WHITE TRUFFLE PASTA #recipe

#foodyholic.com

I decided to see how much I would use from 1 one-inch diameter of white truffle to make a homemade pasta truffle.

I went to buy the white truffle which is in season.

Next, I bought a serving of fresh thin style linguine from the same Italian grocery store.

Prepare the sauce while cooking the pasta.

Fresh pasta is done al dente by dropping it in a big pot of salted boiling water with about 2TB of oil so they don't stick together - no more than 3 minutes and drain well fast reserving about 1/2 cup of the water.

Return to the old pot where you cooked the pasta adding about 3-4 TB of the reserved water and 1-2 TB butter. 

Stir and add the sauce you just made immediately till it thickens lightly.  You may put it in very little fire for just a fee seconds or you don't have to, if the sauce is already thickening.

SAUCE:

1 egg

3 TB of clotted cream or Devonshire cream or Italian boxed cooking cream

3 TB freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Seasoning salt and and pepper.

1-2TB butter

1TB truffle oil

Wisk the egg first and then add the rest of the ingredients incorporating it all well.

After you add the sauce to the freshly drained pasta with about 3 TB of the reserved water (to separate the drained noodles) - add the sauce mixture.

This serves 2 main course or 3 -4 first course meals.  Shave the white truffle for each serving on top and pass more Parmesan cheese if needed.

I found out that my inch diameter white truffle can expand well.  This means I just saved about 25% ordering a pasta dish from a restaurant.

In case you want to know - the truffle cost $52.  Restaurants charge 80-$120 each order of white truffled pasta.  I can make and serve it for two to three.

Here I had 2 meals out of it and even grated a little bit more of truffle on my omelette next morning.

Truffle is a mushroom and is very light.  Price per pound may be shocking but if you look at it this way, it shows a different light.

By the way, the fresh truffle has a very mild taste but strong smell when you smell it. This is the reason why I have to add a little truffle oil in the pasta mixture for truffle flavor!

Enjoy! I hope you can find where to buy the white truffle.  You can also use the black truffle.

EXCELLENT INDIAN FOOD INTRO

I recently went to Mumbai, India and was glad to have stayed at the Taj Land's End Hotel in BANDRA with beautiful views if the Arabian Sea.

This large hotel had several restaurants.  I tried 3 of them. 

At this modern designed restaurant inside the Taj Land's End Hotel in Mumbai, one may not realize it but this restaurant has so much to offer. Both in flavor and quantity.

I decided to have a light lunch ordering the appetizer plate that is non-vegetarian.

The above assortment also came with delicious spiced potatoes in a small bowl. And some onions with pepper below:

I also had an assortment of crispy "chips"  and dip.  This reminds me partially of the potato chip family and the Asian kropek.

You may also choose vegetarian appetizer:

At the end of my lunch, they brought me homemade "end if meal" digestives to try. Below are dates in special mixture wrapped in leaves garnished with grated fresh coconut and saffron on some

When you open it, inside is a mixture of spices with a very distinct taste.

Above is inside the leaf garnished with coconut.  One has to eat everything including the leaf.

At the end of the meal, they also gave me 3 bowls of different sweets to munch to help your digestion.  The ones in the left and right are a little similar - candy coated fennel and other spices. In the center are dates that they have prepared a special way.

The ambience is sleek modern.

Above is their floral arrangement at the bar area where I ate so I could watch their chef cook as shown below:

Masala Bay is this hotel's Indian food restaurant. The others are Chinese, Italian and one other where they serve a variety of dishes and offer buffet-style dinner or ala-carte.

Masala Bay

www.tajhotels.com

Band Stand, Lobby Level, The Taj Lands End, Mumbai, 400050

+91 22 6668 1346

MAMAN - French Cafe

I had to come here as a Francophile! They did not disappoint me.  I now vote that MAMAN had the best most buttery, flackiest croissant and very light ever yet. Even better than most Parisian croissant.

I just could not stop with 1 croissant - since I could not, I had to buy 2 of the plain ones and a chocolate croissant to take home.

I saw the raspberry tarte as well. I wish I could eat bit as well.

I did have Maman's croque Monsieur with bechamel sauce.  It was very French as well. I was enjoying it that this all the piece I had left when I remembered to shoot a picture of it.

The squash soup was smooth. No photo in that as well but the chocolate chip cookies were large, chewy and crisp outside. 

 It just came out of the oven so the chocolate pieces ministered still swirling at every bite.

I wonder what it would be like to have dinner here?  Unfortunately it is a real cafe serving only light breakfast and lunch type meals. Dinner would be so wonderful!

Specials for the day are written on the mirror.

I need to tell you to order their latte. It's so good!

Superb!

MAMAN

Maman, 239 Centre Street (between Grand & Broome), mamannyc.com.