ORGANIC ENVY: Truffle-icious
By Ellen Swandiak
November 1, 2010
daRosario in VIV Magazine
The Truth About Truffle OilHEALTHY EATING
November 8th, 2010
If we were going to buy gold dust, we’d want it to contain actual gold — and we feel similarly about truffle oil. Considering that the exotic fungi sell for as much as $2,200 a pound, it’s probably not entirely surprising that almost all so-called truffle oils are created by mixing olive oil with synthetic compounds that seek to duplicate the distinctive aroma and flavor of truffles. When The New York Times published a story a few years ago by an acclaimed San Francisco chef revealing the “hocus-pocus” in truffle oil, readers were so dismayed that food critic Frank Bruni responded with a blog post assuring readers that a little truffle oil — or, as he said, “oil of truffle-mimicking chemicals” — still had its place. Used sparingly, he said, it was wonderful on popcorn or scrambled eggs.
Now we can tell you about a truffle oil that’s the genuine article. That would be from Rosario Safina, a New York City-based truffle dealer whose company, daRosario Organics, sells truffle honey, truffle salt and seasonings, truffle butter and truffle oil that contains actual bits of truffles. About 18 months after the Times printed its original story about “phony” truffle oil, it posted an update, reporting that the daRosario truffle oil presented an “authentic alternative.”
To search out true truffle oil, Safina advises looking for the words “organic white [or black] truffles” in the ingredients list and the USDA Organic seal on the label. “Truffles are organic,” he says, “and the organic seal is the only way to tell you have the real thing.” (Our old bottle of Trader Joe’s White Truffle Oil says “infused with white truffles aroma.”)
When we met Safina at a food show, he gave us a few products to sample, including his decadent truffle butter. (While you can find links to online grocers for Safina’s other products at darosario.com, the truffle butter is available only locally to lucky New Yorkers at a few gourmet shops and through freshdirect.com for $13.49 per 2-ounce jar.) Safina also sent us home with a simple, elegant recipe: Cook fresh fettuccine or taglietti in well-salted water. Drain, but leave some water clinging to the pasta. Immediately mix with the truffle butter and sprinkle with fresh-grated Parmesan cheese. The dish, we’re happy to report, was absolutely sublime, and the perfect thing to serve for our first home-cooked meal in a budding romance.
Though that romance wilted, we nonetheless fell in love with the truffle oil and, as Safina suggested, we’ve been using it judiciously as a condiment, a few drops sprinkled on grilled vegetables or fish, macaroni and cheese, and on a freshly made pizza with thinly sliced potatoes, sage and ricotta cheese. Safina also recommends a light salad of fresh baby spinach leaves, button mushrooms sliced paper thin with a potato peeler, shards of Parmesan cheese, a squeeze of fresh lemon juice and a teaspoon of white truffle oil. (Meat eaters can add a tablespoon or so of crumbled pancetta.) What not to do, however ardent your love of truffles and extravagant your budget, is to cook with a couple of tablespoons of truffle oil instead of, say, olive or canola oil. The flavor will absolutely overpower the dish. Drizzle — don’t pour — on freshly prepared foods as a finishing seasoning.
At about $26 for 8 authentic ounces, truffle oil is a luxury we’ve been enjoying if not every day, then a couple of times a week. What’s your favorite luxury food?
da Rosario 100% USDA Certified Organic Truffle Products Featured on Food Network “Iron Chef America”
Watch the Video HERE!
The Only Truffle Products Available in U.S. Made With Real Truffles,
Not Synthetic Flavorings
NEW YORK, N.Y. – October 20, 2010 – On September 12th, 2010, DA ROSARIO 100% USDA certified organic truffle products were featured on the Food Network hit show “Iron Chef America” (viewers: 2 million) as the featured secret ingredient in “Battle Truffle.” A long time staple of the “Iron Chef America” pantry, da Rosario products played the starring roll in Kitchen Stadium in this episode as chef Naomi Pomeroy of Portland’s Beast challenged resident Iron Chef Jose Garces in the head-to-head battle of earthy delights.
“We’re pleased that Food Network and “Iron Chef America”, influential players in the food world, chose to feature our products, made with 100% USDA certified organic real truffles, instead of other so-called truffle oils, which are typically made with a chemical additive,” said Rosario Safina, founder of da Rosario. “Today’s consumers demand to know what’s in their food. They expect top chefs and media brands to feature products that not only taste great, but are made from the purest and safest ingredients.”
da Rosario 100% USDA Certified Organic White and Black Truffle Butters, Truffle Oils, and Truffle Savory Seasonings were provided to the chefs. While chef Pomeroy impressed judges with her truffle menu of delicacies including bacon-wrapped sea scallops with black truffle vinaigrette, Iron Chef Garces reigned supreme with his creativity in dishes including truffled and sliced Wagyu sirloin with truffled egg and truffle salad.
da Rosario organic truffle products retail for $11.99 – $45.00 and are carried nationally by Earthy.com and Murray’s Cheese. For information on da Rosario, please visit www.darosario.com or call Rosario Safina at (212) 226-8572.
ABOUT DA ROSARIO
da Rosario’s creator, Rosario Safina, has been the driving force behind the popularization of truffles over the past 20 years. In 2002, Safina published the first book in the U.S. dedicated to this luxury item, “Truffles: Ultimate Luxury, Everyday Pleasure,” establishing him as the noted authority on the subject. Safina has appeared and been featured in outlets including Martha Stewart Living, CNN, Fine Living, Emeril Live, Good Morning America, The New Yorker, The Genuine Article with Gordon Elliott, and NPR. With da Rosario, Safina brings the purity of organic ingredients to his passion for truffles with the launch of the first-ever USDA 100% Organic truffle line. da Rosario organic truffle products are an official product of the Food Network’s Iron Chef pantry and have been featured in outlets including Food & Wine, InStyle, People, Everyday with Rachael Ray and CBS’ The Early Show, among others.
The Only Truffle Products Available in U.S. Made With Real Truffles,
Not Synthetic Flavorings
NEW YORK, N.Y. – October 20, 2010 – On September 12th, 2010, DA ROSARIO 100% USDA certified organic truffle products were featured on the Food Network hit show “Iron Chef America” (viewers: 2 million) as the featured secret ingredient in “Battle Truffle.” A long time staple of the “Iron Chef America” pantry, da Rosario products played the starring roll in Kitchen Stadium in this episode as chef Naomi Pomeroy of Portland’s Beast challenged resident Iron Chef Jose Garces in the head-to-head battle of earthy delights.
“We’re pleased that Food Network and “Iron Chef America”, influential players in the food world, chose to feature our products, made with 100% USDA certified organic real truffles, instead of other so-called truffle oils, which are typically made with a chemical additive,” said Rosario Safina, founder of da Rosario. “Today’s consumers demand to know what’s in their food. They expect top chefs and media brands to feature products that not only taste great, but are made from the purest and safest ingredients.”
da Rosario 100% USDA Certified Organic White and Black Truffle Butters, Truffle Oils, and Truffle Savory Seasonings were provided to the chefs. While chef Pomeroy impressed judges with her truffle menu of delicacies including bacon-wrapped sea scallops with black truffle vinaigrette, Iron Chef Garces reigned supreme with his creativity in dishes including truffled and sliced Wagyu sirloin with truffled egg and truffle salad.
da Rosario organic truffle products retail for $11.99 – $45.00 and are carried nationally by Earthy.com and Murray’s Cheese. For information on da Rosario, please visit www.darosario.com or call Rosario Safina at (212) 226-8572.
ABOUT DA ROSARIO
da Rosario’s creator, Rosario Safina, has been the driving force behind the popularization of truffles over the past 20 years. In 2002, Safina published the first book in the U.S. dedicated to this luxury item, “Truffles: Ultimate Luxury, Everyday Pleasure,” establishing him as the noted authority on the subject. Safina has appeared and been featured in outlets including Martha Stewart Living, CNN, Fine Living, Emeril Live, Good Morning America, The New Yorker, The Genuine Article with Gordon Elliott, and NPR. With da Rosario, Safina brings the purity of organic ingredients to his passion for truffles with the launch of the first-ever USDA 100% Organic truffle line. da Rosario organic truffle products are an official product of the Food Network’s Iron Chef pantry and have been featured in outlets including Food & Wine, InStyle, People, Everyday with Rachael Ray and CBS’ The Early Show, among others.
Check out chef Eli Kirshtein talking about da Rosario on FOX's "Good Day New York"
It's the secret behind his decadent Truffled Mac N Cheese recipe!
Click here to watch: http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/good_day_ny/good_day_cafe/100127-mac-and-cheese-recipe-from-eli-kirshtein
Click here to watch: http://www.myfoxny.com/dpp/good_day_ny/good_day_cafe/100127-mac-and-cheese-recipe-from-eli-kirshtein
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