Got a slight emergency this morning as Danda's got a gammy elbow so we're off to A&E to see what's wrong with it. So I shall just give you a little post today about something I've been debating over the past few days - the hobbies I will take up in my old age.
Music
I've always played piano. It's in the family. My mother and grandmother both played. I got lessons from my grandmother for a while. And then from the music teacher in school. I can still play everything I learned from memory. I don't have a piano now and there's no space even if I did want one. But when I am older and can give myself over to things of fun and jollity, I will forgo my dining table, my sofa and my television so that I can fit in a grand piano and I shall become the most talented 90 year old piano player the world has ever seen. Just you wait.
Gardening
Not really proper gardening actually, as that requires skill and dedication and I shall probably forget what to water and when. Something quite straight forward. Maybe a vegetable patch. Carrots and onions and broad beans and the like. I think tomatoes aren't too hard but they take over a bit. Anyway, I mainly want things I can either eat, or sit and look at on long summer days.
A regular contributor to Chat magazine
This speaks for itself. I will dedicate myself wholeheartedly to falling in love with inanimate objects, contracting odd diseases and photographing myself doing nothing at all and sending it in.
Knitting
When I lived in Namibia, the sun would set at 5pm and we had no TV and we had read all the books in the apartment and had run out of evening activities. Lucy had learned to knit years ago so we got some wool and knitting needles and took up knitting. In quite a serious way. In fact, we had so many scarves by the time we left that we had to give them to people as presents because we couldn't fit them in our bags to take home! I loved getting into The Zone and just knitting the hours away. When I am older and work less or not at all, I would like to take it up again as I will have more time to learn patterns as all I can make is a scarf. I might even make some fingerless gloves!
Wordsearching
I used to be a master wordsearcher when I was younger. I never went anywhere without a wordsearch book on me. I could take it up again in my old age and maybe attend the Wordsearching World Championships?! I'd definitely win if I did so maybe I shouldn't go, you know, give the others a chance.
On the other hand, I might just jack it all in and run off to India, a la The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel....
Saturday, 19 January 2013
Friday, 18 January 2013
Midday in Paris
So yesterday, if you remember, I was swanning off to Paris for lunch. There wasn't any real reason for it. Everyone was just being really January-ish. You know, 'what is there to look forward to now that Christmas is over,' and 'it's so cold and miserable' etc etc. Now I don't get too bothered by January. I like cold weather as I feel quite uncomfortable and sweaty in heat. So snow suits me down to the ground. Plus it's good fun. I also didn't have 'a terrible year that I'm trying to move on from', or need to 'make a new start' etc etc. All in all, I feel ok in January. As though to prove this point, I determined to have a January filled with fun. I have seen friends I don't see often, taken lots of long walks and become dedicated to my Michel Roux cookbook in my Masterchef dreams.
In light of all this (and a deal on the Eurostar), I decided to go to Paris for the day. My manager had highly recommended a restaurant for lunch so it was sorted. The train journey there was fairly nondescript, apart from coming out of the Eurotunnel on the French side and being greeted by a sea of white...
It was beautiful. It was a crisp cold day and the snow sat on everything in sight. It was still there when we came past again going home, the cold weather preventing any snow from melting.
We hopped off the train at midday, our minds boggled by the fact that we were now in France. It seemed silly, so easy and effortless. Get on the train in London. Get off it in Paris.
We had bought tickets for the metro on the Eurostar train so we just found our way downstairs and got on the underground, no fuss. When we got off to switch trains, however, there was a policeman shouting something at everyone on the platform about the 'sortie' - exit. We asked him what was the problem and he said there was a 'suspicious bag' so everyone must leave the station.
Welcome to Paris. You're about to get blown up.
Optimistically, we looked at our map of Paris and concluded that it would only be about 15 minutes to walk the five stops to the restaurant so we set off along the river.
Let me just say this - it did not only take 15 minutes and, despite the freezing weather, we arrived three minutes late, out of breath and quite warm!
The restaurant itself looks unassuming....
...but inside has the lively fun atmosphere typical of a French restaurant. Four men discussed business loudly in the corner, a large family chattered happily, laughing when one of the teenagers looked suspiciously at the food they had been served, a group of Japanese tourists next to us photographed everything excitedly.
And us? We watched. We watched everything. We watched the kitchen.
We watched the food going to the tables. We watched the animated waiters telling their little jokes as they rushed about. And we loved it. It was such a fabulous little place to tuck into a corner and watch Parisian life happening.
And we ate. Of course we ate. We chose the tasting menu and prepared to eat whatever the chef was cooking that day. We started with a cauliflower and fish soup, which was definitely a highlight of the whole meal.
We then had a beef tartate, with oyster, shrimps and radish.
We moved onto mackerel with white beans and a green salad foam.
Next up was a rich slow-cooked beef dish with a carrot soup.
We were then given a dish to share, which looked like short pieces of pasta dressed with chilli oil. We looked closer and realised that, actually, we were eating baby eels! They were way tasty.
Then it was onto another hearty French dish, a small rack of lamb with pomme puree. This was the best of the mains we had.
It was then time for dessert, which blew our minds. We were presented with a huge bowl of rice pudding and two smaller bowls, one with salted caramel and one with caramelised walnuts and almonds, to put as much as we wanted of each in our bowls.
Midway through this delightful bowl, small glasses of lemon sorbet and mango were put next to us, so that we hardly know where to start.
It was dessert heaven.
After this onslaught of foodie indulgence, we paid and emerged into the sunlight, three hours later and thirty stone heavier. As we wandered along, carefree and a little cold, I saw it....
A TRUFFLE SHOP! A shop. Full of truffles. The most truffley things I've ever seen in one place. It blew my mind. Danda took a seat and left me to it in the end. They had truffle pesto, truffle pasta sauces, truffle aperitif, truffle flavoured chocolate drinks and (this one floored me), truffle popcorn!
I purchased some truffle honey and a truffle pasta sauce and of course a bag, to carry things in and pretend it's a bag of truffles.
By this time it was late afternoon and we had wanted to catch Notre Dame in the fading light so we walked back the way we had come and found our way to the cathedral.
It's so massive that it's almost impossible to get the whole place into one picture. We wandered in and took a seat. Suddenly the excitement of the day gave way to a moment of tiredness and we had a sneaky little nap under the colourful mosaic windows and beautiful chandeliers.
After realising we must have looked like homeless people, we pottered off to make our way to the station for our train home. We still had two hours so we dawdled along the river and stopped off if we wanted to.
We came unexpectedly across the Pompadou Centre and went inside to look at the bookshop. There was a coffee shop so we sat for coffee and I bought some little cakes. They weren't quite the beautiful petits fours and delicate macaroons I had been envisioning for the afternoon coffee stop but the centre itself was lovely so we sacrificed taste for ambience.
With an hour until our train, we kept going and reached the station twenty minutes early.
We then had a second dose of wierdness when we boarded the train in Paris, got off it in London and went back home to have a cup of tea on the sofa and watch an episode of Family Guy.
In light of all this (and a deal on the Eurostar), I decided to go to Paris for the day. My manager had highly recommended a restaurant for lunch so it was sorted. The train journey there was fairly nondescript, apart from coming out of the Eurotunnel on the French side and being greeted by a sea of white...
It was beautiful. It was a crisp cold day and the snow sat on everything in sight. It was still there when we came past again going home, the cold weather preventing any snow from melting.
We hopped off the train at midday, our minds boggled by the fact that we were now in France. It seemed silly, so easy and effortless. Get on the train in London. Get off it in Paris.
We had bought tickets for the metro on the Eurostar train so we just found our way downstairs and got on the underground, no fuss. When we got off to switch trains, however, there was a policeman shouting something at everyone on the platform about the 'sortie' - exit. We asked him what was the problem and he said there was a 'suspicious bag' so everyone must leave the station.
Welcome to Paris. You're about to get blown up.
Optimistically, we looked at our map of Paris and concluded that it would only be about 15 minutes to walk the five stops to the restaurant so we set off along the river.
Let me just say this - it did not only take 15 minutes and, despite the freezing weather, we arrived three minutes late, out of breath and quite warm!
The restaurant itself looks unassuming....
...but inside has the lively fun atmosphere typical of a French restaurant. Four men discussed business loudly in the corner, a large family chattered happily, laughing when one of the teenagers looked suspiciously at the food they had been served, a group of Japanese tourists next to us photographed everything excitedly.
And us? We watched. We watched everything. We watched the kitchen.
We watched the food going to the tables. We watched the animated waiters telling their little jokes as they rushed about. And we loved it. It was such a fabulous little place to tuck into a corner and watch Parisian life happening.
And we ate. Of course we ate. We chose the tasting menu and prepared to eat whatever the chef was cooking that day. We started with a cauliflower and fish soup, which was definitely a highlight of the whole meal.
We then had a beef tartate, with oyster, shrimps and radish.
We moved onto mackerel with white beans and a green salad foam.
Next up was a rich slow-cooked beef dish with a carrot soup.
We were then given a dish to share, which looked like short pieces of pasta dressed with chilli oil. We looked closer and realised that, actually, we were eating baby eels! They were way tasty.
Then it was onto another hearty French dish, a small rack of lamb with pomme puree. This was the best of the mains we had.
It was then time for dessert, which blew our minds. We were presented with a huge bowl of rice pudding and two smaller bowls, one with salted caramel and one with caramelised walnuts and almonds, to put as much as we wanted of each in our bowls.
Midway through this delightful bowl, small glasses of lemon sorbet and mango were put next to us, so that we hardly know where to start.
It was dessert heaven.
After this onslaught of foodie indulgence, we paid and emerged into the sunlight, three hours later and thirty stone heavier. As we wandered along, carefree and a little cold, I saw it....
A TRUFFLE SHOP! A shop. Full of truffles. The most truffley things I've ever seen in one place. It blew my mind. Danda took a seat and left me to it in the end. They had truffle pesto, truffle pasta sauces, truffle aperitif, truffle flavoured chocolate drinks and (this one floored me), truffle popcorn!
I purchased some truffle honey and a truffle pasta sauce and of course a bag, to carry things in and pretend it's a bag of truffles.
By this time it was late afternoon and we had wanted to catch Notre Dame in the fading light so we walked back the way we had come and found our way to the cathedral.
It's so massive that it's almost impossible to get the whole place into one picture. We wandered in and took a seat. Suddenly the excitement of the day gave way to a moment of tiredness and we had a sneaky little nap under the colourful mosaic windows and beautiful chandeliers.
After realising we must have looked like homeless people, we pottered off to make our way to the station for our train home. We still had two hours so we dawdled along the river and stopped off if we wanted to.
We came unexpectedly across the Pompadou Centre and went inside to look at the bookshop. There was a coffee shop so we sat for coffee and I bought some little cakes. They weren't quite the beautiful petits fours and delicate macaroons I had been envisioning for the afternoon coffee stop but the centre itself was lovely so we sacrificed taste for ambience.
With an hour until our train, we kept going and reached the station twenty minutes early.
We then had a second dose of wierdness when we boarded the train in Paris, got off it in London and went back home to have a cup of tea on the sofa and watch an episode of Family Guy.
Thursday, 17 January 2013
What's that you say?
O, did you say something then? What's that? You want to know where I'm going at this early hour in the morning?
Well, I shall tell you. I am going to lunch.
Lunch, you say? Lunch? At this time in the morning? Why are you leaving the house at this time to go to lunch?
Well, the lunch, say I, the lunch takes a little while to get to. I must take a train to get to the lunch.
A train? A train at five to eight in the morning? Is it far away, this lunch?
O, not too far. Just two and a half hours.
For lunch, you ask. It must be somewhere nice.
Yes, it comes highly recommended by a friend, I tell you. The head chef is marvelous, the food fantastic. I am very excited.
Is it a place I'd know, you ask. This fantastic restaurant, will I have heard of it? Is it in London?
O no, say I. It is not in London. The restaurant is called L'Amie Jean. Have you heard of it? It's out of London. It is, in fact, in Paris. Yes, did I mention that? Yes. Yes, it's in Paris. I'm going for lunch, yes. Yes I am.
Because that's the kind of girl I am. That's just what I do, isn't it? I'm always popping to gay Paree for a spot of luncheon (I've never done it before).
Yes, Paris is basically my second home (I've been twice, each time for about a day).
I'm always looking up the latest restaurants to dine at, national boundaries don't get in my way (my manager told me about the restaurant and booked it for me).
And so, my dear readers, I am off! No January blues for me. In the words of Buzz Lightyear; "To Paris.... And beyond!" (Not really, I'm just coming back to London.)
Well, I shall tell you. I am going to lunch.
Lunch, you say? Lunch? At this time in the morning? Why are you leaving the house at this time to go to lunch?
Well, the lunch, say I, the lunch takes a little while to get to. I must take a train to get to the lunch.
A train? A train at five to eight in the morning? Is it far away, this lunch?
O, not too far. Just two and a half hours.
For lunch, you ask. It must be somewhere nice.
Yes, it comes highly recommended by a friend, I tell you. The head chef is marvelous, the food fantastic. I am very excited.
Is it a place I'd know, you ask. This fantastic restaurant, will I have heard of it? Is it in London?
O no, say I. It is not in London. The restaurant is called L'Amie Jean. Have you heard of it? It's out of London. It is, in fact, in Paris. Yes, did I mention that? Yes. Yes, it's in Paris. I'm going for lunch, yes. Yes I am.
Because that's the kind of girl I am. That's just what I do, isn't it? I'm always popping to gay Paree for a spot of luncheon (I've never done it before).
Yes, Paris is basically my second home (I've been twice, each time for about a day).
I'm always looking up the latest restaurants to dine at, national boundaries don't get in my way (my manager told me about the restaurant and booked it for me).
And so, my dear readers, I am off! No January blues for me. In the words of Buzz Lightyear; "To Paris.... And beyond!" (Not really, I'm just coming back to London.)
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
What's UP?
It's Wednesday and time for my regular guest Blogger to take over while I have a day off. Enjoy.
If someone says those two words to you how do you answer? I suppose it depends on what you think they mean? Do you interpret them as someone who is caring about your situation and wants to put an arm round you to comfort you? Or do you maybe see them as a kind of rebuke in which someone is trying to ask why you apparently can’t do something they thought you should be able to do? It’s all in the intonation of the voice as the words are spoken isn’t it?
If someone says those two words to you how do you answer? I suppose it depends on what you think they mean? Do you interpret them as someone who is caring about your situation and wants to put an arm round you to comfort you? Or do you maybe see them as a kind of rebuke in which someone is trying to ask why you apparently can’t do something they thought you should be able to do? It’s all in the intonation of the voice as the words are spoken isn’t it?
Today I’m using these words a different way - to ask what is the word UP all about. In its basic sense it means “toward a higher place or state”. It’s the opposite of down. Let’s look at some of the many ways the word UP has come to be used and maybe ask yourself why when, in many cases, it could quite simply be left out:
1. Why do we wake UP?
2. At a meeting why does a subject come UP?
3. Why do we say to people, “Speak UP”?
4. Why are candidates UP for election and elected officials UP for re-election?
5. Why is it UP to someone to write UP a report on a meeting?
6. Why do we call UP (or ring UP) our friends?
7. Why do we say that we can brighten UP a room?
8. Why do we polish UP something (table, car, silver)?
9. Why do we warm UP leftover food and clean UP the kitchen?
10. Why do we lock UP the house?
11. Why do people fix UP an old car or machinery?
12. We say people stir UP trouble, line UP for tickets, work UP an appetite & think UP excuses
13. We say to be dressed is one thing but to be dressed UP is something special
14. Confusingly we say that a drain had to be opened UP because it had got blocked UP.
15. Why do we open UP a shop in the morning & close it UP at night?
16. Why do we move UP in a queue or sidle UP to someone when we are moving horizontally?
17. Why do we call a raid on a shop a hold UP or a stick UP?
18. Why do we fill UP the tank in our car with petrol/gas when we could just fill it?
19. When the sun comes out, after bad weather, we say it is clearing UP
20. Why do we often call a cooked breakfast a fry UP? And get told to eat UP our food?
21. Why do we brush UP on our knowledge of a subject?
22. Why can we sit UP when we’re actually sitting down?
23. Why can we look something UP in a book when we’re looking down at it?
24. Why do we drive UP the road or lane (or even the wall)?
25. Why do we dig UP plants/flowers in our garden when we’re obviously digging down?
In many, but not all, of those examples it is just as easy to miss the “UP” out and the meaning is still clear. We can just as easily “wake” as “wake up”, “warm” food as “warm up” food and so on.
I suppose you could say that we’re a bit mixed UP about UP. It takes UP a lot of space in a dictionary definition. If you’re UP to it you can try building UP a list of the many ways UP is used. It will, though, take UP a lot of your time, but if you don’t give UP, you may wind UP with lots more than just the few I’ve given. Have a think of more examples as there must be many more than the 25 I’ve given.
I could go on and but I’ll wrap it UP now because my time is UP and it’s time to shut UP!
As I collected the different meanings I put them into a Word document so I could save them. And you know what I called the file don’t you? – “What’s UP.doc”. Now tell me what was that rabbit’s name again?
So then, what’s UP? – I’ll let you decide.
Tuesday, 15 January 2013
Acting on my bucket list
At the start of September, I posted a bucket list so I thought it was time for a little check in, to let you know about my progress.
1. Join a book club.
Ok, I still look hopefully at signs in Waterstones stores or online and intend to do it. To be honest, I forgot I'd kind of obliged myself to do it by writing it here so I forgot to make myself join one! I'll do it, I promise.
2. Master front crawl.
I don't swim as regularly at the moment for a few reasons. The main one is that they close the outdoor pool from October til April and the indoor pool isn't as fun. Also, I pulled a muscle in my leg a few months ago so took ages to get back into it. Perfecting breast stroke is my main focus when I do get to the pool. Fail no. 2.
3. Go back to Namibia (or at least make solid plans about it).
Ok. This one is going well. A friend who I worked for as a travel consultant is over from Namibia at the end of this month. We are going for a drink to discuss a two week trip to Namibia next year.
4. Go on (or plan) an epic walking adventure.
Ummm.... Does Richmond Park count?
5. Try running (haha!)
This one I did.... Kind of. I ran for the bus this evening, which I jumped on in haste then five minutes later realised was not on its way to my house. It was the wrong bus. I ran. I ran for a bus. And it wasn't even the right bus. But I did run. This is a fact.
6. Go to Secret Cinema at least once.
Ummm.... I went to the normal cinema last week... Does that count as being half way there?
7. Sign up for a college course (not sure what in, I just think would be fun. Maybe food).
I'm thinking of doing a course in history or ancient civilisation or something. Another thing I forgot I'd told the world I'd do so forgot to sign myself up for something.
8. Go to that restaurant in London where everything’s completely in the dark.
This one I have not done either but I have possibly done something better... I'm going to a lovely restaurant in Paris on Thursday which comes with a fabulous recommendation from my manager. I still have the restaurant-in-the-dark place in the back of my mind though.
So there you have it. Not progress as such. Not what you'd call 'solid plans.' It really just amounts to running for the bus and a planned drink with a friend from Namibia. But it is progress. Of a sort.
1. Join a book club.
Ok, I still look hopefully at signs in Waterstones stores or online and intend to do it. To be honest, I forgot I'd kind of obliged myself to do it by writing it here so I forgot to make myself join one! I'll do it, I promise.
2. Master front crawl.
I don't swim as regularly at the moment for a few reasons. The main one is that they close the outdoor pool from October til April and the indoor pool isn't as fun. Also, I pulled a muscle in my leg a few months ago so took ages to get back into it. Perfecting breast stroke is my main focus when I do get to the pool. Fail no. 2.
3. Go back to Namibia (or at least make solid plans about it).
Ok. This one is going well. A friend who I worked for as a travel consultant is over from Namibia at the end of this month. We are going for a drink to discuss a two week trip to Namibia next year.
4. Go on (or plan) an epic walking adventure.
Ummm.... Does Richmond Park count?
5. Try running (haha!)
This one I did.... Kind of. I ran for the bus this evening, which I jumped on in haste then five minutes later realised was not on its way to my house. It was the wrong bus. I ran. I ran for a bus. And it wasn't even the right bus. But I did run. This is a fact.
6. Go to Secret Cinema at least once.
Ummm.... I went to the normal cinema last week... Does that count as being half way there?
7. Sign up for a college course (not sure what in, I just think would be fun. Maybe food).
I'm thinking of doing a course in history or ancient civilisation or something. Another thing I forgot I'd told the world I'd do so forgot to sign myself up for something.
8. Go to that restaurant in London where everything’s completely in the dark.
This one I have not done either but I have possibly done something better... I'm going to a lovely restaurant in Paris on Thursday which comes with a fabulous recommendation from my manager. I still have the restaurant-in-the-dark place in the back of my mind though.
So there you have it. Not progress as such. Not what you'd call 'solid plans.' It really just amounts to running for the bus and a planned drink with a friend from Namibia. But it is progress. Of a sort.
Monday, 14 January 2013
Things Danda loves
Marmite
Chelsea Football Club
Brian Cox (the astronomer)
Space and stars
Zombie flicks
Learning about ancient civilizations
His Crocs
Reading
2nd World War history
Eating the food I cook for him
Doing the dishes
Having a cup of tea while watching the news first thing in the morning
Homeland
Westerns and cowboy films, especially ones starring The Duke
Yoga
Cadbury's Fruit and Nut
Going on holiday
Playing golf (he says he's fantastic but I haven't got any evidence to prove this statement)
Ice cream
Chelsea Football Club
Brian Cox (the astronomer)
Space and stars
Zombie flicks
Learning about ancient civilizations
His Crocs
Reading
2nd World War history
Eating the food I cook for him
Doing the dishes
Having a cup of tea while watching the news first thing in the morning
Homeland
Westerns and cowboy films, especially ones starring The Duke
Yoga
Cadbury's Fruit and Nut
Going on holiday
Playing golf (he says he's fantastic but I haven't got any evidence to prove this statement)
Ice cream
Sunday, 13 January 2013
A review of recent truffle products
My adventures in the land of truffles began just four months ago after an encounter with this amazing truffle butter...
It's the type of thing that, at room temperature, you could eat in one go, with some breadsticks and/or some thin crackers. It's a dangerous thing to have in the fridge, due to the desire to just eat it in one go. Now I'm not a health expert or anything but I think that eating sticks of butter isn't really recommended. But once you peel back the pack and catch a whiff of its truffley goodness, you become helpless.
My next encounter was with truffle honey, which I was initially puzzled by. I liked it but had no idea what to do with it. Then someone told me to drizzle it over homemade pizzas and it was brilliant! When figs were in season and dirt cheap at Waitrose, I would bake entire trays of them on a really low heat for 4 hours, drizzled with truffle honey, orange zest and grated nutmeg. Mm mm.
I then discovered truffle pasta. I tried a few different brands but this one was my favourite as it was nice and thin and the taste strong enough to carry a meal without too much help.
It was like the most gourmet meal ever to cook the pasta and toss it with some sauteed oyster mushrooms then finish it with a tartufo formaggio cream by a company called Vallebona. So simple but so so tasty.
Next, someone bought me some truffle salt.
I didn't want to just throw it into anything, the way I would with normal salt. So I made a foccaccia bread in which I used a bit of the truffle butter in the dough. When oiling the pan I baked it in, I used truffle oil. When sprinkling the bread with chilli flakes I also added the truffle salt. When baked, I sprinkled a little more truffle salt on and let it cool. And it was phenomenal! It was easily the best bread I've ever eaten.
My next truffle product was truffle oil.
The white is more delicate than the black so is good for finishing things with, like a homemade pizza or a risotto. The black truffle oil works well in a homemade pesto, with pecorino, pine nuts and tons of basil.
Next, a friend brought back some truffle breadsticks from Paris and I scoffed them in one go! They were great, especially with a little knob of truffle butter on the end.
The next encounter was extremely unexpected. Out for Christmas drinks with work, we decided to get a few platters to all pick at as no-one felt like an entire meal of their own. The vegetarian platter was near me so I grabbed a pita and div into the houmous..... And I could taste truffle! I checked with the waitress and she confirmed that it was truffle houmous. Truffle houmous! It was phenomenal. I haven't found it to buy anywhere. If you see any, you have to buy it. It's amazing.
Lastly, yesterday, while in Nottingham with a friend, we wandered into a deli and found black truffle pecorino! I ate almost the whole block by itself on the train ride home!
It's the type of thing that, at room temperature, you could eat in one go, with some breadsticks and/or some thin crackers. It's a dangerous thing to have in the fridge, due to the desire to just eat it in one go. Now I'm not a health expert or anything but I think that eating sticks of butter isn't really recommended. But once you peel back the pack and catch a whiff of its truffley goodness, you become helpless.
My next encounter was with truffle honey, which I was initially puzzled by. I liked it but had no idea what to do with it. Then someone told me to drizzle it over homemade pizzas and it was brilliant! When figs were in season and dirt cheap at Waitrose, I would bake entire trays of them on a really low heat for 4 hours, drizzled with truffle honey, orange zest and grated nutmeg. Mm mm.
I then discovered truffle pasta. I tried a few different brands but this one was my favourite as it was nice and thin and the taste strong enough to carry a meal without too much help.
It was like the most gourmet meal ever to cook the pasta and toss it with some sauteed oyster mushrooms then finish it with a tartufo formaggio cream by a company called Vallebona. So simple but so so tasty.
Next, someone bought me some truffle salt.
I didn't want to just throw it into anything, the way I would with normal salt. So I made a foccaccia bread in which I used a bit of the truffle butter in the dough. When oiling the pan I baked it in, I used truffle oil. When sprinkling the bread with chilli flakes I also added the truffle salt. When baked, I sprinkled a little more truffle salt on and let it cool. And it was phenomenal! It was easily the best bread I've ever eaten.
My next truffle product was truffle oil.
The white is more delicate than the black so is good for finishing things with, like a homemade pizza or a risotto. The black truffle oil works well in a homemade pesto, with pecorino, pine nuts and tons of basil.
Next, a friend brought back some truffle breadsticks from Paris and I scoffed them in one go! They were great, especially with a little knob of truffle butter on the end.
The next encounter was extremely unexpected. Out for Christmas drinks with work, we decided to get a few platters to all pick at as no-one felt like an entire meal of their own. The vegetarian platter was near me so I grabbed a pita and div into the houmous..... And I could taste truffle! I checked with the waitress and she confirmed that it was truffle houmous. Truffle houmous! It was phenomenal. I haven't found it to buy anywhere. If you see any, you have to buy it. It's amazing.
Lastly, yesterday, while in Nottingham with a friend, we wandered into a deli and found black truffle pecorino! I ate almost the whole block by itself on the train ride home!
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