Cookaholics Bulletin Board

Mers,

Make your own Ricotta. It won't be gritty, like the commercial crap, and you can adjust the taste.

Tim

I disagree with the white chocolate detractors... If you buy the good stuff with cocoa butter in it, it is wonderful. I especially love the El Rey because their cocoa butter is non-deoderized...

And if you don't expect it be like other chocolates-like expecting all chili to be the same-it really does good things. It's a great liner for tart shells, works well in mousse and cheesecake, adds richness to ice creams, all sorts of uses. And the good stuff is very good on its own.

Any kind of "organ meat" will kill it for me....starting with liver. My husband read in the paper that liver & onions lovers are forming liver dinner clubs because their families all cringe when they either cook or order liver & onions.

So I am watching an episode of Chopped last night and the Judges cringed when they heard that one of the Chefs was using Truffle oil in one of his dishes. This is probably the first time that I have ever heard Truffle oil being mentioned in a cooking show. Is it really that bad? I bought a very small bottle one time at Whole Foods about 10 years ago. I haven't replaced it, so I must not have been too impressed.

The NYTimes had an article on it in 2007, http://www.nytimes.com/2007/05/16/dining/16truf.html?pagewanted=all, pointing out that most of these products are olive oil and chemicals. I believe CI and CR did likewise but I'm too lazy to search

I love the taste and hate the price. Once you discover that it is a 'pretend' product you might, like I, get a little hesitant about spending the big bucks. I guess I just don't like being fooled...

Google "truffle oil scandal" for more gory details.

My fave Italian deli sells a few different ones with supposed black truffle pieces floating in them but I haven't taken the plunge.

My youngest ordered a t-bone steak with pecorino and shaved truffles in Assisi. (that's what you get for encouraging kids to move up from chicken fingers and fries all the time)
We all agreed that none of us like truffles.

I am crazy mad about truffles but my husband can't even stand the smell. I have had them at times when they are almost tasteless. I mostly find truffle oil too over the top but am fond of truffle salt which seems pretty much to be just salt and truffles. Downside, it is salty so you need to want truffles and salt.

Mary

My sweetie loathes mushrooms, *except* truffles. Not something I get to take advantage of very often, though; even the Oregon ones are like $30 each.

So, someone gave me some truffle oil and I have had it sitting in my pantry for a few months because I don't know what to do with it. I tried to give it to my foodie son, but he wanted me to keep it and have fun with it. Any suggestions?