

If she had enough, um, er, bosoms to fill half a dozen bras, I suspect the guard's attentions were elsewhere.

[Jenise]

LOL, Jeff.

[Jenise]

Yesterday I made truffle omelets for brunch and last night we had truffles on crunchy two-hour baked potatoes for dinner. The omelets were paired with wilted baby beet and swiss chard greens, and the potato was paired with gai lan (Chinese broccoli). The baked potato might have been my favorite application of all.

The simplest preparation is also often the one that best features the star ingredient.

I once saw a recipe where you put a whole truffle inside a potato, wrapped it in foil and put it in your fire. Unwrap, throw away potato and get a perfectly roasted truffle. Never had the chance to try it.

BTW - doing a distanced Brunello lunch next Wednesday, so if you feel like opening one on the 4th to either celebrate or lament the results of your election, feel free to 'join' us.

I wasn't aiming for the day after election day, I was actually shooting for Nov. 5, Guy Fawkes Day, when effigies of Fawkes are tossed into the bonfire in England as celebration of him trying to blow up the Houses of Parliament and failing. Come to think of it, you might want to consider adopting that holiday down there - you could call it 'Donald Fawkes ('up' hopefully) Day, and you could burn him in effigy.......

[Jenise]

Come to think of it, you might want to consider adopting that holiday down there - you could call it 'Donald Fawkes ('up' hopefully) Day, and you could burn him in effigy.......

Now THERE'S an idea. Will alert my Canadian friends (who live here with dual citizenship), I think there's be a LOT of interest!!!! (Btw, I celebrated Guy Fawkes day when living in England a few decades ago.)

(Btw, I celebrated Guy Fawkes day when living in England a few decades ago.)

Well why the Fawke not...?

[Jenise]

(Btw, I celebrated Guy Fawkes day when living in England a few decades ago.)

Well why the Fawke not...?

It was quite cool. At a hilltop pub in Derbyshire that had been around for several hundred years. The bonfire was about 15 or 20 feet tall; coming from California where fire danger is a constant worry, it was rather fascinating that the locals thought nothing of making a barn-sized open fire.

How many ounces are you down after those magnificent meals ? Not that I have any access to those delectable fungi but wondering what constitutes subtle but adequate flavoring. I can tell that you are having fun feeding your relatives with attention, love and care.

WOW!

I've only had truffles at Lameloise in Burgundy. One of the most memorable meals in my life.

I ate there once, on a barge tour through Burgundy. Very impresssive, although we probably got a cheap version of their menu for our group of 14 or 15. Interestingly enough, we decided that the food on our barge was as tasty, although not as fancy, as the meal at Lameloise.

[Jenise]

How many ounces are you down after those magnificent meals ? Not that I have any access to those delectable fungi but wondering what constitutes subtle but adequate flavoring. I can tell that you are having fun feeding your relatives with attention, love and care.

What was supposed to be 8 ounces came in as 9 golf-ball sized truffles, closer to ten ounces than the 8 I'd ordered. By dinner last night, we had just three left, and owing that Bob is supposed to avoid 'seeds' (pre- tomorrow's colonoscopy) we both got nervous about the tiny black seed-like 'balls' that cover the skin of the truffles so Bob skipped his with the baked potatos and I sank the other two in olive oil to refrigerate for another day.

As for subtle but adequate, truffles can be quite strong--the Aussie truffles I bought awhile back were very strong/sharp without being so much pungent, a new kind of truffle experience for me. They were like a ristretto compared to a rich but regular coffee, which caused me to use them very sparingly. The mildness of these allowed me to add a lot as much for texture as flavor, and provided a good introduction for Chris and John to the delights of fresh truffle.

By dinner last night, we had just three left, and owing that Bob is supposed to avoid 'seeds' (pre- tomorrow's colonoscopy) we both got nervous about the tiny black seed-like 'balls' that cover the skin of the truffles so Bob skipped his with the baked potatos and I sank the other two in olive oil to refrigerate for another day.

Bummer!
Give the boy a treat after the test - make him another truffle omelet!