Lobster & Truffles and Pasta, Oh My!
June 30, 2009 11:12 PM   Subscribe

A funny thing happened to me on the way to the Balasmic vinegar warehouse "Watch me turn balsamic vinegar and borderline road rage into Truffles." How one guy accidently made the best ever wedding anniversary meal.
posted by Man_in_staysis (34 comments total) 10 users marked this as a favorite
 
In another post on that blog he makes his own marshmallows to put into hot chocolate. Sheesh.
posted by GuyZero at 11:17 PM on June 30, 2009 [1 favorite]


His day really wasn't that bad, but the meal sounds scrumptious.
posted by Mr_Zero at 11:23 PM on June 30, 2009


permalink to the post in question

yeah, I was expecting a longer odyssey, but the meal sounds awful good
posted by LobsterMitten at 11:37 PM on June 30, 2009


Sorry, I read this as homemade black truffle-marshmellow dark chocolate smores with cocoa nibs and chili powder.
posted by loquacious at 11:43 PM on June 30, 2009


A bit over-written (or perhaps over-egged) for my tastes. Also he can't smell "Thermidor" which I find off-putting when it's in something that's meant to be clever-clever in a culinary way. A bit like finding a hair in my truffled lobster whatever.
posted by rhymer at 12:06 AM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]


there's a joke to be made about "Balasmic", but it's too late at night for me to think of it.
posted by empath at 12:47 AM on July 1, 2009


I was disappointed that he didn't turn balsamic vinegar and roadkill into truffles, as I first misread it.
posted by metaplectic at 12:57 AM on July 1, 2009 [2 favorites]


So the, uh, meat of this post is that Truffles == Good?

And also, I learned from rhymer that lobster smells bad.
posted by Dr Dracator at 1:42 AM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]


Man_in_staysis: …the Balasmic vinegar warehouse…

Hmm. I was not aware that they had a vinegar warehouse in Dagestan.
posted by koeselitz at 2:19 AM on July 1, 2009


empath: there's a joke to be made about "Balasmic", but it's too late at night for me to think of it.

See, I gotcha there, empath.
posted by koeselitz at 2:20 AM on July 1, 2009


Also he can't smell "Thermidor" ...

Yeah, but his missmelling of "Kraken" is even more pungent.
posted by Ella Fynoe at 3:21 AM on July 1, 2009 [3 favorites]


What do you think truffles smell of? I know what I think, but I would be interested in what others think.

I thought Dagestan was going to be some *hilarious* dag related dig at Sydney xurbs
posted by asok at 4:46 AM on July 1, 2009


Sounds tasty, but I bet his girlfriend makes a even meaner grilled cheese.
posted by iamkimiam at 5:14 AM on July 1, 2009 [6 favorites]


But what happened to the lobster? Was the poor thing just sitting in the car the whole time this guy was making buttered noodles with fungus on top?
posted by xingcat at 6:20 AM on July 1, 2009


Man, I hate it when I stumble onto fresh truffles after I get a mammoth lobster. I can only take consolation in the fact that lobster's at pretty low prices that have made lobstermen start selling their catch in unexpected places.
posted by boo_radley at 6:33 AM on July 1, 2009


Now I need a truffle to make this.

How much are they and where do i get one in los angeles..
posted by Lord_Pall at 7:15 AM on July 1, 2009


This article had me at Kracken in Tow and Jurassic Lobster. MMMMMM Jurassic Lobster... NAAAAAAAGGGGH... me/drools.
posted by Mastercheddaar at 8:01 AM on July 1, 2009


200g dried pasta = enough for 2 people
60g salted butter = 1/2 stick

Does anyone know how much 50 grams of shaved Parmesan is in volume? (cups)
posted by Bonzai at 8:01 AM on July 1, 2009


Does anyone know how much 50 grams of shaved Parmesan is in volume? (cups)

About 1/4 cup. You can almost always add parmesan to taste, though, so go nuts.

Also, the fact that that recipe recommends salted butter is making me doubt this guy's cooking chops. I've never heard of a chef preferring salted butter in any context - my understanding is the salt's only there as a preservative and possibly also to mask the taste of inferior product. I'd use cultured butter (sometimes labelled "European style" in North America) myself.
posted by gompa at 8:11 AM on July 1, 2009


I like this site and story although my poor American brain can't handle metric measurements in cooking (although I can do distance measures, sad really considering my doper past - A Kilo is a Thousand Grams, Easy to Remember!- 50 grams of this or that just causes my brain to shut down, DON'T JUDGE ME.).


What do you think truffles smell of?


A clean dirt floor in really old well maintained basement.
posted by Divine_Wino at 8:19 AM on July 1, 2009 [2 favorites]


US$130–380 per pound for black truffles (which is what this guy bought), but that's in Europe. Probably more in the States, what with the import costs and all.

White truffles: much, much more.
posted by ixohoxi at 8:28 AM on July 1, 2009


Oops, that was in response to Lord_Pall.
posted by ixohoxi at 8:29 AM on July 1, 2009


The one thing that keeps my desire to cook interesting things under control is my absolute loathing of all edible fungi. OTherwise, I'd probably be broke making friends interesting things with truffles.

That said, his macaroni and cheese recipe seemed interesting. I may try it sometime.
posted by mephron at 8:39 AM on July 1, 2009


I'll admit to my ignorance here, what is it that everyone loves so much about truffles? I've never had one, but the way people rave and the money they are willing to spend to get them suggests something very good. The thing is, the descriptions of them: Deeply earthy, mysterious, fungal, cheesy, musty, sexual doesn't actually sound like something I'd think most people would necessarily want to eat.
posted by quin at 8:53 AM on July 1, 2009


...my absolute loathing of all edible fungi.

Brother, I hear you. I hate mushrooms with a passion. And yes, I've tried 'em all: chantrelles, shitake, morells, all of 'em. I come from a family of foodies and mushroom hunters, so I've had 'em cooked every which way. I still hate 'em.

Except truffles.

Good lord, truffles are wonderful. Part umami, part sucking at the teat of Mother Earth herself. Oh man, they're awesome.
posted by lekvar at 9:22 AM on July 1, 2009 [1 favorite]



...my absolute loathing of all edible fungi


Shit, really? Man I'm sorry, mushrooms sauteed in olive oil with garlic, lemon juice and white wine, one of my favorite foods in the world. Mushrooms keep their own flavor while absorbing other flavors better than any other food I can think of, plus they're a weird thing to eat and that's always fun.
posted by Divine_Wino at 9:27 AM on July 1, 2009


Deeply earthy, mysterious, fungal, cheesy, musty, sexual doesn't actually sound like something I'd think most people would necessarily want to eat.

No grilled cheese for quin, then.
posted by bitter-girl.com at 9:31 AM on July 1, 2009 [2 favorites]


Deeply earthy, mysterious, fungal, cheesy, musty, sexual doesn't actually sound like something I'd think most people would necessarily want to eat.

Wow. Speak for yourself. It makes me hungry just reading it. And mildly aroused. But those two things tend to go together with me. And why my house is so popular at supper time.
posted by tkchrist at 11:33 AM on July 1, 2009


Yeah, but his missmelling of "Kraken" is even more pungent.

I did see this but apparently it is an obscure variant spelling of Kraken; I mean he probably still misspelled it but I thought I'd give him the benefit of the doubt. A bit like no one ever writes "connexion" (for connection) but it's not actually wrong.
posted by rhymer at 12:07 PM on July 1, 2009


Does anyone know how much 50 grams of shaved Parmesan is in volume? (cups)

About 1/4 cup.


Really? That's only about half the density of water (114 g to the quarter-cup). Shouldn't there be air spaces and whatnot? Not as much for shaved as for grated, I guess, but ... I guess you learn something new every day.
posted by eritain at 1:20 PM on July 1, 2009


There shouldn't be a measurement for good parmesan cheese. Just pile that shit on. I'll tell you when to stop. Which is never. I will never tell you to stop grating that over my plate. Waiters hate me.
posted by spec80 at 1:52 PM on July 1, 2009 [3 favorites]


Man, this guy's blog is seriously worth following. I am so making Lemon Mayonnaise and my own mustard.
posted by spock at 9:06 PM on July 1, 2009


I will never tell you to stop grating that over my plate. Waiters hate me.

So does the chef watching you douse the meal they made for you in enough cheese to obliterate all the flavours.

Deeply earthy, mysterious, fungal, cheesy, musty, sexual

Truffles taste like good black dirt should taste. Heavenly.
posted by dirtynumbangelboy at 1:48 AM on July 2, 2009


Really? That's only about half the density of water (114 g to the quarter-cup). Shouldn't there be air spaces and whatnot? Not as much for shaved as for grated, I guess, but ... I guess you learn something new every day.

I was kinda going off the cuff with that. Anyway, here's the logical progression. One cup is about 250mL (actually more like 235mL or so, I think), which winds up being equivalent to about 230-250g in weighted measure. So 50g is about 1/4 cup. (I'm sure if I did this with baking it'd be disastrous, but I can generally eyeball pasta ingredients.)

I was also ballparking based on how much parmesan I'd plan to serve with half a pound of pasta, which regardless of sauce or ingredients is generally 1/4 to 1/2 cup.

Found a converter for you, and it turns out my completely unscientific estimate is pretty solid: 50g actually equals more like 1/5 of a cup.
posted by gompa at 10:03 AM on July 2, 2009


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