Thursday, November 10, 2016

Truffle-y Things To Love

(NOTE: This isn't actually a super fitness post, since it's food, but I swear, this has so much love and awesomeness I decided to post it. )

I love truffle flavor. Once the truffle love hit me, boy was I obsessed with it! I love anything with truffle - truffle fries, truffle pasta, truffle lechon, and my favorite savory breakfast - truffled eggs ben. I always have a bottle of excellent-quality truffle oil in my pantry. I get my truffle oil at Santi's or this store called Truffles and More, which sells all my favorite truffle ingredients  like truffle honey, truffle salt, and truffle paste. Truffles and more sometimes has a stall at the Gourmand Market, and I pass by when I need to replenish. When someone asked me to describe the flavor if it's sweet, savory, spicy, I couldn't actually find the right word to it, more of like I would say it's like gasoline, but a bit earthy, but actually quite appealing.

While at Santi's I saw that they had a stock of truffles in juice. The thoughts of gorgeous things to eat went in my head so I asked how much a bottle was. A tiny bottle with like 5 pieces of truffles was like around Php 2,400. Thankfully, I remembered my friend Josyne was in Europe for a vacation. I asked her if she was going to buy some truffles (as she loves them too) so I asked if she could buy for me a jar. When she showed me this photo in Facebook, I cried again of happiness at 4 in the morning. The equivalent cost of this in Philippine peso was Php 770 I think so it's pretty much a good deal.


Thank you Josyne, for understanding my obsession.

I guess this is trufflle sauce or truffle paste from the label, where the truffles are grounded and immersed in olive oil, like an intense black paste. I actually like this better as I don't have to worry about making truffle shavings too thick. A little actually goes a long way because a little spoonful, or even half a spoonful is already very potent.

So what things have I been making with this jar of happiness?



I would start by making one of my favorite breakfasts (or brunches) - truffled eggs Benedict. Making eggs Benedict is really time and space consuming - I have to toast the English muffins, poach the eggs, fry the bacon, and make the Hollandaise sauce. However, taking your first bite of everything makes it so worth the trouble. Yes, I make my own Hollandaise sauce from scratch (no powders). That's actually the secret to really good eggs ben and it brings all the flavors together. I add the truffle and the truffle oil at the last minute, so the truffly goodness is still there instead of evaporating away.



I also upped my go-to dish, black pepper truffle mushroom pasta with a heaping teaspoon of paste. You know what makes my black pepper flavor so intense? I get black peppercorn (no need to be expensive, just your regular old pamintang buo used to make your chicken adobo) and crack them with a mortar and pestle.



Grilled cheese panini (the original recipe is from Solenn Heussaff's book Hot Sos) with a little truffle paste and truffle salt. Yes, I served it still with salsa.




I made this a while ago for lunch, another pasta recipe this time using butter, lemon zest, truffle, and nutritional yeast (as I didn't have pecorino cheese with me). a sprinkle of salt and pepper and fresh parsley plus chili flakes, this dish has so much texture and flavor and dimension they make so much perfect sense.

These are some of my food for the soul, meals that make me happy. either making it or eating it. Are you a truffle fan like I am? What are some of your favorite indulgent truffly things? Let me know in the comments or tag me in Instagram of your favorite resto with the best truffley dish. Share us the love.

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