Good morning foodie friends….today is about ‘Funghi & Tartufo’.
I’m a lover of mushrooms and truffles and this month at TATM I’m introducing one of my favorite flatbreads with one of my favorite Italian cheeses….Taleggio….friends, this is just one sexy cheese.
Whenever I prepare mushrooms, it reminds me of the several years I lived up in the redwood forests of Boulder Creek in Northern California. Even in the summer the air was filled with a mossy scent where wild ferns grew everywhere beneath the canopy of the sun-blocking trees. We lived in a little red shingled house on a large lot with a stream running behind it. The property was overgrown with wild blackberries and Peruvian lilies that would sprout up every spring. I was working as a line cook for the very first time at a little French restaurant in Saratoga called Le Mouton Noir. It was owned by a very nice couple who were passionate about French food and we made absolutely everything from scratch. I guess they were pleased with my work and enthusiasm because they bought me my first Cuisinart, something I couldn’t afford back then. We didn’t have much money….Gallo Hearty Burgundy was our go-to wine at home, but we ate well mainly hearty soups and stews that I prepared. I remember the first two things I made with my shiny new Cuisinart was a frozen wild blackberry souffle made with the ones from our yard and a pork & duck pate…I was hooked on my new toy.
Anyway, I digress….back to the mushrooms. When preparing them I often start by slow roasting them with shallots and fresh thyme which concentrates the flavor creating caramelized edges, tender centers…a little forest floor mystery if you will. They bring both an earthiness and elegance, like a floating whisper from a mossy hillside after a rain.
Next, the Taleggio is introduced, which is one of the oldest soft cheeses in Italy originating back to the 9th century in the Val Taleggio valley of Lombardy. It is washed once a week with a seawater sponge to prevent mold growth and to form a very thin, edible orange or rose crust.
Into a blazing hot oven, the flatbread goes until the edges are brown and crispy and the cheese works its magic. It doesn’t just melt…it oozes velvet richness, wrapping the mushrooms in a lush, decadent cloak.
Out of the oven and ready for its final caress as white Truffle oil is drizzled across the top with its buttery aroma. A little wild and intoxicating as it threads through the Taleggio and mushrooms like a silk ribbon, tying everything together with pure indulgence.
A flatbread like this doesn’t just feed you…it seduces you.
You’re Welcome…
David & Tino
