Dream your truffles away
December 31, 2005 | 12:00am
Dear Home 911,
A friend sent me two kilos of original French truffles. Please tell me more about truffles and how best to enjoy them. I just eat them as they are. – Nicole
Okay, there are two kinds of truffles: the first is any fungus that produces a lumpy, hypogeus fruiting body or the fruiting body itself; the second is any of various chocolate confections, especially one made of a mixture including chopped nuts, rolled into balls and covered with cocoa powder.
Considered a delicacy, truffles – the mushroom/fungus variety – come in many forms, from white truffles to black, fresh, canned, butter form, and preserved.
My first assumption was that you were referring to chocolates since, I thought, you can’t be snacking on mushrooms – or can you? But, yes, people do eat them as they are if they’re processed.
Anyway, if it is the chocolate kind, here’s a truffle recipe from Meal-Master:
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c raspberry or orange-flavored liqueur
6 oz semisweet chocolate
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
3/4 c butter; cut into small pieces
For the coating:
1/2 c cocoa powder
1/4 c powdered sugar
finely ground blanched almonds
Combine the cream, sugar and liqueur in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to boiling; boil for one minute, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat, add both chocolates and stir until completely melted and smooth. Let stand for 10 minutes or till just warm to the touch. Add butter and stir until melted. Pour into a non-aluminum shallow baking dish, about 9X9X2 inches. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled. Scoop out balls about one inch in diameter with a melon baller. Roll quickly between palms to form smooth balls. The heat of your hands will melt truffles, so work quickly. If mixture melts too much, chill for five minutes in refrigerator.
To coat:
Sift together cocoa powder and powdered sugar onto a paper plate. Place ground nuts on another. Roll truffles in either chocolate or nuts to cover. Place in individual candy wrappers. Truffles can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
Serves five.
Dear Home 911,
How do you remove odors from the bed? – Julian
Clean the surface of the bed with a water-baking soda mix. For commercial products, you can use odor absorbers from True Value like Smells Be Gone, Odor Gone, or Thomas Cowan odor neutralizer. Or have the bed cleaned professionally. Call Handy Crew at 413-8781, 411-2022. They have a machine that can extract dirt up to 20 inches of mattress thickness. They scan the bed with an ultraviolet light to "deactivate the DNA of dust mites" so they can’t reproduce again, then they steam the bed, shampoo it, and then vacuum it.
If the smell is still there, perhaps it’s time to change the mattress. Mattresses are not like marriage vows – they’re not meant to last forever. If it’s too old, it’s not only the odor you should be concerned about, but the quality of the springs and foam.
Dear Tanya,
I was able to buy beautiful skirts, pants and tops from ukay-ukay and they are all for handwash. What is the best way to wash them before using? – Melissa
As the large billboards on EDSA say: Follow your parents, follow your teachers, and your laundry instructions. If it says handwash, then handwash it. Since it’s ukay-ukay clothes, you might want to soak them first in hot water. The reason that some clothes are only for hand washing is not so much because of the strong agitation of the wash cycle (washing machines do have a gentle cycle for delicate clothes like lace blouses and knickers, and laundry bags are available for such) but because of the spin cycle. So don’t wring them too hard either.
Dear Home 911,
How do you remove gum stuck on clothes? And also candle wax drippings? – Edith
Rub ice on the gum to harden it and then scrape it off. Blot the other side with dry cleaning solvent. Other suggestions are lighter fluid and kerosene.
Dear Tanya,
I’m planning to build a two-story house soon. Friends of mine were so disappointed with their own contractor because of the outcome of their home – they did a sloppy job and the workmanship was poor. Do you know of any good, reliable contractor that charges a reasonable price? – Melba
Contractors are like blind dates. You set one up for your friend and your friend will either love you or hate you for the rest of your life. I’ve heard horror stories from people about contractors who suddenly disappear for long periods, of projects going over budget and timetables ignored. And then there are the really good ones that charge so much you’d think you were building a palace. I suggest you scout developments on the market and see if the finishing is good and then ask about the contractor. Or ask your architect. Remember, you always get what you pay for.
Several readers pointed out that bananas do last longer when put in the refrigerator and it is only the skin that turns brown. As for garlic, yes, of course, if you’ve peeled and minced it you should put it in the ref – but put a tight lid on it to avoid taste transfer.
Mary Ann has a rejoinder for the letter writer, coincidentally also named Mary Anne, regarding salted eggs: "Not all red eggs smell bad. Much depends on the balut factory’s manner of preparing the eggs for curing and eventually cooking. Hairline cracks on the shell is one reason for an egg turning bad after the curing period. Otherwise, among other reasons, the eggs you bought have probably been on the supermarket shelf for a very long time."
Home 911 answers questions about the home – cleaning problems, DIY projects, decorating ideas, home store resources, and things you’ve always wanted to know about but never had the friends to ask. Home 911 runs twice a month and will ask the experts on your behalf. For questions and suggestions, send e-mail to home911@pldtdsl.net or philstar_home911@yahoo.com or text 0915-4002565. Please include your first name/pseudonym when you text or e-mail. All questions will be answered through this column – Tanya is too lazy and too chatty to text her answers.
A friend sent me two kilos of original French truffles. Please tell me more about truffles and how best to enjoy them. I just eat them as they are. – Nicole
Okay, there are two kinds of truffles: the first is any fungus that produces a lumpy, hypogeus fruiting body or the fruiting body itself; the second is any of various chocolate confections, especially one made of a mixture including chopped nuts, rolled into balls and covered with cocoa powder.
Considered a delicacy, truffles – the mushroom/fungus variety – come in many forms, from white truffles to black, fresh, canned, butter form, and preserved.
My first assumption was that you were referring to chocolates since, I thought, you can’t be snacking on mushrooms – or can you? But, yes, people do eat them as they are if they’re processed.
Anyway, if it is the chocolate kind, here’s a truffle recipe from Meal-Master:
1/2 c heavy cream
1/2 c sugar
1/4 c raspberry or orange-flavored liqueur
6 oz semisweet chocolate
2 oz unsweetened chocolate
3/4 c butter; cut into small pieces
For the coating:
1/2 c cocoa powder
1/4 c powdered sugar
finely ground blanched almonds
Combine the cream, sugar and liqueur in a heavy-bottomed saucepan. Bring to boiling; boil for one minute, stirring to dissolve sugar. Remove from heat, add both chocolates and stir until completely melted and smooth. Let stand for 10 minutes or till just warm to the touch. Add butter and stir until melted. Pour into a non-aluminum shallow baking dish, about 9X9X2 inches. Cover and refrigerate until completely chilled. Scoop out balls about one inch in diameter with a melon baller. Roll quickly between palms to form smooth balls. The heat of your hands will melt truffles, so work quickly. If mixture melts too much, chill for five minutes in refrigerator.
To coat:
Sift together cocoa powder and powdered sugar onto a paper plate. Place ground nuts on another. Roll truffles in either chocolate or nuts to cover. Place in individual candy wrappers. Truffles can be stored in the refrigerator for up to three weeks.
Serves five.
How do you remove odors from the bed? – Julian
Clean the surface of the bed with a water-baking soda mix. For commercial products, you can use odor absorbers from True Value like Smells Be Gone, Odor Gone, or Thomas Cowan odor neutralizer. Or have the bed cleaned professionally. Call Handy Crew at 413-8781, 411-2022. They have a machine that can extract dirt up to 20 inches of mattress thickness. They scan the bed with an ultraviolet light to "deactivate the DNA of dust mites" so they can’t reproduce again, then they steam the bed, shampoo it, and then vacuum it.
If the smell is still there, perhaps it’s time to change the mattress. Mattresses are not like marriage vows – they’re not meant to last forever. If it’s too old, it’s not only the odor you should be concerned about, but the quality of the springs and foam.
Handwashing Clothes |
I was able to buy beautiful skirts, pants and tops from ukay-ukay and they are all for handwash. What is the best way to wash them before using? – Melissa
As the large billboards on EDSA say: Follow your parents, follow your teachers, and your laundry instructions. If it says handwash, then handwash it. Since it’s ukay-ukay clothes, you might want to soak them first in hot water. The reason that some clothes are only for hand washing is not so much because of the strong agitation of the wash cycle (washing machines do have a gentle cycle for delicate clothes like lace blouses and knickers, and laundry bags are available for such) but because of the spin cycle. So don’t wring them too hard either.
Gum On Clothes |
How do you remove gum stuck on clothes? And also candle wax drippings? – Edith
Rub ice on the gum to harden it and then scrape it off. Blot the other side with dry cleaning solvent. Other suggestions are lighter fluid and kerosene.
Wanted: Contractor |
I’m planning to build a two-story house soon. Friends of mine were so disappointed with their own contractor because of the outcome of their home – they did a sloppy job and the workmanship was poor. Do you know of any good, reliable contractor that charges a reasonable price? – Melba
Contractors are like blind dates. You set one up for your friend and your friend will either love you or hate you for the rest of your life. I’ve heard horror stories from people about contractors who suddenly disappear for long periods, of projects going over budget and timetables ignored. And then there are the really good ones that charge so much you’d think you were building a palace. I suggest you scout developments on the market and see if the finishing is good and then ask about the contractor. Or ask your architect. Remember, you always get what you pay for.
Readers’ Reactions |
Mary Ann has a rejoinder for the letter writer, coincidentally also named Mary Anne, regarding salted eggs: "Not all red eggs smell bad. Much depends on the balut factory’s manner of preparing the eggs for curing and eventually cooking. Hairline cracks on the shell is one reason for an egg turning bad after the curing period. Otherwise, among other reasons, the eggs you bought have probably been on the supermarket shelf for a very long time."
Home 911 Has A New E-Mail Address! |
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