truffles

There are truffles, the kind that grow underground and are rooted out by snorting pigs, and there are the other truffles, small balls of luscious chocolate. On Valentine's Day, we prefer the latter. Though rich truffle oil from the former is lovely when drizzled over mashed potatoes, our order for the most seductive chocolates still stands.

The first truffles were dark and misshapen, not unlike the underground fungus. The similarity is what inspired their name, coined by either the French or Swiss. The origin of the truffle is debatable, but they've been a prized product of European chocolatiers since at least the mid 1800s.

A truffle is made of melted chocolate, butter or cream and sugar. Added to the melted mixture are any of various flavorings, including liqueurs, spices, extracts, coffee or nuts. Once the mixture is cooled and the butter firms again, a small amount is rolled by hand into a ball. The classic coating is unsweetened cocoa powder, but you'll find truffles coated with sprinkles, shaved chocolate and sugar.

Some truffles are dipped in melted white or dark chocolate, which gives them a hard coating.

What better way to say "I love you"?

what's that mean?

Think of simmering passion and you'll get the idea behind this cooking term. Simmering occurs when a liquid is heated just below boiling, about 185 degrees. The tiny bubbles at the bottom of the pan should float to the surface and break gently. When the bubbles are large and move rapidly to the surface, the liquid is boiling. Many sauces and cream soups require simmering because higher temperatures cause them to separate.

kitchen tip

To stack skillets without scratching the cooking surface of the nonstick ones, slip a paper towel, dish towel or sheet of bubble wrap between them.

constant comment

"Your words are my food, your breath my wine. You are everything to me." -- actor Sarah Bernhardt (1844-1923)

dinner tonight

It's Wednesday. Do you know what you're having for dinner? How about some fast-food Asian with a little health food thrown in? Make a salad with whatever greens and veggies strike your fancy. We'd recommend hearty romaine, julienned red bell peppers, blanched sliced asparagus, cucumber slices and chopped mushrooms. Bake frozen Chinese egg rolls according to the package directions, cool slightly and cut into bite-size pieces. Dress the salad with a ginger-flavored salad dressing, then top with chopped egg rolls.

collision course

Ketchup collides with chipotle peppers for the aptly named Ketchipotle. It can be used wherever ketchup is needed, but it adds the punch of smoky chipotle peppers to your sandwich or casserole. It also works great as a barbecue sauce. The product won first place in the condiments/ketchup category at the 2003 Scovie awards, a national competition for hot and spicy foods. Ketchipotle is available only by mail. A package of three 19-ounce bottles costs $19; a case of 12 is $42. Call toll-free 1-800-498-5075 or visit the Web site, www.newtaste.com.

great explorations

And you thought you lugged a lot of food home from the grocery store. When Lewis and Clark began their famed expedition some 200 years ago, their party of 33 men (and one dog) had to schlepp a serious stash of provisions for what turned into a nearly three-year trip, including:

-- 600 pounds of grease

-- 50 kegs of pork

-- 193 pounds of bouillon

-- seven barrels of salt

-- 30 gallons of wine

-- almost 4,000 pounds of flour

Along the way, the men hunted wild game, bagging 1,001 deer, 375 elk, 227 bison, 104 geese and 43 grizzly bears, according to The Lewis and Clark Cookbook: Historic Recipes from the Corps of Discovery and Jefferson's America (Celestial Arts, $17.95).

© 2006 • All Rights Reserved • Tampa Bay Times
490 First Avenue South • St. Petersburg, FL 33701 • 727-893-8111

Contact the Times | Privacy Policy
Standard of Accuracy | Terms, Conditions & Copyright