Cheese ~ Storytelling ~ Authenticity ~ Creativity

Something Tasty: A cheese pairing to try

Moliterno al Tartufo

Ok listen…I am normally not a person that enjoys truffles. I have been scathed and scarred by the parade of synthetic truffle fries at your standard NYC brunch to the point of swearing them off for good…almost.

It’s always funny that people (like me) don’t like truffles because of how strong the flavor is…when in reality the reason why they are so sought after is because of their earthy, nuanced, and delicate flavor.

Most of the time when you can smell truffle from a mile away, it’s truffle oil made in a lab- no fungi to be found.

Moliterno al Tartufo however, is a gorgeous bold and buttery Sardinian sheep’s milk cheese veined with real truffles- and it’s delicious.

They are real truffles, so it’s on the pricier side, but if you’re looking to indulge over the holidays, mix it into warm pasta with cream for the best instant sauce of your life, or drizzle honey over it and enjoy.

If you love truffles, try it! If you hate them…maybe wait for your friend who loves them to buy it- but then try it. It just might change your mind.

Something True: A truth about myself

Fantasy & Being a Fairy Child

Here’s the truth.

I was a fairy child.

I was a kid that collected rocks and shells and made fairy dresses out of tree bark and moss and flowers, and left them by mushrooms I found in the grass.

And- sure, yes I had many books on fairies and trolls and fell asleep to a “fairy music” CD probably called something like “Woodland Fairy Songs of Flight and Fancy”.

I read books like Lord of the Rings (obviously) and The Spiderwick Chronicles (a bit more niche) and Fairyology, and I wrote tons of short stories of gnomes on fun quests.

And at some point, I transitioned to only reading non-fiction. I guess I was growing up and wanted to hear what other real people’s lives were like? The struggles they faced, and how they dealt with them?

I started writing memoir, trying to figure out what I thought about my thoughts, and finding how to describe my own human experience.

Fantasy somehow got lumped into the group of things that were childish, something I shouldn’t have time for if I was working hard enough.

I was also studying theatre and reading a loooooot of plays revolving around one main group of people or family with one big secret. No creatures, no quests. No energy to read anything else, and DEFINITELY no energy to write it.

Recently, I’ve found myself at a point where I am craving being fully immersed in some enchanted world. I felt this strongly during the height of the pandemic too.

I love my life in NYC and California, and I still often fantasize about escaping to a small made-up town in the woods when I’m lacking an air of whimsy.

I guess in times of overwhelm, I tend towards escapism. Those kinds of stories can be comforting…however…

I forget that sometimes the best way to learn about yourself and the world around you is to dive into another world.

Epic stories like Lord of the Rings are about hobbits and elves and dwarfs… but they are actually about war, pushing your limits, friendship, and “small every day deeds of ordinary folk”.

Stories that take place in fictional worlds allow us to observe the characters’ journey with distance…and the freedom to see ourselves in them.

So maybe fiction and fantasy provide a brief escape to somewhere far away, but maybeeee it can bring us closer to ourselves too.

Farm to Fable: How food shows up in storytelling 

Truffle Hunters

Have you ever cried watching a bunch of old Italian men and their dogs rummage around in the woods? If you haven’t, you probably haven’t seen Truffle Hunters.

Finding and foraging truffles anywhere, but especially in Italy, is a tradition, an art, a way of life, and for some- a competitive sport. This documentary puts you right in the middle of the wild (and sometimes dramatic) dynamics in the foraging world.

It’s also BEAUTIFULLY SHOT. It’s an aesthetic meal for the eyes, especially if you have also ever fantasized about escaping to a small town in the woods.

As always- it’s about food, but it’s really about people.

We don’t often think about where our food comes from. A lot of people aren’t really interested (I know this is not you, because you are here and reading this, and if I haven’t told you lately- I really appreciate it).

And it’s really awesome (and rare) when a film this beautiful focuses on the cultivation of what we eat.

I have a feeling that sitting down to watch this on a rainy fall day, with a small plate of Moliterno will be magical, so please let me know if you do.

Until next time,

Anne-Marie

P.S. - Sunday Scaries

A terrifying AI image to help us all rest knowing AI bots could never replace a real human artist:

This week the prompt was “A dog eating mushrooms and cheese in an enchanted forest.”

This should’ve been the most whimsical thing I’ve ever seen. Instead? Haunting. And WHY ARE THE MUSHROOMS SO BIG?

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