The US Truffle Capital

 Mention truffle capitol and most people will automatically think of Torino where truffles are found along the city'ss outskirts and neighboring woods. Yet the US has its own truffle capital- Eugene Oregon. Will America truffles catch on? Possibly.

Regular  contributor and restaurant critic Pete Wells stepped out of his comfort zone to head to Oregon and write about these gems in yesterday's New York Times Wednesday Food section.It seems the woodlands outside Eugene make for excellent truffle grounds however truffles have been found as north as Vancouver Island in British Columbia and as south as Port Reyes, California just north of San Francisco. There are two varieties that grown here - white and black. The ideam land is former grassland now planted with Douglas first. A truffle hunter like Charles Lefebrve knows this land although it does help to use Google Earth to track down exact locations. He also used two trained dogs, Dante and Luca. Their breed is Lagooto Romagnolos ,a breed particularly raised to sniff out truffles, originating in the PO Valley. However other dogs throughout the Eugene area can be trained to hunt for truffles, no matter the breed. 

What are the truffles used for? Pacific Northwest ones seem to be used only by chefs in the region. East Coast chefs have rarely heard of them (although that could be about to changes thanks to this article). They are not the same as their Northern Italian cousins however. This proved to be the case for Elias Cairo, owner of Olympia Provisions in Portland,.He found they have their own flavor profile that represents "this really cool forest" in the United States. Luckily there is the Oregon Truffle Festival.It;s focused on helping chefs understand the fungi. Mr Cairo cures salame next to the white truffles so the meat can soak up the aroma, usually a aromatic blend of nutmeg, allspice and cloves. They also emit a gamy musk that reminds him of wild boar. Chef Deb Meyer of Choux Pastries has infused that aroma into goat cheese filling for her macarons. The blacks themselves are usually milder except when they are at the smelliest. They can still turn heads. However unlike the European variety they can be used in desserts. A chocolatier  in Eugene makes a truffle truffle, glossy domes of white chocolate filled with truffle infused creme fraiche. There;'s also n ice cream infused with black truffles too.

Piedmontese truffles are the creme de la creme of eating. Yet the Oregonian ones are gaining in strength and popularity. It may be that Oregon may beat Northern Italy as the world's truffle capital-.

Chocolate Works

 It's chocolate time - a time when everything chocolates will be baked , whipped or melted for Valentine's Day treats. Yet many are at a loss about when to use powdered cocoa or chocolate candy. Surprisingly it's easy to remember what to use for what sweet recipe.

Many novice home bakers ask what is cocoa powder.Is it the same as hot cocoa mix? No! It's a powder made from the dry solids of coca beans remaining after the cocoa butter is extracted.Keep in mind that there are two types. One, Dutch is not as bitter tasting thanks to being treated to an alkali to reduce the acidity without it cocoa powder can be bitter and acidic.What should you use? Either one will work in nay cake, cookie and cupcake recipe.Dutch chocolate will give baked goods a more chocolate-y flavor. while untreated coca powder will give a fruitier or slightly bitter flavor to the batter or dough.Baking with Dutch cocoa powder will also give the finished product a deeper richer color. What about frosting and glaze? Yes, Dutch cocoa powder will give the icing a rich fudgey look and taste.Don;t use regular  cocoa powder for your frostings (unless it;s the only one your store sells).It won.t give the icing that smoothness necessary for piping and swirls. You can  also use Dutch cocoa bars which are like candy bars. This creates a very silky texture.

Candy is a huge part of Valentine's Day, Homemade treats are always beloved. yet a lot of novice candy makers are in a dither as to what kind to use? Milk? Dark? White or pastel? The best chocolate to  use is a real chocolate or coverture. This is a chocolate that contains more cocoa butter than the chips used for baking.It gives the finished product a smoother finish and a glossier, shinier look.There's also a snap sound when it's bitten into.Most candy makers swear by GHradelli's melting wafers. You can get fresh strawberries and cherries right now so consider these for a luscious treat. Keep in mind that pretzels are also good dipped .Use the same chocolate - couverture -for dipping.A fun sweet is taking pretzel logs and then first dipping them in caramel and then chocolate. You could also use milk and white chocolate couverture for this too. After the logs are dipped in chocolate roll them in heart shaped sprinkles for added cuteness and appeal. A truly decadent gift are homemade truffles. Many home candy makers are put off by the recipe because they fear it's too hard.Yet they're relatively easy to create. They;re just ganache .You just need cream, butter and chocolate.warm a scant tablespoon of butter with a cup of heavy cream or  whipping cream. This is them poured over chopped chocolate and then stirred together. Refrigerate for two hours until the mixture is set. Roll into small balls and then roll in whatever your loved one loves. Try chopped pistachios for color or coconut flakes for more flavor. Have fun with them.

Baking  and making rich  chocolate treats is easy. Use the right cocoa powder or couverture to create mouth watering sweets. It'sa  fun way to celebrate Valentine's Day!

Sweet Treats For A Sweet Mom

 Mother's are known for their yummy sweet treats whether it's a batch of our favorite cookies or a plate of rich fudge. why not treat her with some homemade treats that give back the love.

Mom may be the maker of homey cookies like chocolate chip and oatmeal but what about baking her something fancy? Think aqua faba meringues . These are not only light and delicate but also vegan. The recipe doesn't need the usual egg whites but chickpea water or brine. It has the same protein as the egg whites and whips up nicely. A fun  flavor is coffee which is a nice perk for an afternoon snack. You could also make vanilla and chocolate ones too for a colorful plate. Strawberry ones are also a tasty and pretty treat. They do  require freeze dried strawberries turned into a powder. with these you can create that classic English dessert, Eton mess. This is layering the meringues with whipped cream and all sorts of berries from raspberries to strawberries and blueberries.. You could also bake vanilla meringues in rounds to create a pavlova. This Australian dessert is an upscale version of Eton mess but it's done in layers of whipped cream, and a mix of strawberries and blueberries. You can top it with a spray of edible flowers for extra prettiness.

Everyone loves candy. why not treat Mom to some homemade truffles. These are rich and creamy and can have many variations. It starts with eight ounces of chocolate bars. Don't  use chocolate chips because they won;t melt into truffle consistency. It's mixed with either heavy whipping cream or just heavy cream.If you're using milk chocolate reduce the cream to half a cup less because milk chocolate is softer. Use a scan t cup of softened butter too for extra creaminess and dash of vanilla for extra flavor. It's then just cooking the ingredients in a saucepan until completely blended. it's then put into the fridge for two to three hours to set. Afterwards  form into balls. Roll them in cocoa powder for an extra chocolate-y kick or chopped nuts. even crushed edible flowers provide a colorful coating.For a more boozy gift add some kahlua or orange liqueur. If you;'re making the kahlua one add espresso powder to bring out the coffee flavor. You can also add ground walnuts or almonds to the recipe too.

Treat Mom to some special homemade treats for her special. She'll love the flavor but also the love that went into them. It's time to give her some straight from the heart sweets.

The Back Pain Relief Diet

Can what you eat solve that crippling lower back pain?Is giving up coffee and soda better than a heating pad? Could simply forgoing cake and other sweets alleviate aches more so than pain pills? The answer is yes, thanks to an eye opening new diet. Follow it and feel the difference.

Dr.  Todd Sinnett, a chiropractor and son of one wrote this  self help/ diet book.The Back Pain Relief Diet :The Undiscovered Key To Reducing Inflammation and Eliminating Pain (East End Press 2018) is a combination of medical advice and recipes, with patient testimonies sprinkled in between. Dr. Sinnett is the founder of Tru Whole Cure which is patient centric medical center where all sorts of ills from back pain to skin problems are treated through, diet, stress management and acupuncture. The doctor expertly dissects what causes back pain and it always returns to what we eat. He also believes gas and constipation contribute to it. (there's an interesting but vile chart of poop and what's considered healthy and unhealthy)There are chapters which are tests which should be take,There is also the diagnostic nutrition test -another must take to determine if eating habits should be changed.After the diagnostic , Dr. Sinnitt recommends one of four diets - The No More Back Pain Diet or The Paleo Plus Meal Plan, The FODMAPS Diet and The Digestive Rest diet. Following these and the recipes that go with them will help in bringing those with severe back pain a return to a normal, active life.

The chapters with the recipes are preceded with a chapter on super foods.These are crucial in the healing process and there  foods that everyone loves such as avocados, dark chocolate and sweet potatoes to name a few. Dr. Sinnett does enlist the help of nutritionists , Willow Jarosh and Stephanie Clarke for the Paleo Plus meal plan. Are the recipes easy? Yes. even novice chefs can follow them  and have good results. The FODMAP one  is probably  the most restrictive. The recipes are still delicious, with a brown rice French toast with blueberries. There's also a delicious sounding Chopped Spinach Salad with Avocado and Tuna that  also has carrot,cucumber and tomatoes in it. The Paleo Plus diet is full of  flavorful recipes such as balsamic and herb roasted chicken with quinoa and cauliflower. Since it is a Paleo diet it does have a bone broth, but it's also loaded with sweet potato. cremini mushrooms and broccoli florets with carrots. Those on the diets shouldn't feel deprived of fun treats. There's  chia pudding with all sorts of fruits and flavoring added as well as the dark chocolate-coconut vegan truffle. The last is just a dark chocolate  bar chopped up and combined with two tablespoons of full fat coconut milk  rolled into balls. They're then rolled in cocoa powder. They can be used as a treat or in hot cocoa.

The Back Pain Relief Diet is a definite must have for those who suffer chronic back pain. Reading it and changing diets will more of a help than relying on addictive opiates.Buy it today and start on the path to a no pain life.

Make The Ordinary Extraordinary

With the holidays coming up many home chefs feel too tired to cook this week, many home chefs are taking it easy this week. Meals will be simple, with home chefs saving the more elaborate fare for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Yet those simple meals can be made with an easy flourish. It's not even labor intensive. It's just simple food with a few extras.

One of the easiest meals to make is soup. Canned soup is nice.It's easy to heat up and serve. What makes it even better is serving hot rolls with it along with a salad. Some stores such as Acme have in store baked biscuits. These can be turned into, hot just from the oven ones simply by covering them with a wet paper towel and popping them into the microwave for thirty seconds.. This gives them a tender moist crumb along with being perfect for a pat of butter.They go great with any kind of soup from tomato to any cream. A soup that 's quick to make but has a true homemade taste is Bear Creek.It's just adding water to a powdered mix and stirring for fifteen minutes. They have great flavors like potato and cheddar beef along with an instant chili.If you;re still craving true homemade think frittata. This is the omelet's Italian cousin and can be made into a delicate crepelike concoction. Home chefs can add fancy extras such as pancetta or even truffles. Serve with a light Reisling for even more luxury.

Even the simplest of desserts can be turned into something extraordinary too. By no everyone is sick of all those holiday cookies.Try a store-bought angel food cake, such as the loaf ones from Stop & Shop. Pair it with sliced strawberries which can be bought fresh and whipped cream. Sliced peaches can also be used too..It's a nice, refreshing break from all those heavy holiday fruitcakes and desserts, almost like a return to summer.Another simple extravagance is sherbert in citrus. This is te time for oranges. Why not scoop them out and replace with layers of  unseeded orange slices and orange sherbert. The same can be done with lemons and limes too.Just remember to remove the seeds before preparing. Even though it is chilly out, a simple dish of vanilla ice cream can be a treat. Top it with one of Smucker's rich fudge or salted caramel toppings. These can be warmed in the microwave for a warm gooey treat.An even more luxurious treat is drizzling a good brandy over the scoops.It's a nice way to unwind after a hectic day of shopping or work.

Make the simple luxurious just by adding little extras to your meals and desserts. It makes for easy but lush eating. Perfect for this time of year.

Umbria Unstoppable

Italians have a graceful grittiness to them that makes them strong in the face of adversity. They bounced back almost immediately after last month's earth quake violently shook the ancient towns of Amatrice and Accumoli.Despite all this the inhabitants of one Umbrian town, Norcia, kept going,still creating amazing dishes and producing salumeria meats.

Julia Moskin visited and wrote about one of the most beautiful landscapes in Europe in today's New York Times Food section. Umbria was shaken by a 6.2 magnitude earthquake last month but there was thankfully only structural damage.There is still the problem of closed roads that make it difficult to transport goods to other parts of the republic. Couple with  the region's fears of the newly born gastro-tourism industry suffering due to tourists' concerns about another earthquake happening. The area , also known as Italy's cuore verde or green heart is the place to go for the best olive oil, richest red wines and flavorful cold cuts or salumi. It's a mystery why Umbria hasn't been made a culinary UNESCO World Heritage site like Lyons, France and Chengdu China.Some recipes have remained unchanged since Etruscan and Roman  times.It could be that its' cuisine  has always been overshadowed  by neighboring Tuscany's more famed and favored dishes and recipes.Still, the region has many famous recipes, as Ms Moskin points out.One of the most known is porchetta,a juicy roast of pork tightly rolled around garlic and herbs.

Umbria is not just known for its' porchetta .It's also known for its' ancient and native strains of beans and pulses that are being unearthed and cultivated for a new generation of Italian chefs.There is even Roveja, a kind of pea, once thought to be extinct that is now being cultivated and sold at premium prices, much like Piedmontese truffles.Since Umbria is one of Italy's few landlocked provinces, the area relies on its' native fruits and vegetables, instead of seafood for main ingredients.Nettles, asparagus and fennel along with some flowers make up their most dishes culinary backbone.Of course Italy is about pasta too, and Umbria has many different kinds. Home chefs there pride themselves on making tender , springy pasta without the usual eggs, using a full body kneading motion called "culo mossa" that bears a resemblance to samba dancing.No meal would be complete without salumi, salt cured pork products. Their prosciutto is aged for two years before eating , unlike other prosciuttos from across the region. The result is a more flavorful and concentrated taste. It is so prized in Italy that it never makes it outside the borders. Luckily tourists can eat it and other charcuterie hen they stay in the alberghi and guest houses.

Umbria will always be known for its' vibrant cuisine taken from ancient recipes. No earthquake is going to change that.The food is as immovable as the land that has produced it for millennia

Truffles From Le Marche

Late summer is truffle time in Italy. It is a harbinger of fall and the rich ,hearty dishes that grace Northern Italian tables.This fungi , the diamonds of the culinary world, can be added to almost any dish.They impart a rich ,almost smokey flavor and glam up everything from eggs to pasta. They were the topic of an article in yesterday's New York Dining section.The author,Helene Cooper, was lucky enough to travel there and participate in a truffle hunt.However, she didn't visit the truffle capital,Piemonte but the Marche region on the Adriatic(just south of Venice). here Ms. Cooper found some of the best.Usually the mushroom is traditionally found throughout southern France and of course,northwestern Italy. TheMarche grows tartufo Nero or the black truffle.They're a little less expensive than the white ones.They were a favorite of some of Italy's most famous people.Lucrezia Borgia tried them when she passed through thevtown famous for them,Acqualagna.Pope Julius ii as well as the infamous IlDuce,Benito Mussolini were also affectionados of the black truffle. Tartuffo Nero can be made several different ways, both fancy and simple.Ms Cooper got to sample a frittata made. With them.Truffle sauce was added to the eggs and then were decorated with truffle shavings.There was also crostini tartuffo, ,slices of grilled bread spread with truffle sauce.There was also turkey scallopini with a truffle sauce as well. Truffles are a foodie's luxury. if you can visit the Marche region to enjoy them.They truly are the diamonds of the food world.

Truffles American Style

Truffles have always been a European treat.Legendary here and the dream of may gourmets and foodies alike , this fungi was imported at exorbitant prices. However that's all changing. It's now being cultivated in North America- with hopefully lower prices.

Dining section newcomer, Nick Czap explored this new territory on the American eating scene in yesterday's New York Times. He found that truffles are not only being grown in Italy's Piemonte  but now in Oregon.The state is home to four kinds of the delicious fungi: the Oregon black truffle, the Oregon winter white, the Oregon spring white and the rare Oregon brown truffle. The black truffle variety emits an aroma of pineapple and dark chocolate combined, while the white and brown have a more pungent smell , a mix of sulphur and ripe cheeses. While Europeans have been hunting truffles for centuries, Oregon's quest is relatively new starting with the great chef ,James Beard , promoting it, as late as 1977

There is also a unique difference between American and Italian harvesting techniques. Truffles have long been sniffed and snuffled out by dogs and pigs.(Italian law mandates that only dogs can now sniff out the mushroom). The US uses search  rescue dogs, from papillons to Labs along with Newfoundlands and Beaucerons to  to find the delicacy. Any canine can be trained to be a truffle dog. He or she just has to withstand the conditions which are sometimes cold and always damp.

Truffles have always been the domain of European gourmets. yet that is changing. With more foodies discovering the Oregon genuses, there will be more need for the home grown variety. It also means more American born dogs will turn into truffle hounds too - a good thing for truffle lovers.

The Most Expensive Foodie Gifts

It's that time of year for foodie gifts. What's great about any food or alcohol product is that they come in all price ranges. If you're extravagant you can buy your sweetheart something amazing. If you only have a few pennies, you can still present a really yummy surprise for that someone special. In the next few weeks there will be articles reflecting this . Take from this what you will and use it in gift giving.

Expensive gifts are always memorable. They make a lasting impression and are talked about for years to come. One of the most expensive is Angel Champagne, created by Britalian Stefano Zagni (he's fourth generation Italian bred in England) and American songbird Mariah Carey.One 75 ml bottle can set you back $575. The most expensive goes for quarter of a million (yes, it does) and comes in a diamond encrusted bottle. Another neat thing is that Angel was featured on that ultimately trashy show "The Real Housewives of Beverly Hills" however don't let this deter you. Some royals and celebrities also are big Angel fans too.


For the most expensive food gifts think caviar and truffles. Petrossian is one of the best online stores to get a variety of different roe. One of their most expensive is the Alverta , a buttery and nutty tasting caviar that costs $863 for just two to four servings. Planning for a party? Then the Alverta is $6,800 . However you can buy a cheaper version of it for only $63 dollars for the Tsar Imperial Transmontanus California bred white sturgeon. Truffles are every foodies X-mas fantasy gift. These gems, mined, in my great grandparents' province, Piedmont Italy can go for $340 for just one. There is also jarred truffle sauce that sells for $34 and can be used as a sauce for gnocchi or risotto.

If you want to score big with your foodies, then gift them with the best. You can try a bottle of Angel champagne and serve it with caviar or truffles. There's nothing like making a gourmet's holiday wishes come true.

Italian Harvest Season

yesterday was Columbus Day and I had forgotten to mention it in this blog. It's nice to have one day dedicated to Italian cooking however the entire month of October should be devoted to it. This is the season for truffles in the north and various grape harvests throughout The Republic. It's the season for hearty pasta dishes and delicious vegetable rich soups.

Italy offers a wide range of flavors during the autumn. Truffles are prime for the picking right now in my family's Piedmont, especially around Torino and the smaller wine towns of Asti and Alba. This are delicious shaved over risotto or polenta. They're also pressed into oil which is a great addition to any pasta or meat dish. The autumn is also a time for rich brodos , meat broths filled with pastas and late season tomatoes. This is also the time for pumpkin soup popular around western Piedmonte. it's so deliciously thick and flavorful, redolent with the gourd along with onions chicken broth and milk. It's perfect for those cool evenings when you want something satisfying and warming.

Italian harvest include fruits as well. There are the light delicate apple fritters that go well after a brunch to the raspberry and plum laden crostatas. these are buttery crusted tarts that have been filled usually with fruits and an almond paste. It's also the season to put away the gelati and make zablalione, that frothy concoction of egg yolks, sugar and Marsala wine.

The entire month of October should belong to Italy, and not just one day. This is the month where kitchens abound with the all sorts of fruits and vegetables. Its the season to appreciate nature's bounties and good recipes.

Holiday Candy Land

Even better than holiday cookies are holiday candies. These sweet snacks are just what you need after a hectic day of shopping or gift wrapping. They're also the perfect companion to a hot cup of coffee or tea and a relaxing book. Homemade candies are easy to make and don't have the hassle of a hot oven or a lot of pans and bowls. You can make up a batch without all the fuss and bother.

Chocolate bark is the easiest to make., It's basically melted chocolate spread over a greased cookie sheet. Swirls are made over the top to give it the appearance of a tree's surface. You can add everything form almonds (a good choice) to broken peppermint candies or candy canes. You can also make a peppermint bark using white chocolate and the swirling red food coloring through the candy to give it a true Christmas look.

My favorite candy to make are haystacks These are one of the staples of Jersey shore candy. They're just simply toasted coconut mixed in with melted chocolate chips and a two to three tablespoons of butter. The mix is then dropped into mound son a waxed paper or a greased cookie sheets. There are several variations on them, with some recipes calling for Chinese noodles and almonds along with the coconut. I prefer making mine with dark chocolate and a pound bag of shredded coconut. It's a perfect blend of dark fudge with chewy shreds. Yum.

My one friend is into making truffles for the holidays. She is a master cook and baker, with a history of creating top of the line treats. Lou uses fresh cream and the best cocoa to create mouth water ganaches. Her truffles are better than those at Lilac Chocolates, one of Manhattan's best chocolatiers. Truffles are a more labor intensive candy but worth the effort. There is an easy recipe out there that requires chocolate chips for those not wanting to get too involved. with truffle making process.

T'is the season for treats. Make up a few for you and your family to enjoy this holiday season.

Liz's Haystack Recipe

1 16 oz bag of semi sweet chocolate chips.
2-3 tablespoons butter or margarine
1 12 oz bag of shredded coconut

Melt chocolate and butter or margarine in the microwave for a minute and a half or two minutes (this depends on your microwave) Stir in coconut .until thoroughly blended. Using a tablespoon, drop onto a greased cookie sheet or one covered with waxed paper. You can use two tablespoons to create bigger mounds. Let cool in the fridge or on your porch if you have one. Store in a cool dry place until serving.