Notes From The City: An Abundant Life

As I've written in these pages before, I'm a foodie who loves to cook. I also love travel and trying different cuisines and local specialties wherever I go, something I learned from my father and mother all through the years when I growing up. Some of the very earliest recollections I have are of going to "the first" restaurant of its kind for any number of now famous and familiar cuisines, and of going to the source for baked goods that other families would buy pre-packaged in stores. Because of the example my parents shared with me when they returned from trips to Europe and places far and near in the United States, when I was fifteen in Belgium I shopped for Godiva Chocolates straight from the main store instead of at duty-free, and when I was a bit older and my tastes even more extravagantly developed I discovered a sealed package containing one very precious truffle in a specialty shop in Paris and searched for a good source of them everywhere when I was at home. The jar I found in Paris was marked Urbani, and somehow even though I was not an expert in truffles at all, because of where I found this precious jewel and the wonderful flavor it added to the meals I created around it, I knew that Urbani was a name I should look for.

Last summer when I was on board a historic Italian ship, I met a lovely woman who worked with Urbani at the Truffle Lab. She invited me to visit and attend a Chef's table, and that began for me a new chapter in my education and passion for this exotic and wonderful treat. Chef Allison Fasano made such a memorable meal that night, a bit lighter for the summer with sea bass for the main course, and everything was paired perfectly with sparkling and still wines. Each course was made with varieties of products available through Urbani, from the truffles themselves to truffle salt, truffle oil and truffle honey. They also have items like truffle ketchup available, and as a parting gift I was able to bring some home to cook with my own steak dinners. It was such an exquisitely delicious experience, and a few months later I returned for a slightly heartier fare from the northern mountain region of Trentino, with orzetta, polenta, braised chicken and a lovely strudel. This time the wines that were poured were from Rotari and Mezzacorona, and again the pairings were perfect. Before dinner that night I had a glimpse into the storeroom and saw the precious gems in their carefully protected containers. Looking like diamonds in the rough swaddled in soft white cloth, the smell was amazing, earthy and rich and divine. Holding one of the largest in the palm of my hand, its density promising many rich and flavorful meals, I felt like a princess who had stumbled into the treasure trove under a mountain, and one that is happily available on a lovely bright corner of West End Avenue.

Urbani Truffle Lab

10 West End Avenue

New York City

www.urbani.com