Tags
Blog, Chef, community, Cook, critic, culture, fitness, Food, Foodie, Fries, Fry, funny, Gourmet, health, home, Lesbian, Lesbians, life, local, love, people, personal, Pommes Frites, recipe, Recipes, Relationship, relationships, review, Reviews, Romance, thoughts, Truffle, Truffles, Woman, Women
M’s food addiction:
Okay! Let’s talk truffle oils!!! Okay wait, I had to take a breath. Holy LORD, I love me some truffle. Let’s just say truffle oil tastes good on EVERYTHING …Potato soup, fries, meat, eggs, pasta, popcorn, gravy, cupcakes, syrup, people – you get it right? I love truffle oil so much that there is a picture of me drinking it from a ladle!!! I kid you not.
T: There is a picture of her drinking the truffle gravy I make her from a ladle. It is not pretty – it’s fantastic!
So let’s talk makers: D’Allasandro, Saveurs, and La Truffiere are the three white and black truffle oils that I use consistently. They range from a small 1.6 fl oz. bottle for approximately $9.99 to a 8.5 fl oz. costing approximately $26.95 depending on your market or favorite shopping website. We will put a link below for where you can purchase some of our favorite truffle items.
Let’s talk usage. Truffles are considered the most expensive food in the world. European white truffles can sell for as much as $3,600.00 a lb.
Picture retrieved from: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57354702/truffles-the-most-expensive-food-in-the-world/ — A 60 minute special on the truffle trade and a great watch if you want to learn more about the most expensive food in the world.
T: I would like to give a little bit of a history on what truffles are and I don’t believe M can see straight right now thinking about all of those glorious truffles. I fear that I may find her drinking straight out of the truffle oil bottle soon; it could happen.
Truffles are a fungi that grow with an interaction between the fungi and the roots of certain trees. The mistake that is most common is for people to believe that they are mushrooms; they are not mushrooms. Truffles have been prized since the Romans and the Greeks got their hands on them; they considered them an aphrodisiac, so you know they were worshipping those truffles. There are many different varieties of truffles but the two most common are: (1) the black or Perigord truffle and (2) white truffle or trifola d’Alba, which is the most expensive and sought after in the world. It’s name stems from the region it is found in: the town of Alba in Piedmont, Italy.
Whatever variety of truffle or whatever the price, you will love the flavor that they add to any dish. It is much more cost effective and reasonable to be able to incorporate truffles into your cooking routine by starting with truffle oils. I think M can breathe now, so back to her…
The oils (usually olive oil or sunflower oil) I have described are “infused” with the beautiful aroma of truffle! That’s it. – the infusion is so intoxicating, I can’t even describe the happiness I feel when I smell it. Some people hate the aroma, they say it smells earthy or dirty. I can’t imagine what happened to those poor individual’s palates or sense of smell to make them dislike the aroma of truffle so much, but I am here to tell you; I am a believer!!! Bottle it, wrap it up, and tell me the price cuz I will spread it on some toast!!!
Cooking with truffle oil is meant to be a finisher. Heating it too much can destroy the flavor, so never grill or fry food in it. Drizzle it sparingly on soup, fish, steak, eggs, salad, pasta, etc. The oil can overpower some dishes, so drizzle it like it is the precious oil that it is.
M’s ADDICTING truffle fries (pommes frites) recipe:
When I make truffle fries, I bake the fries, salt them lightly on the baking sheet, and then slide them into a large bowl that I have prepared by drizzling a ring of white truffle oil around the bowl and allowing it to drip into the center of the bowl. That way when I toss and slide the fries around the bowl, every fry gets evenly coated in the delicious oil. Lastly, grate some fresh good quality parmigiano reggiano over the fries to enhance the truffle flavor and enjoy every addicting bite.
When talking about truffle oils, the difference between the white and black truffle is so subtle in the oil that they can be used interchangeably. Whichever one you purchase, you will enjoy. Comment below or email us: two.lesbians.eating.out@gmail.com with questions and we would be happy to help or tell us what you enjoy your truffles on.
Meanwhile, ENJOY!
~ M & T
Some Amazon links to truffle products we love:
La Truffiere black truffle oil: http://www.amazon.com/Black-Truffle-Oil-1-86-oz/dp/B0002NYNYO/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1359490183&sr=8-3&keywords=la+truffiere+black+truffle+oil
La Truffiere white truffle oil: http://www.amazon.com/White-Truffle-Oil-bottle-1-86/dp/B0050IMG54/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1359490894&sr=8-4&keywords=la+truffiere+white+truffle+oil
Black truffle butter – this is a special treat that I buy M. It’s a little pricey but well worth it and it lasts for a long time (just freeze the remaining butter until your next use). This is the reason she was sipping gravy out of the ladle, I added a chunk of this butter to the gravy that I had made with beef stock and red wine. I served it next to a gorgeous medium rare prime rib. It got lots of moans and “ahhs”. – http://www.amazon.com/Black-Truffle-Butter-16-log/dp/B004XE0E8W/ref=sr_1_28?ie=UTF8&qid=1359490103&sr=8-28&keywords=black+truffle+butter
Italian black truffle sea salt – Add this to M’s fry recipe for a killer truffle flavor: http://www.amazon.com/Casina-Rossa-Truffle-Nicola-Laurentiis/dp/B000E5SGI4/ref=sr_1_2?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1359491268&sr=1-2&keywords=black+truffle+salt
Go Big or Go home link:
The real deal – This is where you can buy white and black truffles: http://www.gourmetfoodstore.com/truffles/white-truffles-truffles.asp?mscssid=SM057GAGDD7C9GU1E9MSFLGBM81C83C9
Welcome to the world of blogging and great food & drink. We are straight but sensitive and glad to have found you two Best, Glyn & Will
Thank you! We are already addicted to blogging and glad to share our vast food adventures (as it appears you two have had, as well) with everyone. We look forward to hearing more about what you think about our posts and reading yours.
~Best, T & M
We’ve added a link to you on our blogroll (“Two Lesbians Eating Out Okay folks on all sides of the issue – put away your titillations and get ready for some good gourmet stuff!”) We are two Episcopal clergy (I’m retired) and have served in several places as chaplains to local Integrity chapters..
Wow! Thank you so much. You are too kind. Once we figure out how to do that (we are new to all of this), we will do the same. Once again, thank you so much!
Have a look also at ruppesisterscook.com!
We definitely will check that out. Thank you for the suggestion!
~ T & M
You do realize there is no truffles in truffle oil?
Yes, that is why M stated, “The oils (usually olive oil or sunflower oil) I have described are “infused” with the beautiful aroma of truffle! That’s it. ” We also discussed that for a novice chef, it would be easier to start with truffle oil and work their way up to the real stuff, since it’s more affordable. Even though there is really no comparison to the real thing, it is a good alternative for the home cook to experiment with. Thank you for the question. ~ T & M
wow truffle oil? powerful ingredient. I don’t think I’ve ever used it or seen in for sale here in Lisbon
Yes, it is. It is nothing like the real thing but as a drizzle on a salad, morning eggs, soups, steak…it is delicious. You must use it sparingly because it is a powerful aromatic but you will be addicted after trying it. Check out our links at the bottom of the page that show you where you can purchase them (I don’t know if you can purchase from Amazon in Portugal?). Let us know if you try it and what you think. ~T & M
Pingback: Those Irresistable Truffles! « LexaLovesFUNFASHIONFOOD