Archive

Tag Archives: truffles

Recipe – Pasta with Robiola and Truffles

April 28, 2015
Italian, Recipe
Leave a comment

Pasta with Robiola and Truffles

Oh lordy was this divine!  Rich?  Yes!  Indulgent?  Yes!  Worth the calories?  Heck yes!!!  I was lucky enough to receive 6oz of fresh Oregon black truffles from my sister-in-law and her husband for Christmas this year and wanted to find a worthy recipe to use them in.  We were hosting some people for dinner and the Seahawks game (GO HAWKS!!!) and this seemed like the perfect comfort food meal for the occasion.  I wasn’t able to find Robiola but the cheesemonger recommended Double Cream Cremont which was a great substitution.

4 FIRST COURSE SERVINGS

Ingredients

  • 4 tablespoons salted butter
  • 8 ounces dried egg fettuccine or tagliatelle
  • 8 ounces Robiola Rocchetta cheese, at room temperature, cut into 1-inch pieces
  • Salt and freshly ground pepper
  • 1 medium fresh white or black truffle, peeled and sliced, or one 2-ounce jar sliced truffles

Preparation

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. In a small saucepan, melt the butter. Cook over moderate heat until the milk solids turn a rich brown and the butter smells nutty, about 6 minutes. Pour the butter into a bowl.

Cook the pasta in the boiling water until al dente. Drain the pasta, reserving 1/2 cup of the cooking water. Return the pasta to the pot. Add the reserved water and the browned butter and toss with 2 forks. Add the cheese and toss until it begins to melt; season with salt and pepper. Transfer the pasta to warmed bowls, shave the truffle on top and serve right away.

IMG_4828IMG_4830

 

Osteria delle Tre Panche – Florence, Italy

December 3, 2012
Florence, Italian, Italy
2 Comments

Osteria delle Tre Panche – Florence, Italy

For those that love truffles, consider this place heaven!  I have NEVER seen more truffles in my life!  First off, this teeny little locals spot is about a 5-10 minute taxi ride from the center of Florence.  Some have said they’ve walked but at night I would recommend the ride.  Reservations are a must and don’t expect to see any tourists here.  “Tre Panche” translates to three benches which is exactly how much space there is in this restaurant – it’s small!  It’s truly a hidden gem.

Because we were only in Florence for a few nights, we indulged in every meal.  We ordered way too much but I have no regrets.  There are definitely dishes I would recommend, and others that I would say you can skip.  For water, 2 bottles of wine (yes…we had 2 bottles of wine:)) and 7 dishes, our meal ended up being €148 which is about $192.  The truffle beef tartare was exactly what you would expect – a delicious starter to the meal.  The artichoke pie with truffles was very good!  Large enough for a group to share and smothered with truffles.  The cheese ravioli with fresh truffle was rich and creamy as it should be.  Not something I could eat an entire plate of but perfect to share with someone.  The cheesecake for dessert is a MUST!!!  It’s unbelievable!  I’m not even sure how to give it justice so just know that you need to save room for it:)  Truly the best I’ve ever had!!!

Dishes to skip are any without truffles…well, maybe that’s just me:)  As much as I love ragu, this one was over salted which was a shame because we probably would have eaten the entire plate no problem.  I would probably give it a second chance though.  The fried veal milanese was a disappointment.  It was pounded so thin that after being breaded and deep fried – you couldn’t even taste the veal.  I wanted it to be great but it was a definite miss.

Next time you’re in Florence, make this a must but shhh…don’t tell too many people about it!

ABC Kitchen – New York, NY

February 2, 2012
American, New York
2 Comments

ABC Kitchen – New York, NY

Located in the basement of ABC Home (I didn’t get the chance to go there so it’s on my list for next time), ABC Kitchen is home to Chef Jean-Georges, winner of the James Beard Award for Best New Restaurant of 2011.  The space is very urban with all the exposed beams and air ducts as well as the mix of materials…wood and concrete with splashes of decorative lighting.  The menu is well rounded offering a mix of seasonal ingredients all the while staying just small enough to not be insanely overwhelming.  Our reservation wasn’t until 10pm (welcome to New York!) and was still packed and lively.  Definitely a different city in comparison to Seattle but we already knew that:)

We started with the Line Caught Tuna Sashimi Marinated with Ginger and Mint.  Nice clean flavors…I could have eaten a lot more of this:)

We had to get the Pretzel Dusted Calamari with Marinara and Mustard Aioli.  I’ve never seen such a thing but in all honesty…it was so understated that I was barely able to detect the pretzel.  Good and cooked perfectly but didn’t strike me as anything “different”.

Special of the night: Truffle pizza…yes please!!!  Anyone who has had fresh truffles before knows that they’re much more subtle than the overly intense flavor of truffle oil.  I love both but think you have to be careful with the oil.  A little can go a long way.  These on the other hand…keep ’em coming!

I love, love, love brussels sprouts and always get them when they’re on the menu.  Roasted with garlic and rosemary, these were fantastic!  Lived up to my expectations for sure.

My husband and I split the Akaushi Cheeseburger with Herbed Mayo and Pickled Jalapeño.  With all the other food we ordered this was the perfect thing to split.  Packed with flavor, this wasn’t disappointing.

To end our already indulgent meal we decided on the Salted Caramel Ice Cream Sundae with Candied Peanuts & Popcorn, Whipped Cream and Chocolate Sauce…wow!  I would definitely order this again.  Although we hardly put a dent in it this was incredible!  I loved the hot and cold, silky and crunchy, salty and sweet…it was everything you could ask for.  Yum!