Berry, shaved over mashed potatoes? Black truffles or truffle oil are used for cooking; white truffles are never cooked, except to the extent wilted a bit by the hot pasta, eggs or cheese fonduta they are shaved on…
Think about the rice this way. If a small bag of rice will completely suck all moisture out of an iPhone (in a few days) that you dropped into a toilet, how much desiccation can a bag of rice inflict upon a very fragile truffle in a day or 2? However, I think rice is a lovely decoration to rest the truffle on while it sits on the table between courses…
My bad. On paypal page there is option to pay via CC and not paypal. Order placed.
Shipping is $73.13 vs $29.99.
Agreed. We are not going to cook them. We are going to shave them onto the mashed potatoes at the table.
YMMV, overnight shipping to me in NJ is $31 for 2 oz from Sabatino.
Thank God! My pulse is slowing down now. I was at risk of heart attack or stroke there for a minute! And you will think of me and drown your mashed potatoes in a high-quality butter, right?
Further on the subject of truffles and rice: no question that truffles were once stored in the abundant and readily available rice in glass prior to the coming of paper towels and plastic, without thought to what that might be doing to the truffle. They were less expensive and more abundant then, and many people of very modest means were able to harvest them on their own properties, selling the best and eating the rest very fresh. If the truffle was left in the rice only overnight in extreme cold, little damage was done. The frugal and those on tight budgets continued the tradition even afterward. Even today, the occasional shop selling truffles will have a few sitting on a bed of rice in the window, under a glass dome, strictly for aesthetics as Eric notes, but the ones that you buy are generally in sealed plastic or glass inside the store. I have never experienced the mushy truffles that K Koda speaks of, but then again, I have the luxury of handpicking from truffles taken within 24 hours of my purchase by the hunters themselves. The differences among truffles from different types of trees is fascinating, but not such a big deal that I would turn my nose up at ANY truffle. Those from oak trees, that are light and dark-streaked rather like Kobe beef, tend to be the stongest, most complex and finest.
Back to rice, there is the famous story about the mayor of Alba sending Harry Truman a huge white truffle packed in rice in thanks for the American liberation of the area at the end of WWII. Harry sent back a letter to the effect that, unfortunately, the “potato” that was sent was rotten and smelled terrible by the time that it arrived and had to be thrown out, but that the rice was delicious!
By the way, you would be paying the equivalent of $75-95/oz. here right now, so $120/oz seems like a deal to me…
Bill is totally correct. The key is freshness. These sales, while awesome deals, and the result of the hunters collecting them for a few weeks so you may be getting a 2 or even three old truffle. Unless you are lucky enough to live near the source like Bill you take your chances. Our truffles are picked on Sunday, over-nighted and then are cleared through customers on Tuesday and delivered Tuesday night or Wednesday. Not 24 hours, but 48 to 72 hours. As far as Mushy, I may have overstated - more like less firm. I know I prefer the very white Alba’s on Pasta and the darker Alba’s on Risotto.
Has anyone heard a report on the quality of truffles this year?
Some early reviewers picked up a note of “Green Meanies”
No, Len, those were the 2004 and 2011 truffles. I am still trying to unload mine. I will see what I can get for them from Urbani…
I bought from Urbani about three weeks ago. The truffles came overnight in a paper towel inside a closed plastic bag, inside a small styro shipper with an ice pak, inside a cardboard box. Before I even opened the box the smell of the truffles was distinct!
Two ounces were enough for one meal over scalloped potatoes for four, next AM scrambled eggs for several, and angel hair pasta for five. By the end of the second day the flavor was still OK but noticeably less vibrant.
I first read that in the Wine Advocate. Aldo Conterno had told Parker the story. It smells (sic) a bit apochryphal, but one wants to believe it.
FYI, as I recall, Urbani imports something like two thirds of all the truffles that come to the U.S.
Here’s my plan. I ordered 2oz for delivery tomorrow (Wed). I just got back from Eataly. Bought some of the good parmigiano reggiano and some homemade tagliatelle. On wed, gonna have tagliatelle with butter and parm regg, with lots of shaved truffles. Turkey on thursday, no truffles. Then, Friday, gonna have white truffle risotto also with the parm regg. And on Sat morn, eggs with white truffles. Think for me and the wife and maybe a kid or 2 (small for them!), should do it.
Gonna keep in an airtight jar, wrapped in paper towels and gonna try the Bill Klapp “just moist” technique!
what wine? Just so we can keep it in this forum. Cause you know… this is a wine forum… ![[snort.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/b/bdc3944606213c4dca6c1169cf0a166c8bc4f8c9.gif "snort.gif"){kind=small}
Peter, Peter! The Parmigiano is never eaten with truffles here. Not even ever offered or considered. The strong cheese fights the aroma and flavor of the truffles to the point of killing both. I will pray tonight until I fall asleep that you are just yanking my chain to get a rise out of me!
For the breakfast, may I suggest mimosas, hold the orange juice? 
He doesn’t know Charlie. He doesn’t know. ![[wink.gif]](/uploads/db3686/original/2X/0/04707e6a7bbb03e0153e349d8a9270d30e1e9525.gif "wink"){kind=small}
BTW, Peter, Bill Klapp strongly suggested that Parmagiano is a strict no-no with white truffles. I’d tend to believe him. I think he eats them by the bushel!
Edit: Too late, I see…
Newb question - what do you shave them with?
i’m guessing a cheese grater is a no no… ?