A travel idea: travel to Italy for a truffle hunt! It may be muddy and dirty but it sounds like fun and you stay with a family or in a small town and eat like a King (or Queen). In the past, truffles were only found by trained pigs but it seems like dogs are now the main way that these precious fungi are found.
They are edible subterranean mushrooms that are hard to find and therefore a much sought after delicacy. Pungent tasting and rich smelling, round and not quite hard - they are brown and wrinkly and plain ugly (see pic above). They are used very sparingly in dishes and am not sure you can really taste them when they are on menus (in truffle oil, truffle infused sauce etc.).
I have been meaning to make a truffle themed dinner for a while and will have to get some fresh truffles from Borough and make it happen, maybe when Momma Dolce is in town.
