Eat this Word: White Truffles

by jbfauthor on July 13, 2009

WHAT? Treasured tuber. “Nobody dares admit that he has been present at a meal where there was not at least one dish with truffles,” wrote France’s favorite foodie, Jean-Anthelme Brillat-Savarin, in his Physiology of Taste (1825). Truffles are mysterious, underground fungi that grow in some areas, on some trees (mostly oak), in some years. They have been known throughout history, though their popularity peaked during the nineteenth and late twentieth centuries, right up to our time. Truffles are hunted by dogs and pigs (although some people swear by flies) trained to recognize the unique, pungent truffle scent. Of the 100 varieties of truffles grown naturally around the world, white truffles (tuber magnatum pico), also known as Alba truffles or Italian truffles, are the most expensive variety on the market (a three-pound sucker went for $330,000 in late 2007, setting the record for a single truffle’s price tag). Although they are also

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News Feed: July 10

by jbfauthor on July 10, 2009

G-8 leaders have pledged $20 billion to help developing countries grow more food [NYT] Japanese scientists plan to design and create a super breed of bluefin tuna [Telegraph] Tests on contaminated Nestlé Toll House cookie dough suggest that the product contained multiple strains of bacteria [WP]

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MemorEATS: Missy Robbins

by jbfauthor on July 09, 2009

"When I was five years old, I visited Israel with my parents. I had the opportunity to taste unpasteurized fresh milk on a kibbutz. I quickly spit it out and ran out of the dining room. Had I known then how great unpasteurized milk is, that never would have happened." –Missy Robbins, A Voce, NYC

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Eye Candy: Beard House

by jbfauthor on July 08, 2009

Roasted octopus with capers, smoked paprika, and endive, an hors d'oeuvre prepared by Joel Harloff at a dinner celebrating Hall Wines of Napa Valley. June 8, 2009, The Beard House, NYC (Photo by Michael Johnston)

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