The Truffle Book
The Truffle Book is a perfect introduction to the pleasurable and mysterious world of truffles. It is now available from the Association for $35 plus $5 postage within Australia.
Gareth Renowden explores the truffle forests of France and the truffle markets of Italy, discovers the new truffles of American Northwest and the new plantations of Australia and New Zealand, and dispels a few myths along the way. There’s advice on setting up a truffle farm, training dogs, how to buy truffles and avoid expensive mistakes, and how to cook the defining truffle dishes. If you’ve ever tasted truffle and want to know more, or want to know what all the fuss is about, The Truffle Book has the answers.
Gareth Renowden is the author of The Truffle Book, president of the New Zealand Truffle Association and trainer of New Zealand’s champion truffle hound, Peg. He grows three different species of truffle on his small farm in New Zealand’s Waipara Valley, as well as olives, grapes (pinot noir and syrah) and walnuts. When not tending his crops he writes books and magazine articles, specialising in gourmet food and its production – and (as often as possible) consumption. Renowden’s On The Farm blog is a mine of information and comment on all things truffle-related. He was the keynote speaker at the 2007 Oregon Truffle Festival and will be co-presenting (with NZ food writer Annabel Langbein) a session on truffles at the International Association of Culinary Professionals conference in Chicago later this year. He has traveled widely in France, Spain and Italy visiting truffle growers and sampling their wares. He aspires to selling New Zealand grown black and white truffles to discerning French and Italian customers, but in the meantime is happy to eat his entire crop.
