Truffles

Truffles can add a punch of flavor to just about any meal. I’m not talking about truffle chocolates; I’m talking about the mushroom. There are black and white truffles; black from France and white from Italy. The black are more flavorful, but oddly, the white are more expensive. It can come in oil or it can come shaved off from the mushroom. Truffles are expensive because of their rarity. The first time I experienced this amazing flavor was in Fred’s restaurant on the top of Barney’s in NYC. I had ordered a salad that was fuming with an exotic aroma. My mom immediately covered her nose which worried me because we have very similar opinions with food. For this meal, truffle oil was used in the dressing. The flavor is indescribable. It was delicious enough for me to gobble down my chopped salad within 5 minutes. You will come by truffle oil more often than shaved truffle because it is less expensive in oil form. I most commonly see shaved truffle on French fries. Truffle fries make a fried potato just that much better. Truffle is also commonly served with pasta and risottos. What will really get your mouth watering is garlic and truffle mashed potatoes. How good does that sound?

Sometime I will randomly crave truffle. The Fife and Drum has a delicious truffle risotto as an appetizer. When the Blue Grille was open, they offered truffle fries as a side. Many people, like my mom, cannot stand the taste or smell of truffles. It is quite strong and overwhelming if you’re not a fan. I can understand if there is too much used in one serving but truthfully, I will order any dish on the menu if truffle is used in it.