VittlesVamp

Thanksgiving Run Amok

Looks like the Jones Soda folks have gone over the edge. They may have gotten a great deal of media attention for their new Turkey & Gravy soda, but dang if it doesn't sound absolutely disgusting.

Proceeds are to go to Toys to Tots, but that still isn't enough to give this beverage concept a thumbs up....Couldn't they have opted for Cranberry or Pumpkin soda? Even Sweet Potato soda would've seemed more appealing.

Instead of picking up a six-pack, I recommend that you cut a check to Toys for Tots and check out Jones' Suggested Jones Soda Flavors page, where options like Raspberry Lemonade and Star Fruit sound like much better bets.

Last-Minute T-Day Reservations

The New York Post offers up a list of restaurants where Thanksgiving day reservations can still be had.

Frankly, I may have to stop by good tomorrow, simply to try their apple butter swizzle - a heady mix of spiced rum, cider and butterscotch schnapps. Have a feeling that good isn't the word...

More Truffle-Mania

And, on the heels of yesterday's entry about truffle-infused goodies, today's NY Times Dining In, Dining Out section features a story about the difficulty of obtaining truffles at present and the high cost imposed upon those who wish to induge:

Mr. Romagnolo tries to keep up, while giving the dog barely audible commands. After an hour's search, Diana begins to dig vigorously at a slender poplar. Mr. Romagnolo rushes over, nudges Diana aside, rests his flashlight on the ground and begins to excavate gently, like an archaeologist in the sands of Egypt, searching the earth for a prize fungus.

Five minutes of digging finally produces a disappointing reward, a white truffle that weighs perhaps a quarter of an ounce: too small to sell and barely enough to garnish a small plate of pasta.

Mr. Romagnolo gives Diana a biscuit, and then the two are off again on their search, in what locals say is the worst white truffle season since 1947.

So, with all this truffle-ing media madness, I just can't understand why no one is pushing a Thankgiving turkey made with truffles. It does seem the year for it, don't you think?

Guess I'll have to remedy the situation. Here's a recipe for Braised Truffled Turkey, courtesy of James Beard:

Braised Truffled Turkey
8 to 10 pound turkey
Truffles, as many as possible, fresh if available
2 pounds ground pork
1 1/2 pounds ground veal
8 shallots
Butter
Salt, pepper to taste
3/4 cup cognac
2 cups fine bread crumbs
1/2 cup chopped parsley
3 carrots, cut in fine julienne
3 leeks, cut in fine julienne
3 stalks celery, cut in fine julienne
White wine
Beurre mani

Butter Me Up

Nothing like targeting editorial to your audience's income level - or income aspiriations. Today's Wall Street Journal features a Personal Journal story about truffle prices hitting an all-time high, dubbing it the $2,500 condiment.

Now, this story I've seen before. But, what was interesting was their focus on truffle-infused products:

Ironically, at a time when truffles are exceedingly rare and expensive, diners are seeing an unprecedented number of menu items with words like "truffled" or "al tartufo." That's because restaurateurs are well aware that the word "truffle" on a menu adds cachet -- not to mention a mark-up -- to a dish. But instead of using real truffles, some chefs use one of the many truffle-flavored oils, butters and powders on the market.

And, they even did a taste-test with some of these truffle-tinged products:

Liquid Gold
We bought six varieties of truffle-flavored products -- including oils, butter and vinegar -- and tasted them with chef David Waltuck of Chanterelle in New York

PRODUCT: D'Artganan Black Truffle Butter
PRICE/STORE: $7 for 3.5 ozs./Dean and DeLuca
WHAT'S IN IT: Cultured butter, chopped black truffles, truffle "water" made by boiling truffles in water, and sunflower oil infused with truffles
CHEF SAYS: "Pretty good," he says. "I would use it to finish a sauce."
NOTES: Best product, with the most natural truffle flavor, and not a bad price

* * *
PRODUCT: Cuisine Perel White Truffle Grapeseed Oil
PRICE/STORE: $7.99 for 6.5 fl. ozs./Whole Foods
WHAT'S IN IT: Company says it is made by blending genuine white truffle oil with flavorless grapeseed oil
CHEF SAYS: "I do taste a little mushroom," but very little truffle flavor
NOTES: Not offensive, but then, it had very little flavor at all

* * *
PRODUCT: Bosco Vivo Condimento al Tartufo Bianco
PRICE/STORE: $35.99 for 250 ml./Garden of Eden
WHAT'S IN IT: The company says it gets its truffle aroma from being exposed
to air pumped in from a container filled with truffles, plus artificial flavoring
CHEF SAYS: "Tastes like olive oil with maybe a hint of truffle. It may be real, but I don't taste it at all."
NOTES: The strong, peppery olive oil masked the truffle flavor

* * *
PRODUCT: Selezione Tartufi White Truffle Oil
PRICE/STORE: $10.99 for 1.9 fl. oz./Garden of Eden
WHAT'S IN IT: The company says it is made with olive oil and a natural flavored extraction derived from real truffles, and no artificial flavoring.
CHEF SAYS: "Chemical taste lingers on the palate oddly."
NOTES: The company says there are no chemical additives

* * *
PRODUCT: Les Moulins Dores Truffle Vinegar
PRICE/STORE: $14.49 for 8.5 fl. oz./Whole Foods
WHAT'S IN IT: Distributor Francvin acknowledges that the truffle flavors listed on the label are actually artificial flavoring
CHEF SAYS: "The acidity is so intense, it's impossible to taste the truffles."
NOTES: Francvin says that truffle vinegar is nearly impossible to make without artificial flavoring

* * *
PRODUCT: Eugenio Brezzi Aromatizzato al Tartufo Bianco
PRICE/STORE: $59.99 for .33 fluid ozs./Garden of Eden
WHAT'S IN IT: The company says the recipe is a secret. It also says this product is a concentrate that should be diluted before being used
CHEF SAYS: "Extraordinarily unpleasant. Weird, piercing, and intense."
NOTES: While it may taste better in diluted form, the strange taste did not make us want to experiment

I've been a longtime fan of D'Artganan Black Truffle Butter, so I'm not surprised that it was the all-around winner.

One of my favorite uses for this lush, earthy spread: Slice hearty French bread, spread with the truffle butter, sprinkle fresh parmesan on top and broil until crispy and golden. It's a marvelously decadent accompaniment to soup or salad.

Turkey Training Camp

Guess that the 1-800 Butterball line just can't cut it for the kitchen-challenged.

Apparently, the San Francisco Chronicle recently sponsored a two-week Turkey Training Camp which paired each of their food staff's culinary pros with complete novices.

Sounds like the set up for a reality show, huh? Well, let the hijinks begin:

Dr. Betty Lee has put her hands in a lot of places, but never a raw turkey. So when the well-regarded gynecologist dug the neck and giblets out of a 13-pound bird resting in the sink of her Hillsborough home, she squirmed.

"It's weird reaching in without gloves. It feels so unprofessional," she said.

She shoulda used stirrups.

It's Not Even Thanksgiving Yet And It's Already Starting...

My friend Cindy dropped me a line yesterday with a link about sugar plums and some handy dandy Christmas confection facts. Did you know that more than 150 million chocolate Santas and 1.8 billion candy canes were manufactured last year? (Must have been a jolly 2003 for dentists!)

Anyway, it got me to thinking, which eventually led me troll around the Internet for an honest-to-goodness recipe for sugar plums. So, for all of you out there who are ready to forget about next week's pumpkin pie and skip ahead to tinsel and caroling, this one's for you:

Sugar Plums

2 cups whole almonds
1/4 cup honey
2 tsp. grated orange zest
1 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground allspice
1/2 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
1 cup finely chopped dried apricots
1 cup finely chopped pitted dates
1 cup confectioner's sugar
(Makes about 75 cookies)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

Arrange almonds on a baking sheet in a single layer and toast in oven for 10 minutes. Set aside to cool, then finely chop.

While almonds are baking, combine honey, orange zest, cinnamon, allspice, and nutmeg in a medium mixing bowl.

Add chopped almonds, apricots, and dates to honey mixture and mix well.

Pinch off rounded teaspoon-size pieces of the mixture and roll into balls. (Rinse your hands often, as mixture is very sticky.) Roll balls in confectioner's sugar, then refrigerate in single layers between sheets of waxed paper in airtight containers for up to one month. Their flavor improves after ripening for several days.

Sugar plums tend to absorb the confectioner's sugar, so re-dust just before eating if you like.

Presidential Palates

It's my turn to add to the JFK assassination anniversary media frenzy. Here's a link to a recipe for his alleged all-time favorite hors-d'oeuvre - Cheese Puffs Supreme made with cream cheese and Ritz crackers.

And, if you think that's bad, you should've dined with Richard Nixon. Apparently, his favorite dish was cottage cheese and ketchup. Blech!

Now I Wish I Was Cooking...

I know I waxed on about choosing just the right spot for Thanksgiving dinner out with my Mom, but after seeing that huge, fabulous side dish recipe spread in today's NYT, I'm tempted to bag the reservation and start up the stove!

Think I'll be forced to find some other excuse to make Tom Colicchio's Sausage Stuffing with Carmelized Onions:

Recipe: Adapted from Tom Colicchio of Gramercy Tavern and Craft

Time: 30 minutes

2 10-ounce packages breakfast sausage
1 fennel bulb, trimmed and in 1/2-inch dice (1 cup)
1 carrot in 1/4-inch dice ( 1/2 cup)
1 celery stalk in 1/4-inch dice ( 1/2 cup)
1 leek, white part only, washed and finely chopped ( 1/2 cup)
1 small onion, minced ( 1/2 cup)
2 cloves garlic, minced (2 teaspoons)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoons fennel seeds
6 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 to 3 cups chicken broth
2 pounds crusty French bread, cubed and dried overnight
1 cup golden raisins, soaked in hot water and drained
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 tablespoon chopped sage.

1. Place sausage in a large skillet over medium heat and cook until browned, turning frequently, 10 minutes. Remove pan from heat and transfer sausage to paper-towel-lined plate. Reserve fat in pan. Cool sausage, then chop. Return pan to stove. Add fennel, carrot, celery, leek, onion and garlic, sprinkle with salt and pepper. Saut

Grimes To-Go?

Folks on Chowhound are buzzing about an alleged memo floating around the New York Times that says that William Grimes is stepping down from his post. If so, the question is: Will they promote Asimov or Hesser - or recruit an "outsider" for the Times' top foodie spot? My bet is on an outsider.

Otto - No Class

Let me preface this posting, by saying upfront that I really like Otto. I've dined there several times and although I'm not incredibly fond of the pizzas, I am completely in love with the fabulous wine list, the cheese selections accompanied by truffled honey and rum-soaked cherries, as well as the magnificent selection of homemade gelatos.

So, it was for this reason that I decided to fork over $35 to attend one of the restaurant's new "Vino Classes." What a disappointment.

First off, instead of holding the class sitting down in the back room, all 25 attendees were asked to stand in the front barroom. Yes, yes, it was mentioned on the Otto site, I know. But, frankly, the location wouldn't have been a terrible slight, had the noise level from patrons not been deafening. I kept trying to get closer to the mild mannered wine director to try to catch what he was saying. Frustrating to say the least.

And, then there was the matter of false advertising. This is what the Otto Web site had to say about the class:

Intro to Italian Wine Classes include the basics of wine-making, an introduction to Italian regions and producers, tasting of six wines and paired with our antipasti. $35/person

A tasting of six wines paired with our antipasti? Suffice to say for the three whites, we each recieved two itty bitty slices of homemade sausage and a miniscule portion of smoked pork shoulder. I would be embarrased to serve such a stingy plate as an appetizer at my table. With the reds equally tiny portions of three cheeses were presented.

Now, I really didn't expect to be treated to a full meal, but I did expect that they would be a tad more generous than that. And, had they just not mentioned the antipasti on the site at all, I probably wouldn't have been disappointed - and would've eaten a full meal ahead of time.

Live and learn. Anyway, wouldn't recommend signing up for one of these classes. Save your money, belly up to Otto's bar and order one of their antipasti/wine tastings - a much better value.