Mr. Z and I were living in Munich and he was in Rome on business. He called me and told me he was eating a pasta with white truffles that was too delicious to be believed. I filed this in my food file in my brain and thought "I must do that sometime" ...oh, "...and soon." The trouble is, white truffles are only available in October and some of November.
Fast forward about a year and he called from the office and said "I have to go to Rome again, you want to come with me this time?" I said I didn't really want to... I took German classes in Munich and really didn't want to miss any. I loved my foreign language classes when I lived in Paris and Munich. I was lucky enough to have gone to Rome about 3 times by then in a fairly short period of time, anyway, so I thought I wouldn't go this trip. Mr. Z was quiet. Then he said...
"It's November. The white truffles are in season. Remember?" "Okay, I'll come...get me a ticket!" And we went. I'm no fool :-)
We flew to Rome and went, probably that night, to a restaurant called, I believe, Andreas. He ordered the pasta and white truffles for me and something else for himself....the truffle dish was about $50 a serving and this was 14 years ago. Truffles are EXPENSIVE (click on EXPENSIVE for details!!)The plate came and smelled like heaven must smell. There were a few light, beige shavings of truffle on the pasta and then the waiter began slicing more and they floated like feathers to a rest on the small pile of fettucini which glistened lightly with the white truffle oil it had been tossed with....(some restaurants literally charge by the 'shave' but I'm not sure they did that night in Rome). It's earthy and lovely and I just can't explain that wonderful, heady aroma, which became even lovelier and headier after I'd TASTED it.
I looked at my husband, my mouth full of the lovely flavor, and said "One can't SWALLOW this incredibly fabulous flavor, one should BRONZE IT!" Honestly, they bronze baby shoes and you SWALLOW THIS? Well, my mouth was full so I had to swallow, what the heck else could I do? But, all kidding aside...it was a moment of sheer and utter food BLISS. BY THE WAY: Can you imagine Macaroni and Cheese with white truffles? Click HERE!
This marvelous delicacy is delicious on fried eggs and other dishes, but that pasta plate that night will go down as probably THE BEST flavor I have ever had in my life. I hope you can try it some time. And, TRUST ME, black truffles need NOT APPLY!
(Faith, thanks for the 'it exists' link...great stuff!)
z
14 comments:
My gosh Z,
At those prices I'll have to be satisfied reading about truffles. Needless to say I've never eaten them and from the looks of it, never will.
Pris
The key, Pris, is to get yourself on death row so you can ask for them as your last meal.
Oh Faith, That's so funny. Talk about expensive.........!
pris
Leave it to our prisons to actually supply that to a prisoner.........well, maybe not to an American prisoner, but probably at Gitmo (heh heh!)
z - When you first said that you were going to start a food blog I pictured a blog with mostly recipes. So it has been fun to read what you have come up with for ideas - like the truffle story and going to Rome.
It's impossible of course to imagine a taste or a smell you've never experienced, and whatever my imagination is trying to do with this must fall impossibly short of the reality. Like Pris, I'll never get to try it, but it's nice to know something that exquisitely delightful exists.
thanks, Sue...I'll have them, too, but mostly I wanted it for FOOD TALK/STORIES kind of thing! I'm so glad you're enjoying it.
Faith...I felt the same way about white truffles when I'd first heard about them.....couldn't figure out what they might be like. I wish I could treat us all to some! I don't know if I'LL ever have it again :-)
I guess this is a delicacy I'll not get to try. I am thankful we do have such a variety of foods to eat, though.
I agree with Sue. Your 'food' blog is so much fun to read.
THANK you, Linda...I really appreciate that...
If none of us will probably get a chance to try white truffles again...PLEASE, if you see a tiny, not TOO pricey bottle of WHITE TRUFFLE OIL, buy it and treat yourself. It's MAGNIFICENT just dripped over some fettucini...mmm
or the top of a fried egg.......
Hm, Amazon sells lots of white truffle oil. I wouldn't know how to select the best though. This is one.
sounds yummmy....if April and I make it to Italy next year (we're planning to go in October) then we'll have to try this.
Faith....that was funny.
Faith! A friend took me to dinner tonight and, lo and behold, on the menu was MAC AND CHEESE WITH TRUFFLE OIL.
I couldn't believe it. I told her the story here and laughed that I've rarely seen this anywhere and there it was TONIGHT! Is that wild?
No, I didn't have it:-) But, I will probably buy some white truffle oil soon as I run across a bottle!
Weird coincidence. Funny how those things happen.
Mmmm. This s definitely one of those dishes that I just know will make my mouth happy.
I also have to add: It would be super-nice to try this dish for the first time IN ROME!
;-)
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