GOURMET ATTITUDE & TRUFFLED SCRAMBLED EGGS

Two days before I endeavored on my truffle adventure in Provence, I was notified by Lori Lynn that I had won a fresh black truffle giveaway from Gourmet Attitude on her blog, Taste with the Eyes. I was ecstatic at the news and took it as an omen that I would have an incredible experience learning about truffles in Provence. As can you tell from the gusto with which I have written recent posts, it indeed was a good omen as I did have an amazing time in Provence!

Since Gourmet Attitude is located in the Upper West Side of Manhattan, I arranged to pick up my prize shortly after I returned from my truffle trip. I met with Elodie, a representative of Gourmet Attitude at the Palace Hotel in midtown while she was making her rounds dropping off fresh black truffles for Valentine's Day weekend.  Elodie was carrying a bag full of truffles that also had a scale secured on the side pocket. Take a peak at the treasures in the thermo bag she was carrying:

These guys are bigger in size than the average Perigord truffle, which a bit more rare and potentially more valuable. It was as soon as the fresh earthy, cocoa and red wine aromas hit my synapses that I had a million questions running through my head about these truffles and about Gourmet Attitude. All of the sudden it became clear that I was getting something more valuable than I had initially anticipated.

 

Upon further research, I found an impressive history behind the building of Gourmet Attitude. Céline Labaune, a native of the south of France, started the company in 2003 after seeing an absence of good quality fresh truffles in the American market.  She spent a few years researching and developing relationships with the best suppliers and producers of truffles. Over the years, Céline has grown Gourmet Attitude's product offering of fresh, frozen and preserved truffles year-round from various regions of the world, to now offering her own line of truffle delicacies such as truffle honey, carpaccio and tartufata. Her hard work and commitment to quality has garnered her tremendous success with a very elite customer list including: The French Laundry, Per Se, Le Bernardin, Daniel, Masa, Alinea, and Michael Mina. It doesn't get much more exclusive than serving these guys.

 

When I arrived home with my precious black truffle (tuber melanosporum), I was pinching myself, I still couldn't believe they gave me a Perigord, of all the black truffles, this species is the most highly prized! I lifted the nugget from the paper bag, held it up to my nose, and inhaled. Ahhhh!  Intense aromas of dark chocolate, red wine, and accents of hazelnut with a hint of Parmesan reggiano instantly saturated my olfactory senses! 

I was giddy with excitement, immediately rinsing, and brushing the dirt off of the truffle.  No longer was I able to resist waiting, I placed the truffle on the cutting board, thinly shaved a slice, and popped it in my mouth. And with a supple crunch, sweet memories of the indulgent truffle covered meals I had the week before began to emerge in my head. The flavors were symmetrical to the aromas, tasting like refined cocoa, a fruity bold red wine and accents of hazelnuts. I took another slice, and another to nibble, and before I knew it, I only had half of the truffle! I'm a little piggy. Okay I'm a very bad piggy who should have waited to share a bigger piece with my husband!

 

When my husband returned home, I prepared the same truffled scrambled eggs that I learned to make at Joel Gravier farmhouse. 

I started by creating a bain marie or a double boiler on medium heat. As the water was heating in a large pot, I minced half of the small truffle, which weighed roughly an ounce.

 

I added four extra large eggs to the pan, placed the pan onto the larger pot of hot steaming water, and started stirring. I stirred with a whisk for ten minutes, seasoning with salt along the way. After ten minutes, the soft scrambled eggs came together in a soft, cloudy consistency. I topped the eggs on a piece of bread toasted in butter, sprinkled chopped chives and coarse sea salt and voilà, truffled scrambled eggs. My husband called this the "perfect amalgamation of flavors!"

 

Thanks Lori Lynn of Taste with the Eyes for hosting the truffle giveaway!

Thanks Gourmet Attitude for giving away such an exceptional product!