Giovanni Scelzi

WELCOME TO YOUR EBOOK First of all, we would really like to take this time to thank you for purchasing our Truffle Slicer. You have taken a giant leap of trust by purchasing from us and we are immensely grateful. We are more than confident this product will pay you back for the faith you have put in us. Our little way of saying a warm “Thank You” is through providing you with this eBook (for free!) which we know can sell for much much more! We hope it provides you with exciting new recipes that you can try out right now using your brand new Truffle Slicer. Let us introduce ourselves. Me (Vara) and my business partner Rob are the wacky minds behind Truffe. We sprouted the idea of Truffe back in university while on a cooking errand and knew we had the potential to reach out to a far wider audience. We are now proud to finally introduce Truffe into Amazon and bring it to a kitchen near you. Our main aim when launching this idea was to innovate and help our customers by providing an easy-to-use yet powerful tool they could apply in the kitchen. This has never changed and it never will. It remains the core of our business philosophy today. Truffe 2 Both Rob and I take customer service and your opinions extremely seriously, so if you have any questions, or queries, or anything you want to know at all, feel free to send us a message through Amazon, and we will get back to you very quickly! Whether it’s just a message to tell us how much you’re loving and enjoying your new slicer, or, if you want to make suggestions for improvements, don’t ever hesitate and just drop us a line. Remember, you have a lifetime guarantee in place through us, so you are safe, knowing that after you buy this slicer, you simply won’t need another. We have split this e-book up into two main sections for you. In the following section, you will see a short description into the background of truffles. Since it is the core reason Rob and I created this product, and since it is something we are both passionate and crazy about, we wanted to take the time to give you a brief understanding into these small but uniquely interesting balls of magic (or as the Frenchman Jean Brillat-Savarin called “the diamond of the kitchen”). The final section provides you with 4 unique recipes. We have scoured through many truffle recipes to provide you with four tantalizingly tasty dishes, which you can immediately use your Truffle Slicer with. We hope these dishes can spur you on further to try out other variations. After all, cooking is a form of individual art and creativity....is it not? So once again, thank you for your purchase, you are now part of the “Truffe” family and team, and we are so proud to have you on board together with us. We hope your experience with us is nothing short of exceptional. Thank you again. Vara and Rob Truffe 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS What is a Truffle?.............................................................................................................................5 A Brief History of Truffles...........................................................................................................7 Different Types of Truffles........................................................................................................9 Recipes Chocolate Vanilla Truffle..........................................................................................................11 Chicken with Black Truffles, Wild Mushrooms, Potatoes...............................13 Potato Gnocchi, Black truffle, Mushrooms and Toasted Chestnuts.......15 Truffle and Rosemary Panna Cotta with Mandarin Sauce.............................17 Truffe 4 WHAT IS A TRUFFLE? (AND A BIT ABOUT THOSE TRUFFLE HUNTERS!) So as promised, let’s briefly take some time talking about Truffles, as like, a mini introduction before we dive into the recipes…after all…it’s sometimes nice to find out WHY things work (tasty truffles)…rather than just THAT they work…right? And what better place to start than answering the question, what is a Truffle? WHAT IS A TRUFFLE? Put simply, a truffle is a type of fungus that is often found underground near the roots of trees. Now, the word “fungus” may make this product slightly less appealing to you when attempting to put it on your plate, however, its rich, strong, aroma and taste makes it one of the most sought after foods in the world. Its rarity and uniqueness add to its perception as a scarce and valued product, which often sells for thousands of dollars at a time. Truffles are wild items which can be very tough to cultivate and grow through man-made means, whilst finding them can prove to be difficult, as they are often underground. Hence...Truffle Hunters (yes, they DO exist) were born!! Truffe 5 TRUFFLE HUNTERS Truffle Hunters often use dogs (and previously, even pigs) to hunt and find their prized asset, truffles! “Why dogs?” you may ask. Well, primarily because they are easy to train, have a good level of stamina, and (unlike pigs) they’re not likely to scoff down your truffles once they find them. It would be slightly awkward, and look even stranger, wrestling a pig to the ground for a piece of truffle…certainly not worth it! (not that me or Rob would know anything about that!!) Also, since truffle hunting has become popular and competitive due to the prize, being seen with a dog is much less of a giveaway that you're hunting truffles, than say, being seen with a pig. (Try convincing your competition that you’re “just taking your pig for a walk"!!) Truffe 6 A BRIEF HISTORY OF TRUFFLES (PART 1) There are varying thoughts as to when truffles were first found or where they originated from. Some state its first recorded origin in the 20th Century BCE, some during the Ancient Egyptian period, whilst others record later still. Plutarch, the ancient Greek biographer thought truffles were the outcome from the mixing of the soil with lightning, water, and warmth. Later, the Roman poet Juvenal gave his own account of its origins, stating thunder as one of its core makers. Truffles were considered a form of aphrodisiacs during this period. Truffles largely made a disappearance during the Medieval Times, and it was said to be because the Church feared its aphrodisiac qualities. They did, however, make their return during the Renaissance Period. The rule of King Louis XIV proved particularly significant due his own personal interest in Truffles. Truffe 7 A BRIEF HISTORY OF TRUFFLES (PART 2) Although his own attempt to manually produce them failed, he inadvertently pushed them into many European markets, which in turn, increased their popularity. Truffles were also honored at the court of King Francis I of France (who ironically enough discovered it while in prison due to Charles V). Truffles remained a popularity in the European markets, particularly in the Parisian French market (where peasants were well aware of their secret taste). Although it is predominately enjoyed around Europe and North America today, truffles are enjoyed all around the world for their uniqueness, and their rarity has made it amongst the most sought after foods in the world. Truffe 8 DIFFERENT TYPES OF TRUFFLES Black Truffles Often found around Oak and Hazelnut trees, Black Truffles are usually cultivated later on in the year during the autumn and winter periods. They are known to have a very strong and sometimes chocolatey flavor together with a pungent aroma. It is said that the finest black truffles are usually found in the southwest region of France. White Truffles White truffles are often known as the expensive delicacy dish amongst various truffles. In fact, a truffle weighing just over 3 pounds once sold for over $330,000 discovered by a very lucky truffle hunting dog (and an even luckier owner it seems!) in the Pisa area of Tuscany, Italy. It is no surprise it was found in Italy, as it is known to be the country where almost all of it exclusively grows. White truffles also have a very strong aroma, sometimes reminiscent of that of shallots, while their texture is often tough and curvy. Other forms of truffles can also include whitish truffles (yes…they exist), garlic truffles, and the pecan truffle, found largely in the southern part of the United States. Truffe 9 AND SO... We sincerely hope you have the chance to savor and lavish your very own truffles, even more now that you have our Truffle Slicer.It has been made to ensure aromas and flavors are locked in during slicing. Now that we have completed our brief introduction, on the next page, we will go through the handpicked recipes we have chosen together…to take your truffle eating experience from great….to tantalizingly amazing!! Truffe 10 CHOCOLATE VANILLA TRUFFLE CUPCAKES Our first recipe here is for the Chocolate Vanilla Truffle Cupcakes. We know you want to put your newly brought Truffle Slicer to use and what better way to do this than with a treat that will beautifully compliment any meal. Every member of my family loves cupcakes, but store bought ones are not always economically friendly, nor do they taste the way I want. Anyway, what’s the fun in buying something when you can create it yourself using your own touch? We picked this recipe especially for those of you out there with a sweet tooth. Truffe 11 CHOCOLATE VANILLA TRUFFLE CUPCAKE Servings: 12 cupcakes INGREDIENTS For the cake: 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened 12 chocolate truffles, whole 1 teaspoon baking powder 3/4 cup white sugar 1 cup all purpose flour 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1/2 cup whole milk For the frosting (optional): 3 cups icing sugar, or to taste 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract 1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature 1/2 teaspoon sea salt For the chocolate ganache (optional): 6 Chocolate Truffles 1 teaspoon heavy cream DIRECTIONS 1 Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F. Grease your cupcake tray using butter. 2 Grate the 6 chocolate truffles for the Ganache using your newly brought Truffle Slicer and set aside for now. 3 Combine the butter, and sugar in a mixing bowl. 4 Add in the vanilla extract and egg. 5 Beat using an electric mixer into a fluffy mixture and set aside for now. 6 In another bowl combine the baking powder, flour and salt. 7 Add milk to the mixture and mix using a spatula gradually. 8 Combine the egg mixture with the flour mixture. Pour the batter into your greased cupcake tray. 9 Add one whole chocolate truffle (of the 12) in the middle of each cupcake. 10 Bake in the preheated oven for nearly 12 minutes. 11 For the frosting, combine the vanilla extract, icing sugar, butter and sea salt. 12 Whisk until it becomes fluffy and add on top of the cupcakes. 13 For the ganache, melt the grated chocolate truffle in a micro-oven. Grating the chocolate truffles makes it faster to melt. 14 Add the heavy cream to it and mix well. 15 Add the ganache on top of the cupcakes and serve cold. Truffe 12 CHICKEN WITH BLACK TRUFFLES, WILD MUSHROOMS, POTATOES For our second selected recipe, we have the introduction of black truffles and chicken. Now everyone knows we love truffles, but black truffles have their own particularly strong taste, so combining them with the smoother touch of chicken can really bring varying yet complimentary flavors bursting together. Truffe 13 CHICKEN WITH BLACK TRUFFLES, WILD MUSHROOMS, POTATOES Servings: 4-6 INGREDIENTS 1 pound chicken wings 2 black truffles 1 1/2 pounds potatoes, peeled, cut into chunks 4 shallots, sliced 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 teaspoons white truffle oil 1 pound shiitake mushrooms, stemmed 4 cups canned low-salt chicken broth 6 garlic cloves 8 fresh thyme sprigs Lettuce leaves for garnishing 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper (or to taste) DIRECTIONS 1 Firstly shave the black truffles using your Truffle Slicer and slice/shave them thinly (using our easy to twist size adjustor). Set aside for now. 2 In a pan add 1 tablespoon olive oil and heat over medium-high heat. 3 Fry the chicken wings until brown. 4 Stir in the shallots, garlic and broth. 5 Bring the mixture to a boil and then run the mixture through a sieve. Reserve the broth to use later. 6 Preheat your oven to 450 Degrees F. 7 Add the chicken wings (which have just been fried) on a baking dish and add the sliced truffles underneath the chicken wings, and on top. 8 Brush the chicken using the white truffle oil. 9 Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes. 10 In a separate mixing bowl combine the reserved liquid, mushrooms, olive oil, potatoes, thyme, salt and pepper. 11 Cook for about 30 minutes in the oven over medium low heat. 12 Combine the chicken wings with the mushroom mix into the same plate. 13 Garnish using lettuce leaves. Truffe 14 POTATO GNOCCHI, BLACK TRUFFLE, MUSHROOMS AND TOASTED CHESTNUTS This is a wonderful side dish using chesnuts, black truffles and potatoes. It can be served with any traditional dinner. Truffe 15 POTATO GNOCCHI, BLACK TRUFFLE, MUSHROOMS AND TOASTED CHESTNUTS Servings: 4 INGREDIENTS 40 g Black Truffle 40 g dried porcini mushrooms 2 tbsp parsley, finely chopped 1 bunch chives, chopped into short lengths 120 g unsalted butter, diced and chilled 6 chestnuts, peeled Extra virgin olive oil, to drizzle 300 g Swiss Brown mushrooms 1 kg potato gnocchi ½ cup Grana Padano ½ cup Parmesan, finely grated ½ teaspoon sea salt (or to taste) ½ teaspoon Black pepper (or to taste) 1 and ½ cups of regular tap water (and 1 teaspoon of salt to mix into it) DIRECTIONS 1 Preheat the oven to 180 Degrees F. 2 Shave the black truffles using your Truffle Slicer into small shavings (use the easy twist size adjustor). 3 Roast the chestnuts for about 20 minutes. Let it cool down and discard the skin. 4 Chop the chestnuts and fry them for about 2 minutes. 5 Soak the dried porcini mushroom in 1 cup of warm water for 15 minutes. Drain and reserve the liquid. 6 Cut the porcini mushrooms into thin slices. 7 In a pan stir fry the porcini mushrooms and swiss brown mushrooms with salt, black pepper and 2tbsp of the reserve mushroom liquid. Add the butter to it. Sear for 5 minutes and take off the heat. 8 In a separate pan boil 1 and ½ cups of regular tap water with salt. Add potato gnocchi and boil for 10 minutes. 9 Drain well and add the potato gnocchi to the pan with the mushrooms mixture 10 Add the chestnuts, chives, parsley, Grana padano and drizzle the olive oil. 11 Turn up the heat slightly for a minute while in the pan and add the sliced truffles and parmesan cheese. 12 Serve immediately. Truffe 16 TRUFFLE AND ROSEMARY PANNA COTTA WITH MANDARIN SAUCE Truffles are not only great for savoury dishes, they add zest and fire to desserts too. Rosemary and Truffles can go really well hand-in-hand, hence the reason for our next dish, Truffle and Rosemary Panna Cotta! We have used a special mouth-watering mandarin sauce to add to this recipe. Although it is optional...omit at your own risk!! Truffe 17 TRUFFLE AND ROSEMARY PANNA COTTA WITH MANDARIN SAUCE Servings: 4 INGREDIENTS For panna cotta: Mandarin sauce: 30 g White Truffle 2 mandarins, juiced 250 ml full fat milk ¼ cup sugar ½ cup (100g) caster sugar 1 tsp water 500 ml thickened cream 1 ¼ sheets titanium leaf gelatin 5 g rosemary (about 1 large sprig) 1-2 Tbsp Vegetable oil, to grease (or butter) the dariole moulds 6 half cup (125 ml) dariole moulds DIRECTIONS 1 Grease the dariole moulds using oil (or butter) and set aside for now. 2 In a pan add the milk, cream and rosemary sprig. 3 Cook on medium heat for 5 minutes. Let it stand for nearly 10 minutes and then discard the rosemary. 4 Separately, add 2 cups of cold water to a bowl and soak the gelatin for about 5 minutes. 5 Take the gelatin with the liquid and add to the milk, cream, and rosemary mix (already in the pan). 6 Grate the white truffle using your new truffle slicer and add to the mixture in the pan. 7 Also add caster sugar to the pan and heat for about 4 minutes. 8 Pour the mix into the dariole moulds and put in the fridge for about 4 hours or so. 9 If you want to add mandarin sauce, heat the sugar in a pan. 10 Stir continuously until the sugar becomes brown. 11 Add the juice and some water, toss until the mix thickens. 12 Drizzle on the side of the panna cotta. Truffe 18 FAREWELL...FOR NOW... So, it looks like that is the end of our ebook for now, but it certainly will not be the end of our journey or your time with us as our valued customers. We have already said this before, and we REALLY do mean it….We are JUST the click of an Amazon “contact seller” button away. So whether you have queries, question, concerns, or, if you just want to strike up a random conversation about how smart those truffle dogs are, send us a line today!! We wish you the very best, and please do keep in contact with us. Truffe 19 REFERENCES/CITATIONS- https://www.gourmetfoodstore.com/history-truffle-15178 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffle http://www.ashers.com/blog/2013/05/history-of-a-truffle/ http://mentalfloss.com/article/60539/why-are-trufflesso-expensive http://modernfarmer.com/2013/08/truffle-smelling-dogs/ http://urbanitartufi.it/en/storia-del-tartufo/ https://www.allmychefs.com/ingredients/truffle_1224 https://www.gourmetfoodstore.com/truffles-and-mushrooms /black-truffles-0861 https://www.enjoyfoiegras.com/info/black_truffles_perigord.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truffle#Black_truffle https://www.enjoyfoiegras.com/info/white_truffles_alba.html http://content.time.com/time/magazine/article /0,9171,-,00.html http://www.heymodestmarce.com/modestmarce/nblamykagmmjz8mpgj9xx4wcl9e5pw http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/chickenwith-truffles-wild-mushrooms-and-potatoes-102867 http://www.madametruffles.com.au/recipes/ Truffe 20