Italian comfort food - a photo on Flickriver

            Spaghetti con tartufo (in English: "Spaghetti with truffles"), Italian cuisine easy to cook, photographed in our holiday home near Poggibonsi, Tuscani

Some background information:

Truth be told, I am no skilled food photographer. This was already my second serving, but it tasted so good that I forgot to photograph my first one. So here comes the recipe. It’s really simple:

Cook the Spaghetti (I think I needn’t tell you how), pour some tablespoons of truffle-oil  (olive oil flavoured with truffles) over them after they are cooked, season them with black pepper from the pepper mill, mix them with some shaved Pecorino cheese and finally dredge them with thin slices of fresh burgundy truffle. Bon appétit! By the way, preparing the whole meal won’t cost you more than a quarter of an hour and it’s really yummy.

The burgundy truffle (Tuber uncinatum) resp. autumn truffel is a mushroom and species of truffle that can be found in almost all European countries. Burgundy truffles have an intense, hazelnut-like aroma and are highly prized for their gastronomic qualities. They smell a bit of garlic and malt. Burgundy truffles are used in the haute cuisine of France and Italy, as well as a substitute for the Périgord black truffle (Tuber melanosporum). Like other truffles, they are also canned and bottled for export. 

Burgundy truffles have a more intense aroma than summer truffles and both are distinguished from each other in cuisine and commerce. However, molecular analysis showed in 2004 that these two varieties of truffle are one species. The differences between them are therefore likely due to environmental factors.

With bodies from 2 centimetres (1 inch) to 10 centimetres (4 inch) in diameter, burgundy truffles are relatively large. Their brown or black outer skin forms pyramidal warts about 3 to 9 mm wide, resembling rough bark. The flesh of burgundy truffles is yellowish or even hazel and has a rather compact texture that is evocative of the texture of carrots or kohlrabies. It is crossed by whity small veins that make it look marbled. 

Burgundy truffles are harvested from September to late December, sometimes also until late January. They have a wider distribution than any other truffle species. Burgundy truffles are found across Europe, from Spain to eastern Europe and from Sweden to North Africa. In France they are found mainly in the north-east and in Italy, in the north and in the middle. In the United Kingdom they were plentiful prior to the 20th century, but are now rare. 

Usually, burgundy truffles grow below ground in oak or beech forests, mainly on base-rich chalk or marly soils. But on rare occasions they can even be found in conifer forests. Their spores are brown and have a length of approximately 35 micrometres. The mushrooms are surrounded by a coarse-meshed net of lamellar structures. 

Because all species of truffles can only be found below soil surface, it is almost impossible for human being to find them autonomously. Hence, truffle pickers are dependent on the help of animals with an exceptional scenting ability. These animals are either pigs or a few dog breeds that can be trained to find truffles. In Italy, the most popular dog breed for truffle hunting is the Lagotto Romagnolo. It is a curly coated little dog with an appearance of being robust and hardy. Lagatto Romagnolo dogs have generally sharp senses. But they are also very loyal and loving, which makes them the perfect family companions.

Taken in: Italia / Toscana / Bellavista (show map)

Taken on: October 3, 2018

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2018 « less

Sets appears in: • Italy: Tuscany and Cinque Terre 2018 • Autumn

Groups appears in: • Italy • Photographs of Italy more » • Tuscany / Toscana • European Vacation • Food Court • bella italia!! • Food around the world • Toscana • Italy, Best of / L'immagine dell'Italia • Italy . • Strictly GeoTagged (no 30/60 limit) • The concept is Europe • ITALIA - ITALY - ITALIE - ITALIEN « less

Camera: Canon PowerShot SX20 IS, f/2.8, 1/30 sec, 5mm, ISO 250 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Canon PowerShot SX20 IS
Lens:	5.0-100.0 mm
Aperture:	f/2.8
Exposure Time:	0.033 sec (1/30)
Focal Length:	5mm
ISO:	250
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Color Space:	sRGB
Software:	Adobe Photoshop CS6 (Windows)
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