truffle

Launching 2026 with tea at The Newbury

Launching 2026 with tea at The Newbury

Posted on by Pat and David
It's a Boston reflex to speed the day by grabbing a cup of Dunkin' to go. But sometimes it's better to engage in a ruminative pot of tea, a few scones, and successive tiers of finger sandwiches and sweet bites. Few places anywhere observe the tea ceremony with such a sense of occasion as Boston's landmark hotel, The Newbury. Served in the Street Bar facing the Public Garden, the hotel's afternoon tea demonstrates the timelessness of tradition. Originally opened in 1927 as the Ritz-Carlton, The Newbury seemed a perfect spot for us to launch the new year. Like the month of January, it captures the spirit of the Roman god Janus — looking both to the past and the future. Done right, a formal afternoon...Read More

Even more decadent grilled cheese and truffle sandwich

Posted on by David
Some foodies love to play the “last supper” game: What would you want to eat for your last meal on earth? Pat and I are in accord on this one. It would probably be this elegantly simple grilled cheese sandwich with Comté, prosciutto, ripe tomato and truffle. Cooked just enough to brown the bread in butter (an omelet pan is perfect for the task), the Comté brings out all the high, resinous notes in the black truffle. You could die happy just biting into the sandwich, which gives you a strong whiff of truffle just before you actually taste it. In the interest of research, we tried this sandwich in the purist form—just Comté and truffle—before adding the prosciutto and tomato. The basic sandwich shown...Read More

Black truffle quiche

Posted on by David
Everyone always says that truffles pair well with eggs so I thought a black truffle quiche would be a natural. But when I went looking, the only recipes I could find for truffle quiche use truffle oil—an interesting ingredient in its own right if you like laboratory flavors, but not exactly real truffle. To create a quiche worthy of truffles, I turned to two late, great chefs whose teachings inform pretty much everything I cook. I combined my favorite savory crust, which is adapted from Charles Virion, and Julia's Child's quiche Lorraine recipe, substituting truffles for bacon. She was right—quiche doesn't need cheese. I scaled the recipes for a seven-inch tart pan that makes just the right size for light lunch or a good appetizer...Read More