Tobiah Orin Moshier my observations concerning the use of these gems in the don’t really like the flavor of kitchen. Hopefully this will “ mushrooms.” How many times help get you started on have we mycophiles heard that, your next SUCCESFUL right?I I usually respond with the Oregon truffle dining standard “Well, mushrooms are like experience. fruit. All species have vastly different flavors, textures, applications, etc. So, just because you don’t like bananas, you wouldn’t say that you don’t like all fruit. Apples and bananas couldn’t taste further apart, yet both belong under the same heading. The same goes for mushrooms.” And the same goes for truffles! Each species of hypogeous fungi that we call a “truffle” has its own, and very distinct, aroma and flavor characteristics. Yet, it seems that the mainstream culinary world often forgets this, hasn’t caught on, or frankly, doesn’t care. It’s a great much heat will cook out any flavor and way to get an aroma. So you have to be careful. Use extra twenty General truffle care your infusion as an accoutrement, and bucks for a and usage add it at the last possible moment before dish: “drizzled dining. If you absolutely have to cook in truffle oil” We hold truffles in such with it, though, do so gingerly and for or “topped high regard because of their the shortest amount of time possible. Or, with shaved powerful aroma and flavor. just “truffle” a food that doesn’t have to truffles.” But The best way that I have found be cooked at all, like prepared ice cream. that menu booster, to harness their mojo is through Yes, I said ice cream! infusion. This isn’t tough to do with impressive to the ego of The Oregon whites: Tuber foodies and fattening to the wallets of a ripe Oregon truffle, I promise. Truffle some restaurateurs, often tastes like a aromas bond to fat molecules. And in our oregonense and T. gibbosum twenty first-century diets, fat certainly hot mess. Tuber oregonense is our winter white isn’t too hard to come by. Cream, butter, Experiencing ripe dog-harvested truffle, and T. gibbosum our spring white. oil, eggs, animal fats; all fantastic vessels Oregon truffles will knock your socks off, Although they are different species for the truffle. All we have to do is get when utilized correctly. The most highly taxonomically, both share VERY similar the fat and truffle to do a little courting. sought Oregon truffles are the whites culinary attributes. So, I’ll call them both Place a ripe truffle in a closed container (Tuber oregonense and T. gibbosum), “whites” for better or worse. with any type of fat for an extended the brown (Leucangium brunneum), Whites are most certainly best used period of time, and that’s that: infusion and the black (L. carthusianum). As in savory applications. Many, including complete. The infusion that you’ve just noted, though, each have vastly different myself, would describe the aroma of flavors and aromas. Here are a few of made is highly delicate, however. Too 22 FUNGI Volume 4:5 Winter 2011 Maybe try making for that matter, gets me fired up. Like a soup with some I said above, truffles are a full sensory infused milk. A experience. sour cream dip Unfortunately, Oregon truffles have for Sunday night historically been very poorly utilized football? It could around the world. The market has been work. I first full of under-ripe, raked truffles for too suggest trying this long. (For a review of the history of one on a slice of Oregon truffles, see the Truffle Issue of bread, though. FUNGI, vol. 1 no. 3.) This is changing Take in all this fast, though. Demand that your purveyor truffle has to offer, or favorite restaurants use only ripe, dog- and make up your harvested Oregon truffles. There’s nothing own mind. Have fun! like them... on this planet, at least. (Remember... broccoli Bon appetit! cheese soup!) The Oregon Black: Leucangium carthusianum In my opinion, this is by far the most versatile of Oregon truffles. Remember that talk about ice cream? Here we go! Oregon whites as The Oregon black is fabulous garlicky, floral, and a little earthy. in both sweet and savory dishes. I’ve found that these truffles work great I would describe its profile as when paired with numerous cheeses, red fruity, chocolatey, caramely, and meats, doused on grilled garden veggies, intoxicatingly earthy. Luckily, its and in cream-based pasta dishes. If you’d profile works great all over the food add garlic to a dish, or dip it in garlic spectrum. I love Oregon blacks when butter, chances are that it would taste experienced with meats, cheeses, fabulous with an Oregon white. Truffle veggies, starches, etc. I make a ton of fries are a little cliche, but properly infused oil with this guy, and drizzle prepared Oregon white “truffled” French lots of different dishes with it. On a fries are an experience! steak, tossed with potatoes, doused on The Oregon brown: Leucangium a grilled veg, atop a cooked egg, and the list goes on. Once you experience this brunneum Oregon gem, you’ll see what I mean. This is a strangely bizarre truffle to Here’s where we get a little crazy. experience. In the right application Oregon black truffles and sweets are though, it can be a mind-blower! The a match made in heaven. Infused into flavor/aroma of an Oregon brown would your ice cream? Yes! Infused into the probably best be described as something half and half that’s about to go in your like broccoli cheese soup. I told you that mornin’ mochafrappalattaccino? Yes! it was bizarre! Infused into the butter-cream that’s You either have to get really creative, about to go cake-side? Yes! Oh, man. or really un-creative with this one. Go Even the thought of working with find a really funky cheese to pair it with. this truffle, or any Oregon truffle FUNGI Volume 4:5 Winter 2011 23.