Showing posts with label truffle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label truffle. Show all posts
Da Rosario USDA Organic White Truffle & Black Truffle Mayonnaise
Newest Addition to Only Line of Products Available in U.S.
Made With Real Truffles – Not Synthetic Flavorings or Additives
NEW YORK, N.Y. – March 21, 2011 – Da Rosario, the country’s only line of USDA 100% Organic truffle products, today announced two new additions: White Truffle and Black Truffle Mayonnaise. Made from USDA Organic soy mayonnaise and the company’s proprietary USDA 100% Organic white or black truffle EVOO concentrate – loaded with real, organic White or Black truffle pieces you can actually see – Da Rosario USDA Organic White and Black Truffle Mayonnaise is the only product of its kind on the market today.
“Da Rosario USDA Organic White and Black Truffle Mayonnaise is perfect for seafood restaurants, steak and burger houses, French bistros, New American cuisine, upscale sandwich shops, caterers, food production, French fry shops and up scale hot dog/sausage shops,” says Rosario Safina, founder of Da Rosario Organics. “It brings new life to comfort food, and an exciting new discovery for customers.”
Used as a condiment with quality burgers, roast chicken, hand-cut French fries, sandwiches like roast beef, roast pork, or roast turkey – even sushi, hand rolls and negimaki – Da Rosario USDA Organic White and Black Truffle Mayonnaise offer a quick, easy way to step up traditional dishes. Used in the prep, the products can be used to ramp up lobster rolls, seafood salads, deviled eggs, dressings, chilled sauces and dip for crudités and canapés. As a cost-effective measure, the products can be diluted with homemade organic mayonnaise to create dips, or impart a more subtle flavor.
Already, restaurants have seen how Da Rosario USDA Organic Truffle Mayonnaise drives business. Terrance Brennan, Chef-Proprietor of Picholine and Artisanal, serves Da Rosario USDA Organic Black Truffle Mayonnaise as an accompaniment for his grilled cheese stuffed with brie and exotic mushrooms. “It’s the second-best seller at lunch. People ask for extra mayonnaise to dip their fries.”
“Da Rosario USDA Organic Black Truffle Mayonnaise is one of our top 5 sellers after only 6 weeks on the menu, with over 60 orders every day on the weekends,” said Omer Shorshi, Partner at Pommes Frites in New York.
Today, Mayonnaise is the #1 selling condiment in the country. Sales of mayonnaise—in both total sales and units sold – dwarf both salsa and ketchup. According to SymphonyIRI Group, a market research firm in Chicago, more than 396,376,100 units of mayo were sold in the 52 weeks to Sept. 5, 2010, generating more than $1.258 billion in sales, compared with 271,312,400 units of salsa for $764,299,900, or 256,891,700 units of ketchup for $481,278,800. “Flavored mayonnaise is the new salsa,” said Safina.
Packed in 2.5oz retail units and 2 lb. food service tubs, Da Rosario Organic White and Black Truffle Mayonnaise must be kept refrigerated for an 8-month shelf life.
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, EW.com, Everyday with Rachael Ray and CBS’ “The Early Show,” among others.
Made With Real Truffles – Not Synthetic Flavorings or Additives
NEW YORK, N.Y. – March 21, 2011 – Da Rosario, the country’s only line of USDA 100% Organic truffle products, today announced two new additions: White Truffle and Black Truffle Mayonnaise. Made from USDA Organic soy mayonnaise and the company’s proprietary USDA 100% Organic white or black truffle EVOO concentrate – loaded with real, organic White or Black truffle pieces you can actually see – Da Rosario USDA Organic White and Black Truffle Mayonnaise is the only product of its kind on the market today.
“Da Rosario USDA Organic White and Black Truffle Mayonnaise is perfect for seafood restaurants, steak and burger houses, French bistros, New American cuisine, upscale sandwich shops, caterers, food production, French fry shops and up scale hot dog/sausage shops,” says Rosario Safina, founder of Da Rosario Organics. “It brings new life to comfort food, and an exciting new discovery for customers.”
Used as a condiment with quality burgers, roast chicken, hand-cut French fries, sandwiches like roast beef, roast pork, or roast turkey – even sushi, hand rolls and negimaki – Da Rosario USDA Organic White and Black Truffle Mayonnaise offer a quick, easy way to step up traditional dishes. Used in the prep, the products can be used to ramp up lobster rolls, seafood salads, deviled eggs, dressings, chilled sauces and dip for crudités and canapés. As a cost-effective measure, the products can be diluted with homemade organic mayonnaise to create dips, or impart a more subtle flavor.
Already, restaurants have seen how Da Rosario USDA Organic Truffle Mayonnaise drives business. Terrance Brennan, Chef-Proprietor of Picholine and Artisanal, serves Da Rosario USDA Organic Black Truffle Mayonnaise as an accompaniment for his grilled cheese stuffed with brie and exotic mushrooms. “It’s the second-best seller at lunch. People ask for extra mayonnaise to dip their fries.”
“Da Rosario USDA Organic Black Truffle Mayonnaise is one of our top 5 sellers after only 6 weeks on the menu, with over 60 orders every day on the weekends,” said Omer Shorshi, Partner at Pommes Frites in New York.
Today, Mayonnaise is the #1 selling condiment in the country. Sales of mayonnaise—in both total sales and units sold – dwarf both salsa and ketchup. According to SymphonyIRI Group, a market research firm in Chicago, more than 396,376,100 units of mayo were sold in the 52 weeks to Sept. 5, 2010, generating more than $1.258 billion in sales, compared with 271,312,400 units of salsa for $764,299,900, or 256,891,700 units of ketchup for $481,278,800. “Flavored mayonnaise is the new salsa,” said Safina.
Packed in 2.5oz retail units and 2 lb. food service tubs, Da Rosario Organic White and Black Truffle Mayonnaise must be kept refrigerated for an 8-month shelf life.
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, EW.com, Everyday with Rachael Ray and CBS’ “The Early Show,” among others.
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.
Land of Organic Truffles
In a land with a bent for agriculture, immersed in the beautiful landscape of Umbrian valleys, there is a farm called "Profumi Umbri". The company, which is only run by family members, turned to organic agriculture about 10 years ago.
Having accrued a long experience in the traditional farming business with leading industrial groups, the owners realized that the only way to recover a correct balance between production and processing requirements was to devote to organic agriculture. This was also an ethical decision, because profits cannot be the only focus of business, but a company must also care for product quality and reliability.
The land occupied by the farm was especially suitable, because there are natural ditches all around its perimeter that shield it from any contamination from adjacent lands.
Over the years, the company has diversified production with olive trees and truffles on one of the largest farming lands in Umbria. Besides cultivation methods, the company pays special attention to harvest and process of farming products. Olives are gathered manually and squeezed in 24 hours. Truffles are gathered only in restricted periods of the year, according to the regional regulation and only with the help of dogs. Only mature mushroom and truffle bodies are harvested without damaging the rest of the cultivation, which is a wealth for the company.
The experience accrued has allowed the farm to win market shares with high-quality products and especially with seasonings that are flavored with white and black truffles and boletus mushrooms.
Product labels describe the composition of seasonings, made with natural products such as 100% pure olive oil and natural aromas from organic agriculture.
Based on its long experience, the farm can obtain natural seasonings without the use of synthetic aromas, so that truffles, an outstanding produce of the Umbria region, can be enhanced by pure olive oil.
This is the wonderful company that collaborates with Rosario Safina, the country’s foremost expert on truffles, in the introduction of the one and only USDA-certified truffle oil in the United States.
Read all about it: da Rosario USDA 100% Organic Truffle Oil in the New York Times!
Renowned food writer Florence Fabricant has spoken in the Food Section of the New York Times:
Food Stuff
By FLORENCE FABRICANT
Published: January 9, 2008 The New York Times
Oils That Have Known a Truffle
For the last few years there’s been a deluge of seasoning oils tricked up with chemicals and called white truffle oil. But now there is a pleasant, more authentic alternative.
Rosario Safina, who has been in the truffle business for many years, has developed a white truffle oil using delicate organic Italian extra virgin olive oil with bits of white truffle and extracted essences of truffle, called “truffle flavor” on the label. There’s a whiff of honest white truffle aroma and a subtle flavor of truffles. “I could make it stronger,” Mr. Safina said. “It would just take more truffles and much more money.”
Da Rosario organic white truffle oil is $26.99 for eight ounces from Fresh Direct; by the end of the month it will be sold in some fancy food shops, including Gourmet Garage and Citarella. There is also quite a fine Da Rosario black truffle oil, $19.99 for eight ounces at Fresh Direct.
Thank you Florence!
ANNOUNCING: The First and Only USDA-100% Certified 100% Organic Truffle Oil
You read it right: daRosario Truffle Oil is now 100% USDA Certified Organic. And it's the only USDA-certified organic truffle oil on the market. Check out our new label here!
Did you know most truffle oils are made of synthetic (read: chemical) ingredients? And any other truffle oil claiming to be "organic" is not, according to the USDA?
Then read the press release below, and get in touch with me if you want to know more!
**FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE**
RENOWNED TRUFFLE EXPERT ROSARIO SAFINA LAUNCHES FIRST USDA-CERTIFED ORGANIC WHITE TRUFFLE OLIVE OIL
New York, January 4, 2008 – For the first time ever, a USDA-certified organic white truffle olive oil will be available in restaurants and retail stores, it was announced today by Rosario Safina, President, da Rosario.
“Truffle oil is an increasingly popular ingredient on restaurant menus, but it’s been far from natural. da Rosario USDA-100% Certified Organic White Truffle Olive Oil is the only one made with 100% certified organic ingredients. Today’s consumer is equally interested in sophisticated and healthy products , and we bring the best of both worlds to them,” he said.
The celebrated, delicate yet powerful flavor of the white truffle has long been a staple of pricier, exclusive restaurants in New York and LA. But as cooking and celebrity chefs have gone more natural and organic, consumer desires have followed the same route. Now, the magical, distinctive flavor of truffles is 100% natural and certified organic by the USDA – emblematic of the overall green trend that’s taken hold of the country.
“I believe that truffle oil isn’t just for connoisseurs anymore. Look at how tastes for basics like extra virgin olive oil and balsamic vinegars have evolved into high-end products over the years. We’re making the same thing happen with truffles – organically,” Mr. Safina said.
Each bottle of da Rosario USDA-Certified Organic White Truffle Oil features organic Italian white truffle pieces in mild organic extra virgin olive oil with 100% real organic Italian white truffle flavor – not found in any other truffle oils, and something consumers have never experienced before – imparts a genuine, multi-dimensional and natural white truffle taste that combines easily in dishes, and is easy to digest. “It’s impressive like fresh white truffles, but not overpowering, and leaves no bitter aftertaste on the palate when prepared in a dish, just the flavor of real fresh white truffles,” says Mr. Safina
The bottle’s fresh, modern and appealing label demystifies a traditional European delicacy, and its pricing makes it highly accessible to everyone. The 8-ounce Organic White Truffle Oil will retail for $45, Organic Black Truffle Oil will retail for $32, and the Organic Porcini Oil for $25. These reasonable price points are due to the fact that Mr. Safina’s oils are produced in the USA from imported certified organic Italian ingredients. This saves the costs of importing the finished product for a higher retail price, while ensuring the same high quality.
In addition to fine natural foods, gourmet and specialty stores and sites, da Rosario USDA-100% Certified Organic Oils will also be available at upscale supermarket retailers.
Rosario Safina is one the country’s foremost expert on truffles and has introduced numerous truffle and mushroom products to the U.S. For over 20 years, he and his companies have supplied the most renowned chefs and restaurants with the finest ingredients like truffles, caviar, wild mushrooms, prosciutto and smoked salmon. In 2001, he published the first domestic book on truffles, Truffles: Ultimate Luxury, Everyday Pleasure. da Rosario is his latest effort to further popularize the use of truffles in everyday cuisine.
***
Contact Sales: Paroli Llc. 212.226.8572 darosario@nyc.rr.com
Contact Press: Natasha Lardera 646.279.1936 darosariopress@gmail.com
A Midsummer Night's Truffle
All year long, my wife and I wait for summer. And when it's here, nothing beats cocktail hour, especially when these appetizers are on the table.
Bagno Caldo with White Truffle Olive Oil
Bagno caldo is literally a “warm bath.” But in this case, it’s also the popular name of a delicious antipasto, featuring warmed veggies bathed in olive oil. You can pick your favorites, but here are some of mine:
White Truffle Frico
These appetizers that are actually cheese crepes. Only better.
Remove first batch of fricos onto platter (do not stack) and smear a 1/4 teaspoon of da Rosario Truffle Honey on each frico. On the next batch, top with 2 shaved slices of da Rosario Black Truffles on each. The last batch gets a 1/4 teaspoon da Rosario Porcini Olive Oil on each. These can be served as is, or folded like a taco. Continue rotating the batches until you're finished. Serve at room temperature with a bottle of something cold – Prosecco is perfect. Makes about 24 bite-sized fricos.
Truffled Quail Eggs with Baby Asparagus and Prosciutto
Local fresh asparagus gets the da Rosario treatment.
Fry one egg per person sunny side up, 2-3 eggs per pan. Don’t overcook – make sure the yolks are still runny. Add salt and pepper to taste. On individual plates, put a bed of grilled asparagus; add crumpled prosciutto, then one egg. Top each serving with a light dusting of parmigiano, followed by 1 teaspoon of da Rosario White Truffle Olive Oil. Serves 6.
The best part about these dishes? They won't take you away from your friends and family – or your cocktail – for long. Here's to summer!
Bagno Caldo with White Truffle Olive Oil
Bagno caldo is literally a “warm bath.” But in this case, it’s also the popular name of a delicious antipasto, featuring warmed veggies bathed in olive oil. You can pick your favorites, but here are some of mine:
- 10 tiny new potatoes, scrub, cut into quarters, leave skin on. Drop in salted boiling water until tender.
- 4 celery stalks, washed, cut into 2”- 3” pieces.
- 1 pint fresh snap peas. Remove the tough closure “string” and blanch in salted boiling water for 30 seconds.
- 1 head each of broccoli and cauliflower. Cut off tiny florets only and blanch (as snow peas) for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Arrange vegetables on a platter.
- 1/3 cup olive oil
- 1 anchovy filet
- one garlic clove minced most finely
- 2 tablespoons of da Rosario White Truffle Olive Oil
- pinch of sea salt
White Truffle Frico
These appetizers that are actually cheese crepes. Only better.
- 6 ounces Montasio cheese (if you can't find this, use a good Parmigiano)
- da Rosario White Truffle Honey
- da Rosario Whole Black Truffles, drained and shaved
- da Rosario Porcini Olive Oil
Remove first batch of fricos onto platter (do not stack) and smear a 1/4 teaspoon of da Rosario Truffle Honey on each frico. On the next batch, top with 2 shaved slices of da Rosario Black Truffles on each. The last batch gets a 1/4 teaspoon da Rosario Porcini Olive Oil on each. These can be served as is, or folded like a taco. Continue rotating the batches until you're finished. Serve at room temperature with a bottle of something cold – Prosecco is perfect. Makes about 24 bite-sized fricos.
Truffled Quail Eggs with Baby Asparagus and Prosciutto
Local fresh asparagus gets the da Rosario treatment.
- 1 bunch of thin summer asparagus, washed
- Extra Virgin olive oil
- 6 slices of prosciutto
- 6 Quail eggs, or, 6 tiny chicken eggs (Quail eggs are often found in specialty food stores or at the butcher shop.)
- Salt and pepper
- Grated parmigiano
- da Rosario White Truffle Olive Oil
Fry one egg per person sunny side up, 2-3 eggs per pan. Don’t overcook – make sure the yolks are still runny. Add salt and pepper to taste. On individual plates, put a bed of grilled asparagus; add crumpled prosciutto, then one egg. Top each serving with a light dusting of parmigiano, followed by 1 teaspoon of da Rosario White Truffle Olive Oil. Serves 6.
The best part about these dishes? They won't take you away from your friends and family – or your cocktail – for long. Here's to summer!
The summer of truffle love: part 2
Last week we welcomed summer with three of my favorite quick and easy recipes. Now that the solstice has fully arrived, here are four more everyday luxuries you can enjoy with family and guests (or all by yourself, if you're feeling selfish). And the best part is, they all feature easy ways to incorporate my favorite ingredient of all.
Truffled Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
You may remember I said last week this is my wife’s favorite? Try it. It might be yours.
Melt a tablespoon of butter in the warm pan. Keep the flame low so the cheese doesn’t super-melt and the bread doesn’t burn. Turn carefully to grill both sides of bread. Remove from heat, cut each sandwich into four-to-six pieces and sprinkle with a touch more truffle oil. Serves four as appetizer.
Truffled Potato Salad
This dish will make you famous at your next potluck.
In a separate bowl, whip together four tablespoons of mayonnaise, one tablespoon of white truffle olive oil and a sprinkle of lemon juice. After you froth it up with a fork, add a tiny crush of garlic. Now pour the mayo mix over the potatoes and gently blend. Refrigerate. Serves four.
Steak and Mashed Truffle Potatoes
This side dish tastes even better than it sounds.
Roast Baby Bella Mushrooms with Porcini Olive Oil
This is my new favorite dish of the summer.
10 ounce package Cremini mushrooms (or dark button mushrooms)
da Rosario Porcini Olive Oil
Pinch of salt
Lightly grill the mushrooms. Then coat with 1 tablespoon of Porcini Olive Oil. You’ll swear you’re eating roasted porcini. Makes a great side dish or appetizer.
What's your favorite recipe? Post a comment below and let me know!
Truffled Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
You may remember I said last week this is my wife’s favorite? Try it. It might be yours.
- 8 slices of bread, French brioche is best, or good white or whole wheat
- 1 tablespoon of French butter (the Plugra brand is very good)
- 4 slices of Swiss cheese
- 1 ounce jar of da Rosario black truffles
- da Rosario black truffle olive oil
Melt a tablespoon of butter in the warm pan. Keep the flame low so the cheese doesn’t super-melt and the bread doesn’t burn. Turn carefully to grill both sides of bread. Remove from heat, cut each sandwich into four-to-six pieces and sprinkle with a touch more truffle oil. Serves four as appetizer.
Truffled Potato Salad
This dish will make you famous at your next potluck.
- 1 pound of tiny red potatoes, washed
- 2 tablespoons of minced chives
- da Rosario White Truffle Olive Oil
- 4 tablespoons mayonnaise (use the real stuff)
- Lemon slice
- Salt & fresh ground pepper
- 1 slice of a clove of garlic
In a separate bowl, whip together four tablespoons of mayonnaise, one tablespoon of white truffle olive oil and a sprinkle of lemon juice. After you froth it up with a fork, add a tiny crush of garlic. Now pour the mayo mix over the potatoes and gently blend. Refrigerate. Serves four.
Steak and Mashed Truffle Potatoes
This side dish tastes even better than it sounds.
- Your favorite cut of steak (NY strip, T-bone, sirloin, any will do)
- Mashed potatoes, ready and waiting
- 1 ounce of da Rosario black truffles; plus 2 tablespoons of the same
- Sea salt
Roast Baby Bella Mushrooms with Porcini Olive Oil
This is my new favorite dish of the summer.
10 ounce package Cremini mushrooms (or dark button mushrooms)
da Rosario Porcini Olive Oil
Pinch of salt
Lightly grill the mushrooms. Then coat with 1 tablespoon of Porcini Olive Oil. You’ll swear you’re eating roasted porcini. Makes a great side dish or appetizer.
What's your favorite recipe? Post a comment below and let me know!
The summer of truffle love
Three easy dishes
Stuck for new ideas for summer meals? You’d be surprised at how tasty some all-American comfort dishes get when you add some truffles. Mashed potatoes, starchy, creamy and buttery, are a perfect vehicle for delivering the wild truffle taste. Truffle products on grilled meats and vegetables are a quick and easy way to carry the truffle flavor of the forest; my wife loves truffles in her good old grilled cheese. Even mega-chef Alain Ducasse offers Macaroni and Cheese with Truffle Reduction on his menu.
Here are a few dishes my family and friends really love that don’t require heaps of time or money:
White Bean & Truffle Puree
A very nice summer appetizer with pita chips or bread for dipping.
You’ll smooth it into a white frothy paste. (If it’s still a little dry, add a drizzle of White Truffle Oil on the top.) Enjoy.
Honey Truffle Grilled Pork
Treat the other white meat star right with a little truffle love.
Baby Rucola, Parmesan Cheese, Pancetta and Button Mushroom Salad
This is the “covered dish” that always seems to go first at potlucks.
(Note: Some people call rucola “arugula.” I don’t.)
I hope you’ll enjoy these easy and tasty hot weather recipes as much as I do. When the cook stays cool, everything tastes better.
Stuck for new ideas for summer meals? You’d be surprised at how tasty some all-American comfort dishes get when you add some truffles. Mashed potatoes, starchy, creamy and buttery, are a perfect vehicle for delivering the wild truffle taste. Truffle products on grilled meats and vegetables are a quick and easy way to carry the truffle flavor of the forest; my wife loves truffles in her good old grilled cheese. Even mega-chef Alain Ducasse offers Macaroni and Cheese with Truffle Reduction on his menu.
Here are a few dishes my family and friends really love that don’t require heaps of time or money:
White Bean & Truffle Puree
A very nice summer appetizer with pita chips or bread for dipping.
- One 27 oz. can of cannelloni or Great White Northern beans
- da Rosario White Truffle Oil
- Olive oil, sea salt
You’ll smooth it into a white frothy paste. (If it’s still a little dry, add a drizzle of White Truffle Oil on the top.) Enjoy.
Honey Truffle Grilled Pork
Treat the other white meat star right with a little truffle love.
- Four thick-cut pork chops
- da Rosario White Truffle Honey
- Sea salt
Baby Rucola, Parmesan Cheese, Pancetta and Button Mushroom Salad
This is the “covered dish” that always seems to go first at potlucks.
- 2 bunches of baby rucola (enough for four people), washed twice
- 2 slices of 1/4-1/2” thick pancetta (can substitute bacon)
- 5-6 button mushrooms
- 2-3 ounces of Parmesan cheese
- 2 table spoons of da Rosario White Truffle Olive Oil
- Lemon and sea salt
(Note: Some people call rucola “arugula.” I don’t.)
I hope you’ll enjoy these easy and tasty hot weather recipes as much as I do. When the cook stays cool, everything tastes better.
Truffles: A canary in the environmental coal mine?
Global warming + Acid rain = Disappearing wild foods
While there’s a lot of debate about global warming, I know firsthand that the planet is changing in significant ways. How? I’ve been in the truffle business since 1983. In that time, I’ve feared – and watched –the wild truffle struggle for survival. Under siege by climate change and water/soil/air toxins, truffles can either adapt, or die off.
Wild things only grow when they have a clean environment. Many have survived for millions of years in specialized geographic locations. It turns out mushrooms, both above and below ground, are so far unable to adapt to acid rain, one result of a heavily industrialized environment.
Above-ground mushrooms are the first to fail. After that, the truffles, growing 8—20” below the ground, cannot withstand the bad groundwater. They are not protected by the soil, where the truffle spores attach themselves to tree roots. The effects of acid rain can slow or completely spoil the crop.
Sometimes I think truffles confirm the fact that climate change is global. Production in traditional truffle forests in Spain, Italy and France has been slowing down to a crawl for years. For example, in 1965, Spain harvested 150,000 kilos of black winter truffles for domestic and export markets. They came from many different wild regions throughout the country.
Today, the Spanish truffle business is reduced to barely a whisper. And white truffles may be extinct in Italy in ten years. Truffles are so delicate and vulnerable that they perform as one reliable canary in our global mine shaft. Their demise across traditional production areas is telling: something big is very wrong.
Truffles need four seasons, but these days southern Europe only has two: winter and summer. Remember a few summers ago across Italy, France and Spain, when many older people—grandparents who were home in the city while their kids were away in the country or at the seaside for a month—died when a brutal heat wave infested the region with nearly three weeks of merciless heat? All living things (people included) need four seasons to thrive.
At the end of May 2007, Moscow experienced its own severe high temperatures. Summer was not only early, but hotter than the high season… in May. The boiling hot days, and boiling hot nights, and flash floods that are becoming the norm across southern/central Europe have also nearly ended mushroom production in the Balkans (Romania, Bulgaria.)
I hope, and some days I believe we will reverse global warming (see Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth) with a truly international effort. But even if we are successful, there will be many wild plants we will not be able to restore.
Still, there are a few reasons to be encouraged. Truffles are being found in some highly unexpected places. We’re already starting to find truffles in Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Croatia; in Finland, Sweden, Norway, the Russian lake region; and in the Himalayan lowlands — Tibet, India and Szechuan. These previously cold regions have warmed into a milder climate. They all feature intact old growth forests. And they have no heavy industry.
I encourage all readers and truffle lovers to enjoy your wild foods with a truly thankful heart, and, and, and, to do what you can to make sure we reverse our impact on our world – and our palates.
While there’s a lot of debate about global warming, I know firsthand that the planet is changing in significant ways. How? I’ve been in the truffle business since 1983. In that time, I’ve feared – and watched –the wild truffle struggle for survival. Under siege by climate change and water/soil/air toxins, truffles can either adapt, or die off.
Wild things only grow when they have a clean environment. Many have survived for millions of years in specialized geographic locations. It turns out mushrooms, both above and below ground, are so far unable to adapt to acid rain, one result of a heavily industrialized environment.
Above-ground mushrooms are the first to fail. After that, the truffles, growing 8—20” below the ground, cannot withstand the bad groundwater. They are not protected by the soil, where the truffle spores attach themselves to tree roots. The effects of acid rain can slow or completely spoil the crop.
Sometimes I think truffles confirm the fact that climate change is global. Production in traditional truffle forests in Spain, Italy and France has been slowing down to a crawl for years. For example, in 1965, Spain harvested 150,000 kilos of black winter truffles for domestic and export markets. They came from many different wild regions throughout the country.
Today, the Spanish truffle business is reduced to barely a whisper. And white truffles may be extinct in Italy in ten years. Truffles are so delicate and vulnerable that they perform as one reliable canary in our global mine shaft. Their demise across traditional production areas is telling: something big is very wrong.
Truffles need four seasons, but these days southern Europe only has two: winter and summer. Remember a few summers ago across Italy, France and Spain, when many older people—grandparents who were home in the city while their kids were away in the country or at the seaside for a month—died when a brutal heat wave infested the region with nearly three weeks of merciless heat? All living things (people included) need four seasons to thrive.
At the end of May 2007, Moscow experienced its own severe high temperatures. Summer was not only early, but hotter than the high season… in May. The boiling hot days, and boiling hot nights, and flash floods that are becoming the norm across southern/central Europe have also nearly ended mushroom production in the Balkans (Romania, Bulgaria.)
I hope, and some days I believe we will reverse global warming (see Al Gore, An Inconvenient Truth) with a truly international effort. But even if we are successful, there will be many wild plants we will not be able to restore.
Still, there are a few reasons to be encouraged. Truffles are being found in some highly unexpected places. We’re already starting to find truffles in Albania, Macedonia, Greece, Croatia; in Finland, Sweden, Norway, the Russian lake region; and in the Himalayan lowlands — Tibet, India and Szechuan. These previously cold regions have warmed into a milder climate. They all feature intact old growth forests. And they have no heavy industry.
I encourage all readers and truffle lovers to enjoy your wild foods with a truly thankful heart, and, and, and, to do what you can to make sure we reverse our impact on our world – and our palates.
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