Truffles are the dream ingredient for chefs. Shaved white and black truffles entice the senses - they are aromatic, richly pungent, visually interesting, have a unique texture, and the taste is always memorable. The addition of shaved truffles, truffle salt, powdered truffle, or truffle oil to ordinary recipes can make them dazzle with a deft sprinkle or drizzle. Throughout the years, Edward and I have enjoyed many outstanding dinners featuring truffles used in many different manners and all types of cuisine, and even had a delicious truffle cocktail (Martini al Tartufo) at MAMO Restaurant in New York City, which was made with Black Moth Truffle Flavored Vodka from Great Britain, dry vermouth, and Campari, with shaved truffles floating in the richly heady cocktail.

Chef / Author Susi Gott Séguret

While many people have eaten truffles, when it comes to cooking with truffles, many shy away from them as they are slightly intimidating. Like caviar, truffles are the uber ingredient in gastronomy and come with a high price tag, yet they can immediately dress up a recipe and impart such exquisite flavor that they are well worth it. If you have always wanted to try cooking with truffles, do pick up a copy of chef and author Susi Gott Segurét's cookbook, Cooking With Truffles: A Chef's Guide, as she deftly demystifies cooking with truffles in an interesting and approachable way. The 150 recipes are delicious and easy to follow, and the photos are gorgeous.

Delicately sliced dark truffle

I spoke with Susi the day before the launch of her new cookbook on April 29, 2021 to learn more about her background. Passionate about food, she is the author of several books (Appalachian Appetite, Child of the Woods, Cooking with Truffles).  She lived in France for 20 years, has a diploma in gastronomy from the Cordon Bleu and the Université de Reims in France and is the Founder and Director of the Seasonal School of Culinary Arts. How she came to live in France after growing up in Appalachia in the United Sates is truly the stuff of dreams. She is a musician (fiddler), singer, dancer, and songwriter and her talent took her to France to participate in a music festival. There she met a French mandolin player, married him, and stayed for 20 years. While working as a musician did not provide her with a truffle budget, France did form her palate.

Ten years ago, she moved back to the United States and created a culinary school, (Seasonal School of Culinary Arts), got involved with the slow food movement and went to France to learn about truffles. What she learned about truffles ("black gold," "black diamonds") was fascinating, especially learning that there are truffle farmers nearby in Tennessee.  

One pound white truffle

Susi resides in Madison County, North Carolina, and when she is not busy cooking, teaching, dreaming up new recipes, or writing books, she enjoys playing Bluegrass music, traveling, searching for morels, clogging, and belly dancing. She is also involved with several food and wine festivals including the Appalachian Culinary Experience, the Asheville Truffle Experience and the Asheville Wine Experience.  

What I especially love about Cooking With Truffles: A Chef's Guide is that it is both a reference book filled with interesting information about truffles including "Truffle Do's and Don'ts" for the professional chef as well as the home cook and is also a cookbook with 150 delectable recipes.  

The book delves into the history of truffles, discusses the various types of truffles, white truffles versus black truffles, and their seasonality. From the breakfast table to the dessert and drinks table, Susi Gott Séguret includes delectable recipes in each of the chapters: Breakfast, Appetizers, Soups, Salads, Snacks and Sandwiches, The Basic Four: Egg Recipes, Potato Recipes, Pasta Recipes, Rice Recipes; Mains, Vegetables and Sides, Condiments, Sauces, Breads, Desserts, Drinks, and Chef's Choice. There is also a very handy Resources section to assist in finding and purchasing truffles and truffle products.  

A few of the many recipe highlights include Truffled Vichyssoise, Cream of Carrot, Truffle, and Ginger Soup, Truffled Grilled Gruyere Sandwich, Truffled Eggs Benedict, Savory Truffle and Sausage Bread Pudding, Tennessee Corn and Truffle Flan, Mediterranean Truffled Orange, Olive Oil, and Almond Cake, and decadently rich Truffled French Chocolate Bistro Cake.

Truffled French Chocolate Bistro Cake

Susi writes, "Rare is the person who will turn down chocolate or truffles, so why not incorporate both into one killer cake? This particular recipe is my little black dress of chocolate cakes, and always pleases, with a minimum dose of effort."

Ingredients:

Method: Melt the butter and chocolate together in a saucepan over low heat, stirring to keep from sticking to the pan. (Make sure the mixture doesn't bubble, or the texture of your cake will be compromised). Meanwhile, beat the eggs together with the sugar and stir in the spoonful of flour.

Butter a cake pan and line the bottom with parchment to ensure easy extraction of the finished product (butter the parchment well here). This will produce a caramelized crust surrounding your cake.

Stir the egg mixture into the melted chocolate mixture, moving rapidly to avoid chocolate scrambled eggs. Add grated truffle. Pour into your pan and bake for a scant half hour at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Unmold when cool and serve surrounded by a Truffled Crème Anglaise or topped with Truffled Whipped Cream.

If you have always wanted to learn to cook with truffles, pick up a copy of Susi's cookbook, Cooking With Truffles: A Chef's Guide, and be bold, be brave, and cook with confidence using truffles. As evidenced from Susi's impressive recipes that range from breakfast to desserts and drinks, the only limitation to using truffles is your imagination. Bon Appetit!

Cooking With Truffles: A Chef's Guide written by Susi Gott Séguret, published by Hatherleigh Press and distributed through Penguin Random House, was launched on April 30, 2021.   

ISBN: 978-1-57826-818-4 paperback (Retail Price: $20 USA, $26 Canada)

ISBN: 978-1-57826-819-1 eBook (Retail Price: $15.99)  

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