terre à terre

January 14th, 2013

mushrooms, black truffles and terre à terre; mushroom soup with truffled straws

mushrooms, black truffles and terre à terre; 
mushroom soup with truffled straws

It became our holy grail; a sort of “Da Vinci Code” chase by default. I am not talking about a religious relic or an art piece. I am talking about soup. Over the holidays, the daily soup special on every Parisian menu seemed to be velouté de champignons (cream of mushroom soup). Miam ! The problem was this: by the time we headed out to eat, the mushroom soup was gone. It happened a few times. Even twice in one evening. Frustrated, we became obsessed (and I vowed not to cook for the week, at least I tried). Finally, we managed to get our rumps in gear earlier and we finally had the sought-after mushroom soup. As I watched my friend, a Paris first-timer, enjoy his soup, made with French butter and fresh cream, I was inspired to recreate it (a bit healthier and vegetarian) and combine it with another one of his new favorite things and that thought inspired this week’s simple pleasure: mushroom soup with truffled straws.

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mushroom soup with truffled straws

January 14th, 2013

 

chefmorgan mush soup1

mushroom soup with truffled straws

 

 

makes ~ 32 ounces

what you need:

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound sliced and trimmed mushrooms
⅓ cup sliced leeks (whites only)
½ cup sliced shallots
½ pound diced and peeled Yukon or Russet potatoes Read the rest of this entry »

my market: things I love to use

December 8th, 2011

my market

Below you will find ingredients, products, gadgets, and housewares that I really like. If you click on the image and/or the product name, you will be linked directly to the source so you can make it yours. This list will be continually modified (I have more recommendations than time) so check back often.  Bon marché !

 LM

 

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truffled popcorn

November 4th, 2010

truffles

Crisp air. Falling leaves. Shorter days. Autumn has arrived. Finally. Time for boots, cashmere sweaters, consecutive holiday festivities, and my favorite, truffles!

If you are a parent you most likely have been consumed with Halloween activities for no less than one month.  Now the “tricks or-treats” have been exchanged your little ghosts and goblins are tucked in their beds.  Time for your own Halloween treat: truffled popped corn paired with a good French red wine (pardon the redundancy).   A simple, deliciously addictive, idea which takes advantage of the season.  If you do not have fresh truffles you can use truffle salt which can be ordered on the internet.   I have included additional blogs for those of you who want to learn more about truffles and how to incorporate this ingredient in your cooking with a few simple recipes beyond popcorn.  If this does not interest you, skip directly to the popcorn recipe which is below.   Happy Halloween and “bone” appétit !

LM

truffled popcorn

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truffled omelet with mushrooms

October 29th, 2010

truffled omelet with mushrooms and green salad

This recipe is another simple way to incorporate truffles into your cooking repertoire.   The omelet can be made for breakfast, dinner, or something in-between.  If you do not have truffles (fresh or canned), do not worry you can make this omelet with truffled butter and/or truffled salt.

Hen of the Woods mushrooms are my favorite mushrooms to use; however, I have listed some alternatives that are equally as nice.  It  is critical that you use fresh eggs.  You can tell an egg is fresh if the yolk is firm and bright yellow and the white of the egg stays together.  If the egg is old it will lose density and spread out thinly.

Serve the omelet with small, roasted potatoes (my favorites are ozette, Russian banana fingerling or red French fingerling) and/or a simple mixed green salad.  Squeeze some fresh oranges and you have breakfast or brunch.  Conversely, serve with red wine (or milk as the case may be as with my children) and the omelet is lunch or dinner.  If you want a snack, you can scramble the eggs instead of making an omelet and serve it on toasted bread for a tartine.  Versatile.  Simple.

Je vous souhaite un bon appétit !

LM

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truffled truffles

October 29th, 2010

truffled truffles with a dessert wine

Take advantage of the truffle season and satisfy your sweet tooth at the same time.  This recipe takes a few hours but that is only to let the chocolate interior set – so do not let the “few hours” scare you.   In fact, because the truffles can be made ahead of time or spread out over a couple days (you can make the interior one day and temper the chocolate exterior the next day), they are a perfect dessert for a dinner party.

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all about truffles (part two)

October 29th, 2010


how to clean and store truffles

Do not remove the dirt from the truffles until you are ready to use them.  Truffles store in the refrigerator for a few days.  Wrap them in a paper-bag or paper towel and place the bag with some rice in a glass jar.  Close tightly.  Change the wrapping on the truffles every day as you would cheese.

To clean truffles, soak them in warm water (about 30 minutes) and then rub the dirt off with your hands. Change the water and use a brush to remove all of the dirt from the truffle.  Continue to change the water as you would for rice.  Once the water is clean, dry the truffle well with a towel.  Truffles can be sliced and soaked in wine or brandy to prolong their life.  Truffles can be preserved by vacuum sealing them and then freezing them.

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all about truffles (part one)

October 24th, 2010

what are truffles? and why do they cost so much money!

Truffles are a subterranean fungus (although their botanical names identify them as a tuber) that grow near tree roots (primarily Oak).   Truffles are expensive primarily due to ever-increasing demand combined with an ever-increasingly low production.  Combine that with their  labor-intensive collection and their limited storage and you have a gastronomical rarity to be treasured.

The harvesting and sale of truffles is serious business.  Pigs or dogs (today primarily the latter) root out the subterranean fungus, accompanied by a trufficulteur.   The trufficulteur uncovers the each truffle (but not with his hands) and then replaces the dirt where he removed the truffle.  Once harvested, the truffles are taken to the “truffle exchange” (my term), markets where the truffles are carefully weighed and money is exchanged with a courtier (a truffle broker).

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