Truffles

"Truffles are an affair of the heart . . . nothing else can explain the passion with which men (and women) pursue this elusive tuber, scrabbling in the earth or emptying the purse - whatever it takes to obtain the object of desire. Nothing else in the gastronomic firmament, however precious, arouses such feelings." Here Elisabeth Luard captures the essence of the truffle's almost magical power. On a more practical level, she also shows the reader how to get the very best from truffles, whether this means slivering a truffle over a tangle of homemade pasta, inserting delicate slices beneath the skin of a poulet de Bresse or even simply baking a truffle in a jacket of leftover bread-dough. The book not only provides a mouthwatering collection of authentic regional and classic recipes and a fascinating and occasionally eccentric account of truffle-hunting, it also includes a gazetteer of the places where truffles are to be found, recommends the key markets where they are to be bought and gives details of growers engaging in modern trufficulture - making it essential reading for sophisticated gourmet travelers and for all those who are, quite simply, prepared to be seduced by what is surely the ultimate gastronomic experience. Illustrated throughout with John Heseltine's specially commissioned evocative photographs, this book is a must for all food lovers.