A Few of My Favorite Fall Things: Truffles, Cheese, & Barolo #ItalianFWT

Fall might just be my favorite season. Not that the seasons here on California's central coast are very pronounced. While I love the pop of Spring wildflowers and lazy days of lounging in a hammock during Summer vacation, this season brings out my hankering for two distinctly Fall things: truffles and Barolo.

And this month, Jill of L'Occasion is hosting the Italian Food Wine Travel bloggers as we post about our Favorite Italian Wines for Fall. Read her invitation here. If you are reading this early enough, feel free to join us for a Twitter chat on Saturday, September 1st at 8am (Pacific time). Or you can read the conversation at your leisure anytime by searching for #ItalianFWT.

The Line-Up

• Marcia at Joy of Wine reveals Lacrima – The Aromatic Jewel in La Marche’s Crown.
• Jeff at FoodWineClick! gets real with his directive to Finish Up the Rosato, It’s Barolo Time!
• Jennifer at Vino Travels introduces us to Badia a Coltibuono: Beginnings by Monks in Gaiole in Chianti.
• Gwen at Wine Predator has an inspiring suggestion for Italian Red Wines for Fall? Go Pink and Pair with Pasta!
• Jane at Always Ravenous is bringing in the new season by Leaning into Fall with Beef Short Ribs and Nebbiolo.
• Lauren, The Swirling Dervish, is our helpful guide to Transitioninto Fall with the Wines from Südtirol / Alto Adige.
• Wendy from A Day In The Life On The Farm crafts a tempting pairing of Pappardelle al Ragu Di Cinghiale and a Monsanto Chianti Classico.
• Camilla from Culinary Adventures With Camilla shares her secrets with A Few of My Favorite Fall Things: Truffles, Cheese, & Barolo.
• Jill at L’Occasion gives you Wine To Match The Trees: 15 Italian Reds for Fall.

I Tartufi

To me, nothing says autumn in Italy more than truffles. Truffles. I tartufi. In gourmet circles around the world, they are a treasure and - both figuratively and literally - worth their weight in gold. But in many parts of Italy, come autumn, they are just an ingredient that has absolutely nothing to do with gourmet sophistication. Truffles are a seasonal food just like any other.

I am lucky enough to have friends who own Italian restaurants here in town. A couple of years ago, I headed to one of the restaurants, spent twenty minutes with Emanuele, and learned more about truffles than hours of research would have taught me.

In fact, hours of research would not have allowed me to smell the truffles for that distinctive earthy scent or squeeze them gently for that desirable sponginess, or listen to Emanuele explain how his friend harvests the truffles in Alba.

If you are unfamiliar, you might be wondering: What are truffles?

Truffles are a fungi and, so, related to mushrooms. But, unlike their mushroom cousins, truffles form beneath the surface of the soil and can only thrive in the conditions near stands of oaks, willows, and linden trees. All over northern and central Italy, fresh truffles are on tables in the Fall. And when they aren't in season, you can find them preserved in jars and cans.

There is a restaurant in Rome that made a unique gelato al tartufo. I was tempted to recreate that for this event, but the weather has turned cold and gelato was not high on my list of to-dos. And, this year, I didn't see that Emanuele had any truffles at his restaurant in time for this event, so I went with a truffle cheese. But first...

In My Glass

Barolo is a red wine produced in the Piedmont region of Italy made from the Nebbiolo grape. Nebbiolo is a small, thin-skinned grape varietal that's generally high in acid and tannins; the resulting wine is usually rich, full-bodied and carries that acidity and tannins with it.

I was able to get my hands on a Virna Barolo 2013. To the eye, it's a rich ruby shade. To the nose, the bouquet is subtle with hints of sweet cherries, spicy pepper, and even earthy truffles. It's dry and elegant with a long, flavorful finish.

On My Plate

Because of that earthy hint of truffles, I decided to make a fonduta with truffle cheese and truffle oil since I couldn't get my hands on any truffles ahead of this event. Fonduta is similar to fondue but includes egg yolks and milk to make it lusciously rich and creamy. 

Ingredients

• 1/2 pound cheese (I used a mixture of cheeses plus some truffled gouda)
• 1 C whole milk
• 3 egg yolks (reserve the whites for something else, such as meringues)
• 3 T butter
• 1/2 t truffle oil
• bread for serving

Procedure 

In a shallow bowl, combine the cheese and milk, submerging the cheese fully in the milk. Cover and let stand at room temperature for 2 hours, or refrigerate overnight.

Drain off 1/2 C of the milk and place it in a bowl with the egg yolks. Whisk until blended.

Put the cheese, the remaining milk and the butter in a heatproof bowl that will fit snugly in the rim of a saucepan, making a double-boiler. Pour about 2 inches of water into the saucepan and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Adjust the heat so the water simmers gently, and suspend the bowl with the cheese over the simmering water. Heat, stirring often, until the cheese is melted and smooth, approximately 3 minutes. Slowly add the egg yolk mixture while whisking constantly. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until slightly thickened, approximately 5 minutes more.

Pour the fonduta over the hunks of bread. Serve immediately. Serves 4.