Black Truffle Oil, imported to Montreal by Macchi Inc. - Photos by Montreal Photographer Vadim Daniel

The product I picked to present to you this week has caused a lot of controversy over the years. Mainly because it has been portrayed as something different than it is, but it has always been very appreciated when consumed in all of its different ways of preparation.

I will, this week, make sure that there is no more confusion with regards to this very useful product and also let you know why I love to use it in my cooking and savor it in cooking prepared by professionals.

Introducing the Black Truffle Oil: ‘A bath of gold’!

I stumbled over many articles, as I did a search on the web for Truffle Oil, just to see how others had used it and also to see what their opinion was, as I do with every week’s product.

To my surprise, there was a lot of upset because people had been wrongfully informed.

The Truffle Oil that we sell here at Macchi Inc., is Olive oil infused with truffle essence, meaning that it is artificially flavored and in our case also flavored with real truffles and It is made on the highest quality of EVOO (Extra Virgin Olive oil).

Just as there is different kind of truffles, there is also different kind of truffle oils, we supply you with white winter truffle oil and the black summer truffle oil.

Can truffle oil be used to replace truffles? Never!

But it can most definately be considered as a truffle- or truffled product.

Considering it is based on olive oil, we all know what an aromatic and strong flavored oil olive oil is. Also I shouldn’t forget to mention when not fried in, how healthy it is for you! So no matter what flavors or essences that are infused in the oil, it will mix and make it’s own flavor and in my opinion a really good one!

Our truffle oil comes in 250 ml bottles and retails for around 30$ per bottle. The bottle is labeled as “il tartufo d’oro”.

This truffle oil adds a slightly sweet and earthy flavor to your dish and a heavenly aroma.

As always I am very interested to know what your thoughts are and if you’ve had the opportunity to taste or use truffle oil, don’t hesitate to share it with me.

Macchi Inc.'s Truffle Carpaccio - Photos by Montreal Photographer Vadim Daniel

I am, and have been on vacation, in the Quebec Eastern Townships ( Canton L’Est ) since wednesday.

Spending quality time with close friends and family, over many good meals, makes you realize that to accomplish a successfull dinner; everything matters!

We put together some recipes that we had made before and to our surprise they tasted different and we also enjoyed them in a much different way, and the fact that there was a very appreciative audience to feed our egos made the experience even better =).

Which brings us to this week’s product: Truffle Carppacio; my little sheets of silk.

It is made from summer truffles, covered with sunflower oil in a jar. A traditional Umbrian recipe; pasteurized in it’s natural juices, no preservatives or artificial colorings, chilled and then sliced paper thin.

I LOVE THIS PRODUCT!

It makes it so convenient to spoil yourself or your guests any time.

As I gently pluck them out, one by one from the jar, so that they wont rip or tear, the scent and aromas simply hypnotizes me but in difference from the fresh product, it is very subtle.

The texture due to being soaked in oil, is very silky and gentle on the palate and no matter what dish or product you end up topping with the truffled carpaccio, you do end up spoiling it very generously.

In case you didn’t know, carpaccio in Italian means when something is served raw and is thinly sliced or pounded.

We started carrying the truffle carpaccio about two years ago, as an addition to our truffled products that we offer at Macchi Inc. It is for us and our clients a fairly new product and we have not had the time to market this product properly yet.

Therefor, this is one of the few products we carry, that you can buy directly from us as a private person, since we do not have any retail stores purchasing it from us yet.

What is the difference between our brand and other brands?

Jarred truffle carpaccio, can be purchase in stores, but it’s not “ours”.

If it’s on the shelves and sold in the stores it can’t be bad!

But just like everything else; quality has it’s price!

Stay tuned for some Tips & Tricks tomorrow and pictures of how we spoiled our guests with truffle carpaccio on Wednesday.

Wishing you a great week!

Macchi Inc.'s Buffalo Mozzarella - Photos by Montreal Photographer Vadim Daniel

Let me introduce to all of you the “Ace of Spades” of cheeses: Buffalo Mozzarella!

It is very often the first plate decorating a dinner table; the first tray emptied at a buffet; and it works wonders with just a few slices of tomatoes added, as a complete and very satisfying lunch!

Therefor the “Ace of Spades”, being the strongest card in a deck, this is in my opinion the strongest product on a menu, even stronger in a summer menu.

….and yes, it did get it’s name because it’s made of buffalo milk, considering it makes such a good tasting cheese, the milk on it’s own is not at all recommended to consume.

A little bit of history:

There is a little bit of conflict in the history of where the water buffalos originated from, some say that they were brought in from India and others decline that, proven the fact that the ones from Italy, have a “larger” and different body structure than the buffalos from India and also, based on fossils found in the Roman country side.

If you ask me, I couldn’t really care less =), what is certain is that the Buffalo Mozzarella is originated in Italy from the region of Campagnia. Around the 11th century the coastal plains of the lower Tyrrhenian area became swamplands, which made it the ideal environment for raising buffalos.

It’s from the second last step of production, which is the actual shaping of the cheese that the name Mozzarella derives from; “while one cheesemaker holds up the spun paste, the other must “mozzare”/cut it using the thumb and the forefinger.”

Mozarella is a cheese that is all about texture!

But to say that there is no flavor to it is also a misconseption . It does have a very mild and creamy taste with a hint of sour.
With a delicate and silky interior and the slightly firmer exterior, the Buffalo Mozzarella has without convincing, very easily, captured every cheese lovers and even some none cheese lovers hearts.

My advice to you; take a look at the recipes posted yesterday and the day before, then go get yourself a “ball” of Buffalo Mozzarella and create your own favorite recipe!

I’ll be “seeing” you tomorrow with some more tips & tricks!

Macchi Inc.’s Saffron – by Montreal Photographer Vadim Daniel

The quality of any spice is usually something that is very difficult for the end consumer to determine. I will do my best to try to give you some valuable tips and tricks to keep in mind when you are purchasing your saffron

So let’s start with this….

How to know a better quality saffron and why should you pay more, when you can pay less.

As I mentioned yesterday; Saffron is slightly bitter in it’s flavor, but if you add the right amount during preparation that flavor does not over power the other ingredients it is actually so subtle that something as mild as cream is enough to “hide” the bitterness of saffron. It is the aroma and the extremely overpowering and magical color that we want to experience.

Saffron is sold in two different “shapes”, you can get it in, tiny “threads” or powdered. I have over the years heard that some people prefer to get the filaments ( threads) because they can ensure the quality and authenticity of the saffron, i would have to disagree. Which ever one you choose to use make sure it is in a a sealed container or a pouch that has the name of a company and a product description in the back and don’t forget to check the best-before-date!

The intensity of the color is usually the first and most accurate “give-away” to know a good quality saffron. Buy buying a lesser quality you will have to use twice the amount and that can sometimes increase the risks of your dish tasting bitter.

Why is it so expensive?

Saffron is the dried stigmas of the saffron flower, these threads must be picked by hand from each flower, and more than 75,000 of these flowers are needed to produce just one pound (0,44 kg) of Saffron filaments, 40 hours of labour are needed to pick 150,000 flowers! The retail price of saffron is aprox. US$ 1,000/pound ( US$ 2,200/kg). Don’t let these prices scare you though!
Remember all we need is 0.1 gram (0.0001 kg) for 4 people.

The saffron that we supply at Macchi Inc. is the one in the powdered format and it says on the packaging “Il fior fiore dello Zafferano”. It can for retail be found at Marche Milano and La Baia both stores are in Montreal. Each package is in a 0.125g format which is the calculated amount for one portion, which makes it so easy to use in cooking and baking, both for home and public kitchens.

Use saffron in cream based or tomato based pasta sauces, it can be used in soups as well as in stews. Saffron also gives rice a beautiful color and it is often used in baking. In Sweden, where I am born and raised, we make these delicious “buns” called “Saffrans Bullar” (Saffron Buns). It has become tradition to have them made for November 13, when we celebrate the Italian saint “Santa Lucia” and they are absolutely delicious!

Because of this, saffron has a huge impact in my life and gives me a lot of dear memories and sentiment.

I wish for you to now, bring saffron into your home, find your favorite recipes and make your own memories for you and your family….

Saffron

Say hello to the royalty of spices: SAFFRON or as many others say “The Gold” of spices.

Since Saffron is an ancient, respectable and world spread spice, I felt a lot of pressure in finding the “right” information and have therefore literarily spent a whole week making my research and done a lot of cross referencing before I reached MY conclusion of what I would like to share with you on this exquisite product.

Saffron has apparently been around since the 7th Century BC, in Mesopotamia (Iraq), but then it was mostly used as a colorant/dye and also for medicinal use. With time it was spread around Asia, the Mediterranean basin and Europe and started also being used for aesthetic and cosmetic use as in perfumes, mascaras and potpourris. It is also said that Cleopatra used saffron in her baths so that lovemaking would be more pleasurable!

What’s important to know though is that specific breed, the Saffron Crocus, was a “wilder” version of the one that we are using today and what I, to my surprise, found out is that this specific domesticated breed of the saffron Crocus, was first detected on the island of Crete!

On it’s own, saffron is not really very tasty (at least not for me) as I am tasting it right now I am first tasting bitter and after a distinct taste of Iron. As I continued my research I stumbled over the words; “honey” and “hay-like” as other descriptions of how saffron tastes like.

But that is not why we love to use this product in our food, it’s the heavenly aroma, how can something that tastes bitter, smell so sweet!

Saffron - Photo by Montreal Photographer Vadim Daniel

And last but not least let’s not forget the hypnotic colour of “golden-red”! By just adding a small amount of saffron in a dish, it makes it look as if there has just been a drop of gold added in it.

Where is Saffron grown today?

Spain’s varieties, are generally mellower in colour, flavour, and aroma; Italian varieties are slightly more potent than Spanish, while the most intense varieties tend to be Persian (Iran) in origin. India, but they have banned the export of high-grade saffron abroad. Aside from these, various “boutique” crops are available from New Zealand, France, Switzerland, England and the US. In the US, Pennsylvania Dutch saffron is known for its earthy notes and is marketed in small quantities.

Consumers regard certain “growers” as “premium” quality. The “Aquila” saffron (zafferano dell’ Aquila) has an unusually pungent aroma, and intense color and is grown exclusively on eight hectares in the Navelli Valley of Italy’s Abruzzo region, near L’Aquila.

But in Italy the biggest saffron cultivation, for quality and quantity, is in San Gavino Monreale, Sardinia. This is where “our” saffron that we sell comes from and is then shipped to and packaged in Milano.

There is off course so much more to say about this “royalty” that is over 2000 years-old, but as we all know the secret always “lies within” and this time it’s within the experience of Saffron…

Truffled Dwarf Peaches

The new “Diva” is in town and she is here to stay and rock every plate and party!

Have you ever heard of “Truffled Dwarf Peaches”?

Neither had I, until five years ago when I met with the person that is now supplying Macchi Inc. with this unique and one of a kind product.

All these years that I’ve been in this business, I have never come across them anywhere else.

This product is based on the same idea as green tomatoes and any other vegetable that is normally pickled.

In the fall, before winter arrives the farmers pick the unripe peaches, so they would not go to waste. Then, they pickle them in vinegar to conserve the peaches and consume them like any other pickle.

Our supplier that is based in Frosolone, Molise in Italy, added his twist to the product by soaking these peaches in sunflower oil and infusing the oil with truffle essence. This last step has created a very different flavor profile.

What does this “gem” taste and look like?
…like something you’ve never tasted before!

Very subtle in its taste, just enough truffle flavor to know that this is a truffled product, but not to over power the dish that you are using it on. It adds a pleasant crunch and acidity to any salad or carpaccio and at the same time it perfumes your dish with the pleasant aroma of truffles.

They look like large green olives but since they are picked before maturity, the pit is not yet developed which makes them a breeze to work with in comparison to olives and since they are so firm in texture it makes them so versatile in presentaton in comparison to caper berries.

Truffled Dwarf Peaches

Right now we don’t have any stores selling this product to the public since there is not enough knowledge about it out there to create a demand. We are in the process of planning a marketing campaign to launch this product in Montreal and to help our retail clients inform the end consumers about Truffled Dwarf Peaches.

Presently you can have this “Diva” present herself on some of the creations served at Restaurant Toqué!, Restaurant BIS, and Restaurant Bice in Montreal. Go and meet her, and make sure you all let me know how you liked it!

Summer Truffles

There are hundreds of different type of summer truffles. The summer truffle we import to Montreal is the one called Tuber Aestivum Vitt and is of Italian origin. Depending on the sub species, truffle in general can be found all year long. The summer truffle can be found from May to November, with it reaching full maturity by mid June, hence its name.

A truffle is from the tuber family (just like a potato). This “mushroom” grows under ground (three inches to a foot) and is always found at the roots of its host tree. Truffles grow in symbiose with oak, poplar, hazel and other types of trees. It prefers neutral to alkaline type soil.

The summer truffle is the most common and least expensive of all Italian truffles because of its plentiful and long harvest season. Almost all commercial sauce and paste are based from summer truffles. It’s shelf life is also longer than other types of truffles.

This particular type of truffle is not overwhelmingly potent in its flavor or aroma that is why it is mostly used as a garnish. This being said, it still carries a nice subtle woody and nutty flavor that is very delicate and enjoyable.

The summer truffle is black on the outside, it’s surface can be smooth or rugged depending on the nature of the soil it was grown in. A sandy soil will create a smooth surface because there was almost no resisiance during it’s growth. On the other hand, if the truffle comes from a soil that has rocks, it will grow around those rocks taking the path of least resistance giving it its signature shape.

Summer Truffles

The flesh of the truffle can range from pure white ( not matured ) to an off-white/ beige color( ready to eat)

Pricing is something that fluctuates depending on the quantity harvested that week. Remember that truffles are very perishable which is why they must be sold immediaty after harvest. Prices change on a daily basis. Supply and demand will control it’s pricing.

Truffles are found all around the world but the most priced ones come from Italy and France. The summer truffle is found in most of northern and all of central Italy.

Truffles have been used since the antiquity and already back then it was considered a pure delicassy.

Not many people in North America know about this product. I have to admit, that neither did I before starting working in the food business.

The Phoenicians were the first to produce bottarga and it was the Carthaginians who helped this product to be known through out the Mediterranean.

It was first documented by Bartolomeo Platina in 1386. In his words: “ I do not remember eating anything more exquisite” , “an honest enjoyment that is healthy for you”.

Until the 1970’s bottarga was considered “The poor man’s food” but today it’s considered as the “Gold of Sardinia”.

The market for bottarga has been in constant growth, with its main marketing being in Italy, France, Germany, Japan and Spain.

It’s also showing a lot of growth in North America but the product is still by far an unknown delight.
The main cities of bottarga production in Sardidnia are Alghero, Carloforte, Sant’Antioco, San Teodoro, Cabras, Portofino, Cagliari and Tortoli.

You can also find bottarga manufacturers in Sicily, Calabria, Provenza, Turkey and Tunisia.

With this being said, Sardinia is the historical area of production of bottarga and to guarantee authentic crafted bottarga, your best bet is to buy from a producer based in Sardinia.

The bottarga is made from grey or red Mullet roe ( Bottarga di Muggine), Tuna (Bottarga di Tonno) and sometimes even from swordfish.

At Macchi Inc. we offer the one made from red mullet and tuna.

The red mullet is an abundant fish in the mediterranean and is found as far as the waters in Japan and Australia, but the best quality mullets and the most skilled craftsmanship is found in Sardinia.

Bottarga is made from the “roe pouch” of the tuna or the red mullet, the eggs are carefully removed, washed, purified and salted. It is massaged by hand to eliminate air pockets and then cured in seasalt for a few weeks. It is then coated in beeswax ready for preservation.

The bottarga di muggine ( mullet ) has an excuisite flavour that is a cross between salted fish roe and an after taste of bitter almonds.

The bottarga di tonno (tuna) has a slightly more intense flavor but they are both an extraordinary and unique experience in taste and can not be compared to anything you’ve ever tasted before.

At Macchi Inc. we import our bottarga from a sardinian based company called Sarda Affumicati.

I personnally tend to prefer the bottarga di muggine, while Paolo loves the bottarga di tonno.

If you’ve tried bottarga, let me know which is your favorite. I am curious to know.

Prosciutto di parma has for centuries been made and can only be made and cured in the countryside of Parma, Italy.

Four ingredients are needed for the production of Prosciutto di Parma®:

1. Italian pigs
2. Salt
3. Air
4. Time.

Prosciutto di Parma® is an all-natural ham and all additives are prohibited.

The making of Parma Ham® is a long process where the curing is controlled carefully so that the ham absorbs only enough salt to preserve it. The hams are made from a very rare bread of pigs that are bred in north-central Italy specifically for Prosciutto di Parma® production. They have a specific diet that contains a blend of cereal grains and whey from Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese production. When time for slaughter, the pigs have to be nine months old and must weigh a minimum of 340 pounds.

At the “prosciuttificio” (processing plant) some skin and fat is trimmed to give it, it’s “typical” shape.
Sea salt is rubbed into the meat, which is then refrigerated at 80% humidity for about a week. Remaining salt is then removed and the ham gets a second coat of salt, which is left on another 15 to 18 days, depending on the weight.

Now there is about a seven month process of refrigerating, washing, drying, pre-curing and finally the exposed surfaces are softened with a paste of minced lard, salt and pepper. The hams hang on racks for an additional three to five months. In the end, the hams are cured at least for four hundred days, and some are cured as long as 30 months.

Finally the Prosciuttos have to pass all of the quality control tests and are then fire branded with the official mark of the Consorzio, the five-point ducal crown that identifies them as genuine Prosciutto di Parma®.

LOCAL PROSCIUTTO “SILVER”

This prosciutto is called “local” because it’s made in the US and not in Parma. The only difference is that the pigs are not from parma but from the mid-west regions of the US. They are much smaller in size therefor the hams need a shorter curing process (aprox. 9-10 months) The “hams” are aprox. 4-5kg, while the ones from Parma are 6-8kg.

CULATELLO

The Culatello is considered as the “Cadillac” of Italian hams for some people. It is made from the larger muscular section of the back legs of a pig. The skin and the bone is removed, it is then rubbed in with salt and covered with the bladder for better results in preserving and protecting it during the time of curing.
The “ham” then gets massaged various times during the 6-8 month curing time. Our Citterio Culatello is also “locally” (US) made but it is one of our more distinct and in higher demand product. The Culatello has a more intense flavor than the Prosciutto “Crudo” (raw) It weighs aprox. 2-3 kilos.

PROSCIUTTO DI SAN DANIELE

The Prosciutto di San Daniele is made more or less just like the Prosciutto di Parma, but in San Daniele.
The differences are few. In Italy the Prosciutto di Parma is sold “footless” meaning that the pig’s foot is removed, while the prosciutto di San Daniele still has the foot attached.

The Prosciutto di San Daniele has a shorter salt curing time than the one from Parma.

They get stacked on top of each other during the curing time, rather than hung which results in being much stiffer and flatter and they have more of the shape of a violin rather than the shape of a chicken leg like the one from Parma.

It is important to let you know though that this is how they are made when they are sold in Italy.

The Citterio Prosciutto di San Daniele’s that is exported to North America, does not have the foot attached nor does it have the shape of a guitar, they are put in similar molds as the Prosciutto di Parma.

The Prosciutto di San Daniele tastes sweeter than the Prosciutto di Parma.

Our Prosciutto di San Daniele weighs 7-8kg per piece.

What you see in the above pictures are the Prosciutto kinds that we carry at Macchi Inc. They are by Citterio. We are the exclusive wholesalers of Citterio in Canada. Citterio has been for years synonym of top quality. I’ve had many followers on twitter sending me messages telling that they only buy Citterio’s cold cuts. We are proud to supply Canadians with Citterio. We are planning to organise blind tastings soon. If you live in the Montreal area and are interested, let me know in the comment section below by leaving me a reply.

Grana Padano | Picture taken by Montreal Photographer Vadim Daniel

All you need to know about Grana Padano and the difference from Parmigiano Reggiano…

While Parmigiano Reggiano proudly carries the title of the King of Cheeses, I would like to tell you a bit about my absolute favorite in hard cheeses, the Grana Padano or as I like to call it, The Emperor of Cheeses.

Many of us often believe that the Grana Padano is a lesser quality Parmigiano Reggiano and some even believe that it is called Parmigiano Padano, that is not the case, at least not if we are referring to the authentic product, imported from the specific Provinces and regions of the Grana Padano D.O.P.

While the Grana Padano does have many similarities to the Parmigiano Reggiano, the differences are essential to the flavor and texture, the first one being the place of production. The Grana Padano is produced in a much wider area than the Parmigiano Reggiano in the regions of: Emilia-Romagna, Lombardy, Piedmont, Trentino and Veneto (keep in mind that the Regions are much larger than the provinces, therefore a larger area of production).

In the flavor you can detect the difference in the Grana Padano being creamier and sligtly less saltier that the Parmigiano Reggiano, otherwise they are both just as firm and nutty in flavor.

Here are some more differences between both cheeses:

• Grana Padano is made from both skim and whole milk while the Parmigiano Reggiano is made only from skim milk.
• The Cows have different diets – the Grana Padano cows are less restricted in their diet and are allowed to eat silage in their feed while the Parmigiano Reggiano cows must be fed fresh or dried vegetable matter.
• And as already mentioned above the Grana Padano comes from a larger area of production.

Since the restrictions are less for making the Grana Padano, the price is slightly lower but as we all know that does not mean that it is not as good.

Grana Padano can be found in three different ripening stages and the more mature the cheese is the nuttier and more pungent the flavor.

• Grana Padano | 9-16 months
• Grana Padano Oltre 16 mesi | Over 16 months
• Grana Padano Riserva | Reserve over 20 months

Tips & Tricks

The reason why these hard cheeses are used so often in cooking is because they are so versatile, the Grana Padano and Parmigiano Reggiano can be sliced with a cheese slicer (see picture above), it can be grated (most often this is how it’s used in cooking or by finishing a pasta plate) it can also be broken off in pieces (see Parmigiano Reggiano post) and personally I have shredded the cheese when wanting larger amounts in cooking.

The best way to store it is cold, in a refrigerator or even in the freezer if not used to frequently. I would suggest to always keep it air tight and low in humidity, if you know you haven’t used it for a while and if not vacuum packed when stored, take the cheese out once in a while, pad it dry and change the saran wrap or the plastic bag that it has been stored in.

Grana Padano or Parmigiano Reggiano, which one is your favorite? Maybe you like both just as much but for different purposes. Let me know!