Aphrodisiacs: White Truffle Fondue

There is something mysterious, exotic and seductive about the truffle. Trufficulteurs venture into dark forests during the beginning of dawn to search out these elusive mushrooms. But, are truffles in fact an aphrodisiac? There is some scientific backing to this claim. However, do not read the next paragraph if you are easily grossed out.

Sows instinctively seek out truffles as the mushrooms give off scents identical to a pheromone with a strong musky smell similar to that found in the sexual organs of the boar and transferred to the salivary glands during arousal. Basically, truffles smell like pig love. How romantic.

Ingredients:
6 oz. Italian Fontina, trimmed of rind and cut small chunks
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons flour
1 cup whole milk
1 tablespoon butter, softened
1/4 cup dry white wine
1 ounce Taleggio cheese, trimmed of rind
1 tablespoon white truffle oil

To serve with fondue:
1 baguette
Grape tomatoes
Small boiled potatoes
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Sauteed mushrooms
Diced chicken

Toss Fontina, garlic and flour together in a medium heat-proof bowl, stir in milk, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate overnight.

Stir Parmesan cheese and butter into bowl with garlic-cheese-milk mixture. Set bowl over a medium pot of gently simmering water over medium-low heat and add white wine. Cook, stirring constantly, until cheese is completely melted, 15-20 minutes. Add Taleggio and stir until it melts into Fontina, about 2 minutes. Stir in truffle oil.

Divide melted cheese between 4 soup bowls. Serve with your choice of suggested accompaniments.

Red Wine Truffles

A conversation with my boss (we'll call her "Yulie" to protect her identity) about holiday treats made me realize that I would like to try to create red wine-flavored truffles (I already enjoy both ingredients, this just skips a step..) I set out on an Internet quest, looking for a such a recipe. The results were mostly about infusing red wine with truffle mushrooms (does that even sound good...?) or about BUYING chocolate truffles. Tasting each wine and chocolate before creating a finished product shall require strength and perseverance, but I suspect I'm up for the task. I'm posting below the only recipe found thus far. (I cannot eat hazelnuts thus my test-run will omit them). I'll post as to how these turned out, and then create a new, personalized version.

Merlot Hazelnut Cocoa Truffles
Makes approximately 40 bite-sized truffles with an enticing interplay of flavors.

Ingredients:
2 cups bittersweet chocolate (1 12-oz. bag of chips or 3 4-oz. bars chopped into small pieces)
3/4 cup heavy cream
4 tablespoons butter
1/3 cup red wine, such as Merlot
3/4 cup hazelnuts, toasted and chopped
½-1 cup cocoa, such as Scharffen Berger or Hershey's Dark

Place chocolate chips or pieces in a medium-sized bowl. In a sauce pan, bring heavy cream and butter to a boil. Immediately pour over chocolate. Stir with a whisk until chocolate has melted and ingredients are fully combined. Whisk in wine, and then hazelnuts.

Let mixture cool at room temperature for 3-4 hours or overnight, covered but not refrigerated. Or chill in the bowl in the refrigerator. Remove it every 5 minutes and stir well. Continue until mixture thickens slightly, 10 to 20 minutes.

Place cocoa in a small shallow pan or dish. Set aside.

Stir mixture well with a spatula. The filling should have a spreadable consistency. Pipe 1-inch ganache rounds with a pastry bag fitted with a 3/4-inch round tip onto waxed paper, or scoop 1-inch rounds onto the paper with a teaspoon.

With gloves on, shape the filling in the palms of your hands to create a rounder appearance. Place into the pan that contains the cocoa and roll it in cocoa until fully covered.
Remove from the pan with a fork, knocking off any excess cocoa. Place onto a clean tray or plate.

They are best served at room temperature.

Truffles may be refrigerated for up to one week, or kept at room
temperature for up to three days. They will keep in the freezer for up to two months.