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Laurel Pine

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Gourmet

Discover The Seemingly Endless Uses for White Truffle Oil

It seems almost everything I prepare can be enhanced with white truffle oil. Some of my favorite white truffle oil uses include drizzling white truffle oil on salads–especially those containing hearty vegetables such as beets, leeks, asparagus, tomatoes and mushrooms–drizzling it on grilled or sautéed vegetables, drizzling on bread, pizza or popcorn, and adding it to pasta, risotto or potato based dishes. Uses for truffle oil are almost the same for white truffle oil and black truffle oil. It’s really just a matter of personal taste and preference. White truffle oil is generally more subtle in flavor and won’t overwhelm the other ingredients unless too much is used. The rule with all truffle oil is that a little goes a long way. In general, white truffle oil is best drizzled over prepared food just prior to serving. In some cases it is added to sauces at the last minute, and…

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How to Use Pressed Caviar

Pressed caviar is a paste usually made of various grades and types of caviar. The product, which is made from the caviar eggs that break during the packing of traditional caviar, generally comes in a caviar tin.  This unique type of caviar was once popular in France and the US, but has all but disappeared from the market in the last 20 years.  Recently Jacques Pépin teamed up with California Caviar Company to develop and re-introduce this product to the market. Jacques Pépin‘s Payusnaya (the Russian name for pressed caviar) combines the nutty flavor of California white sturgeon, the assertive full sea flavor from Paddlefish, and the creamy, rich taste of Hackleback roe. About Pressed Caviar Pressed caviar is stronger and more concentrated than whole caviar roe, is quite versatile, and is generally best incorporated into a recipe.  The product can be rolled between two sheets of plastic wrap, and then cut into strips, circles,…

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Caviar Recipes: Creme Vichyssoise with Black River Caviar

Creme Vichyssoise with Black River Caviar: This classic French soup served chilled is wonderful with a large dollop of Black River Caviar, though another type of ossetra caviar can be used. Since the caviar will sit on the surface of the soup, you’ll want to make sure the soup is thick enough to hold the caviar. If you use home made chicken stock, the stock will be more gelatinous and therefore the chilled soup will have a thicker consistency.  If store-bought stock is used, simply add more potatoes to adjust the thickness.  Either way, use plenty of potato when you cook the soup.  Before blending the soup, you can set aside some of the diced potato, and add it as needed to get the proper consistency. Or, at the end, when the soup is chilled, you can add milk or cream to thin out the soup. Creme Vichyssoise with Black…

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Luxury Recipe: Foie Gras Ice Cream

This foie gras ice cream, made with slow baked foie gras, Sauternes wine, sugar, egg yolks, butter and cream is extremely rich and satisfying. Serve this decadent foie-gras ice cream for dessert presented in a bowl with toasted macadamia nuts and bittersweet chocolate shavings, make a foie gras ice cream sandwich with two soft gingerbread cookies, or serve with crepes, caramel sauce and fleur de sel. Foie gras ice cream, like foie gas itself, can be successfully paired with a multitude of ingredients, particularly if the foie gras ice cream is prepared using savory ingredients such as veal or duck stock, herbs. and just a hint of sugar. Since this recipe is for a sweet foie gras ice cream, there may be less applications for pairing this with savory foods; however there are certainly options worth exploring. We served a small scoop of the foie gras ice cream on top…

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Luxury Recipe: Foie Gras Stuffed Mushrooms

I’ve been making stuffed mushrooms as a party appetizer for years. This recipe for Foie Gras Stuffed Mushrooms takes the old recipe to a new level. The frozen foie gras cubes have just enough time to cook in the oven. If black truffles were in season, I would have added an ounce of chopped black truffles for a real treat! The truffles could be added with the bread crumbs so that they would be partially cooked before the mushrooms are cooked in the oven. Foie Gras Stuffed Mushrooms Ingredients: 24 medium sized cremini brown mushrooms 3 tablespoons foie gras fat (duck fat or olive oil can be used) 1 large onion, chopped 1 teaspoon sea salt 1/2 teaspoon cumin 1/2 teaspoon paprika 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper 1 teaspoon marash chili pepper 1/4 cup pine nuts 2/3 cup bread crumbs 12 ounces flash frozen foie gras, cut into 3/4 inch…

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