A night of spooks?

The U.S. alone is dotted with places that put fresh twist on all things Halloween. There’s Salem (MA) and their to-die-for parties, Madison (WI) and their infamously wild Freakfest, New Orleans and their penchant for vampire balls, Keene (NH) and their Pumpkin Fest, and Anoka (MN) and their city-wide parades. Halloween, however, is never just about kids trick-or-treating in scary costumes; it’s this phenomenon that embraces a plethora of customs celebrated from different stretches of the globe.

Ireland. If there’s one place that knows the roots of Halloween by heart, it’s Ireland. Originally known as Samhain Night, this festival indicates the start of the darker half of the year. As a celebration, they dedicate five full days to spooky carnivals — with heaps of dancing and a long string of family events (snap apples, anyone?), ghost tours, haunted house events, and horror film viewing.

Mexico. Halloween, among many Spanish countries, is known as El Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead). Deeply rooted in spiritual beliefs, this 3-day celebration commemorates the dearly departed and the continuity of life. It’s also the
time of the year when monarch butterflies come back from the north and are believed to bear the spirits of the deceased. Families set up altars, decorate them with flowers and sugar skulls, and burn incense.

China and Japan. Unlike the usual Halloween celebrations, China’s Teng Chieh honors lost loved ones in a religious manner: they place food and water in front of family members’ photos and set bonfires alight to symbolize lighting the paths for spirits wandering the earth on the eve of the festival. Similarly, Japan’s Obon Festival dedicates festivities to the spirits of their ancestors by hanging bright red lanterns everywhere.

Let’s talk food.

One of the good things about Halloween is, whatever approach you pick — creepy or cute or a little bit of both — you will never run out of creative ideas to enchant neighbors or passers-by. And you know what’s even better? The same goes for Halloween party food ideas and drinks.

When hosting Halloween parties, you’re going to want anything but boring. You want the best Halloween party food ideas. Why whip up a normal cake when you can serve Frankenstein Pudding, Spooky Fun Fruit Tray, Eyeball Cake Balls, or Dexter Blood Splatter Cupcakes? And why settle for biscuits when you can kick things up a notch with Band-aid Cookies, Dracula’s Dentures, Carrot Finger Dip, and Mummy Dogs? Because, really, this is that one time of the year to make or eat any of these with passion and not be called a freak!

Now while Halloween focuses on kids, there are always adults around — and all that trick-or-treating sure can make one hungry! And so instead of diving right into sugar-loaded snacks, grab some popcorn, like Charlie’s Truffled Popcorn– they contain 3.5 grams of fiber — and munch on it while watching your favourite scary movies. Or if you’re craving more spirited snacks, prepare grilled cheese sandwiches and cut them into Jack-O’-Lanterns. Pretty cool, huh? The key is to balance out the sweets!

With only a few more days until Halloween, it’s time to get busy noting down the most exciting festivities in town and planning your very own party menu. Hop over to this page for some quick and easy-to-follow recipes or grab some of my truffled goods to get started — and watch the video below to learn more about how truffles can improve your halloween treats!

The post Halloween: Celebrating All Things Spooky appeared first on Susan Alexander Truffles.

While not everyone is willing to pay $100 for a truffle dish, those who do get to experience the gourmet gem describe the smell of truffles as hypnotizing – so much so that as soon as its aroma hits you, you forget everything around you and your mind flees to a dank green forest, someplace in Europe, populated with ancient trees, forest nymphs, and other mythical creatures. And it’s true: truffles emit aromas of another world.

What’s in a Scent?

The smell of truffles attracts not just the most enthusiastic gourmands on the planet but all kinds of creatures, too – from flies, rodents, and squirrels, down to the famous truffle-sniffing pigs and dogs.

Susan with dog sniffing for truffles

German researchers discovered that truffles contain twice as much androstenol (a male pig hormone) as male pigs would normally have, making female pigs the ideal truffle hunting buddies: she detects a sexy smell, she’s driven wild, she dives right in, she digs frantically. But then she’s also inclined to eat her find; in walks the other group of professional truffle hunters, dogs. Dogs are sometimes preferred to take over truffle detection duties. And just how are they trained? Their humans smear new potatoes with truffle oil, which contains dimethyl sulphide – one of truffles’ most important aroma molecules, bury them in the garden, give their dogs the smell, and tell the dogs to find them.

Interesting stuff, really, but what about us? Why do we find truffles arousing?

The Sensual Appeal

Besides being the “diamonds of the gourmet world,” truffles have also been dubbed as the culinary counterpart of sex. Napoleon’s only legitimate son is thought to have been conceived after munching on a truffled turkey, while women throughout history are said to have fed their lovers truffles to rouse their desires. Could it be because of the flavor? Maybe. Then again, there’s androstenone, the human pheromone present in truffles, which contributes to its overwhelming aroma, which then often becomes the flavor itself.

Me with the French truffle orchard owners.

You pick one up, feel its weight in your palm, give it a very thorough sniff, and — if you’re lucky to have a good one – it will emit a scent of incredible intensity that’s hard to describe. Sure, they’re earthy, and garlicky but truffles’ hints of exotic flowers and the finest of mushrooms are just as impossible to ignore. Their scent help lift up flavors when cooked with other ingredients, enhance the texture of every single bite, and leave a lingering aftertaste.

Now you don’t have to be a gourmet cook or a professional foodie to appreciate the sexy scent of truffles; you just have to be adventurous and a tad experimental with preparing truffle specials because the only way to know, really, is to experience truffles yourself!

Try our Truffled Grilled Cheese Sandwich to get started (it comes with a free truffled popcorn – aka “Charlie’s Truffled Popcorn”)! Or if you want to do some cooking, grab my truffle recipes here. You can learn more about truffles’ aphrodisiac status, too, by watching the video below.

The post Truffle Sniffing: What Truffles Smell Like appeared first on Susan Alexander Truffles.

You’re probably thinking: they grow underground, they’re warty, and they look nowhere near attractive. So how can a mere fungus get a lot of people all hot and bothered?

Well, there are three things from which truffles derive their aphrodisiac status:

Rarity

As fungi with a symbiotic relationship to tree roots, it’s no surprise that they’re only found in a smattering of places around the world. Their rarity, and most especially, their short season, easily warrant a spot among the most elusive, luxury food items worth desiring for.

Scent

Truffles’ musky scent – though yet to be confirmed by modern science – is believed to replicate the male pheromone, androstenone. While the human nose is not equipped for detecting these culinary gems growing underground, it’s an entirely different story for the natural truffle hunters, the female pigs: they get a whiff and they go loco!

Protein

Truffles don’t rank among the world’s most healthy indulgences for nothing. For one, they’re high in protein; and for two, they have a high concentration of amino acid. Science has yet to have a say on whether or not these things account for truffles’ aphrodisiac properties, but hey, a few shavings of delectable goodness atop ravioli or practically any dish don’t hurt their knack for making the heart flutter and helping sustain the energy for a romantic night out.

Now there sure is more to truffles’ allure than a musky scent or a trace of protein – and I guess this explains the surprisingly large number of first-hand accounts of romantic happenstances involving truffles. Napoleon, for one, feasted upon truffles to boost his masculine potency. And should you need further proof for truffles’ erotic attributes, think of the popular gourmand, Jean Anthelme Brillat-Savarin who’s quoted as saying:

“Truffle. As soon as the world is spoken, it awakens lustful and erotic memories among the skirt-wearing sex and erotic and lustful memories among the beard-wearing sex. This honorable parallelism comes not only from the fact that this esteemed tuber is delicious, but also because it is still believed to bring about potency, the exercise of which brings sweet pleasure.”

Keen to experience it yourself, aren’t ya? I would suggest that you first try the simple yet most loved Truffled Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Staying in for a lovey-dovey movie night? My Truffled Popcorn (previously known as Charlie’s Truffled Popcorn) Special’s have you covered!

Got fresh truffles?

The best way to appreciate truffles is to consume them as soon as possible. Then again, there’s plenty of ways to keep their aroma and taste fresh even a few days after picking:

1)      Wrap each truffle in fabric or paper without removing the earth.

2)      Make sure to change the wrap every day.

3)      Place them in a container, which should then go right into the fridge.

4)      Keep the container open to allow the truffles to breathe (anything stored near your truffles will sure take on their flavor!).

5)      Truffles going soft means truffles reaching maximum maturity. So when this happens, gobble them right up!

Now go forth and have that romantic bite! Otherwise, stick around for more truffle tips.

The post Romancing the Kitchen: Truffles as Aphrodisiac appeared first on Susan Alexander Truffles.

Ours isn’t your ordinary popcorn, it’s popped from the finest white corn then sexed up with real Summer Truffles and the most expensive French truffle in the world – the famous Black Perigord! With generous sprinklings of real truffles throughout, it means with every bite you’ll get the unbelievable taste of divinity melting in your mouth!

So, how can you make your food even better with truffled popcorn?  I’m glad you asked!

In addition to eating it as a great snack, I’ve been using our Truffled Popcorn as a garnish for ages! It brings an indulgent flavour to my dishes. I’m excited to share the great taste truffled popcorn with you! So are you ready to spice up that meal? Okay…

Now before you get started, you need a bag of our Truffled Popcorn! [also known as Charlie’s Truffled Popcorn]

Next up, prepare your favourite hearty soup or perhaps a garden salad.

Then once ready, garnish your meal with a handful of Truffle Popcorn to turn it into something totally unreal! Each mouthful of your food will be enhanced with the textural crunch of the popcorn and the unbelievable taste of our truffles!

Sound divine? Trust me, it is!

If you’re ready to dive into a whole new world of food deliciousness – with the aroma, taste and texture of truffles – then order your Truffled Popcorn today!

The post Making Food Even Better: Truffled Popcorn Garnish by Susan Alexander appeared first on Susan Alexander Truffles.

Do you want to lose some weight? We all know the key to attaining your ideal body is by taking in fewer calories. In short, going on a diet is vital. But oftentimes we associate dieting with eating bland and boring foods.

Say no more because there are lots of snack food items out there that are perfect for people who are on a diet, just like you. Take for example our Charlie’s Truffled Popcorn. Now, who doesn’t love popcorn, right? Good thing it’s also a great diet food: it tastes great and it makes you feel full fast, thanks to its high fiber content.

And it’s no ordinary popcorn. How many popcorn products do you know that have truffles for flavoring?  Our gourmet popcorn is sprinkled with summer and black winter truffles for that earthy goodness. Just open a bag and you’ll be mesmerized by the whiff of truffle aroma.

But don’t just take our word for it. Christina Carathanassis, a fashion blogger, has listed our Charlie’s Truffled Popcorn as one of her top 5 favorite snacks. She went on a Weight Watchers diet to help her get into shape as she was going to attend a friend’s wedding at Punta Cana. With the Weight Watchers’ system of assigning points to certain foods, Christina has chosen Charlie’s Truffled Popcorn because it only has 2 points.

So when it comes to losing weight you need to eat right but also to eat smart. Gone are the days that you have limited food choices that taste good. There are now snacks like the Charlie’s Truffled Popcorn that can help you reach your weight goals without denying you all of the great stuff.

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