Truffle Book on MSNBC

The Truffle Book was always intended to have an international audience. It's about the world of truffles and the truffles of the world, so I was particularly please when Jon Bonné, lifestyle editor on MSNBC, referenced the book as a source in a piece about aphrodisiacs, cunningly timed for Valentine's Day. Jon's blog, Amuse-bouche is also well worth a visit - full of interesting bits and pieces, or as he calls them, lagniappes...

Tuesday, February 14, 2006 4:40 pm (permalink)

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The Truffle Book

"Absolutely rivetting" - a well-known prince. Available as softback, limited edition hardback, and PDF. Free sample PDF.

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current reading

I've read two books called Heat in the last month. One was damn scary, and one was by George Monbiot, about global warming (which has a fantastic cover). Some would say I've been and gone and had my mid-life crisis, but it didn't involve doing an apprenticeship at the altar of real Italian cuisine and a tyrannical chef. Bill Buford is not me, and for that I'm grateful. I suspect he may be too. I enjoyed it - the kitchen stuff was pretty compelling (as was the Italian butcher I may just have to visit next time I'm on Italian truffle time), but somehow the whole thing didn't hang together. I know where Bill's coming from - and I can sort of sense where he went - but his own motivation (and his family's reaction) remain mysterious.

just read

A friend sent me Neil Perry's The Food I Love to make up for the accidental loss of Pierre Koffman's Memories Of Gascony. Koffman's book has contributed a couple of recipes to my standard repertoire (his gigot de quatre heures is regularly requested by family for special occasions), so its disappearance is deeply felt - but Perry is doing is best to stand in. Sometimes you pick up a cookbook, try a recipe, and it clicks. You want to try more, and you do. So far, everything I've tried - the fish in mad water, the seven hour lamb, the steamed then roast duck, has been excellent. I've even gone out and bought a digital oven thermometer on his say-so. Perry's a celeb chef in Australia - his Rockpool restaurant in Sydney is well worth a visit - and his cooking draws on the same sort of Italian inspiration that I find in Carluccio, Hazan and The River Café cookbooks.