the Truffle Hunt is on

Truffles — those incredible black fungi from France. In the Dordogne, also called the Perigord, the truffle hunt is underway at this time of year. Like the dog that is stolen in The Girl in the Empty Dress, truffle dogs are put into action to sniff out these fragrant underground delicacies.

If you’ve never had a truffle, or a sliver of one which is really all it takes because the flavor is so pungent, here is how some describe it: woodsy, onion without the heat, ozone, pheremones, a freshly opened can of creamed corn — ? Okay, there is really no way to describe the scent of a black truffle. Try a truffle-flavored meal in a fine restaurant this time of year and you will likely get the fragrant picture.

American cookbook writer Susan Herrmann Loomis, author of the wonderful book, On Rue Tatin about her journey from the US to a village in Normandy, is offering a fabulous truffle-hunting weekend for those with pockets deep enough to get to the Dordogne this February. A real truffle hunt with a dog, accomodations and meals at a foie gras farm, and a cooking class. Sounds divine, doesn’t it? For more check out her blog. Shallower pockets? Read her books for a virtual journey with recipes.

The Girl in the Empty Dress is only $2.99 for a few more days, then the price returns to $4.99. Intrigue, truffles, romance, and France in the bleak midwinter!

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