Are you a fan of online cooking classes? I’m still learning my way around them. Truth is, I am not proficient when it comes to technology. In an era of computers, social media and smartphones, I’d rather be at home using my typewriter. I’m such an oldie at heart!
And yet, there comes a time when you’re made an offer you can’t refuse (to paraphrase a classic). At the start of 2020, little did I know that I’d be spending much of this year taking online cooking classes – and little did I know that I’d be using truffles at some point! Enter Truffle Shuffle and their story of hard work, perfectionism, and utmost dedication 🙂
Truffle Shuffle was created 2 years ago to provide consciously sourced and traced fresh truffles, and its founders’ story was recently featured in Forbes. Esteemed Chefs Jason McKinney and Tyler Vorce (of The French Laundry Michelin star reputation) along with Sarah McKinney (who worked the front of the house at TFL) launched Truffle Shuffle “as an honest truffle company to provide the finest truffle products and consciously sourced and traced fresh truffles.” Truffle Shuffle’s founders intend to “bring clarity and integrity to the complex world that is truffles,” and to reach this goal they work with truffle-hunting families all over the world. They also help their local community by volunteering and donating a portion of their profits to 1% For The Planet, “with hope of solving the world’s problems, one truffle at a time.”
When the pandemic started and restaurants began to close, Truffle Shuffle knew they had to adjust their business model to survive – and this is how the idea of the Dinner with Truffle Shuffle cooking classes came up. Since then, Chefs McKinney and Vorce have continued to offer online cooking classes, garnering interest from foodies and fellow chefs alike, as well as accolades for their impressive Covid pivoting.
The ingredients were put together neatly, with plenty of ice packs to keep them at optimum temperature before transfer to the fridge or pantry.
I loved the presentation of the Truffle Shuffle branded ingredients. Such efficient and delightfully minimalistic packaging, don’t you think? 🙂
My enthusiasm reached stratospheric levels upon seeing the Burgundy Truffle I was about to cook with. I was getting super excited!
Every ingredient had been packaged neatly and efficiently – no spills, no omissions.
Here they were, the day they arrived. Notice the glorious Wagyu ground beef bottom right 😉
Last but not least, the truffle pecorino – which was very difficult for me to not polish off before class (ooops!)
Vibrant assortment of spices, waiting for the big cooking day:
The Zoom class started off as originally planned, at 4pm (there were two classes that day, and I decided to attend the first one). Right off the bat, I knew I was in good company: Chefs McKinney and Vorce had incredible energy, and they provided the perfect mix of information and entertainment. Kudos to Chef Vorce for the detailed info on Wagyu beef!
When it was time to make the meatballs, the Chefs’ live instructions were a breeze to follow.
Meatball magic in the making!
Remarkably, I didn’t fall behind during the meatball making phase most likely thanks to the Chefs’ inspired pace, which kept everyone engaged and in the loop preparation-wise.
The meatballs were just beautiful!
While the meatballs were baking in the oven we got the chance to watch a video presentation of Truffle Shuffle’s history, mission, and Balinese Truffle Salt.
Truffle Shuffle’s gourmet products (Balinese Truffle Salt and Brown Butter Truffle Honey) were recently picked up by Whole Foods for a global deal, and are now also available in a few other retailers and on Amazon.
At the end of 1 1/2 hours of fun and friendliness on Zoom, the food had the last word – and it was incredible!
Created under the Chefs’ patient instructions, the Spaghetti & Wagyu Meatballs with Truffle Pecorino were mind-blowingly delicious, and nothing like any meatballs I’d ever made/tasted. Undeniably, the addition of truffles pulled this dish from the myriad of other spaghetti and meatball renditions to help it stand out in a most compelling and flavor-enchanting way. The high quality protein was an excellent choice – the Wagyu beef was juicy and full of flavor. The pasta was cooked to perfection, still al dente and ready to soak in all that goodness from the tomato sauce.
A work of culinary virtuosity!
Want to attend a Truffle Shuffle class? You can sign up for next Sunday’s classes now on their website – and get 10% off with my special discount code!
I had an amazing time at Truffle Shuffle’s online cooking class, and I highly recommend the experience. The dish I cooked turned out amazing, the ingredients were upscale, the instructions – clear, and the pacing – perfect.
I am impressed with Truffle Shuffle’s story, mission, and values, and I will continue to support them for the foreseeable future. Going beyond tales of the kitchen, Zoom connections, and sangria orders, theirs is a story of grit, determination, and perseverance on the way to success. “It’s not over until we say it is,” the Truffle Shuffle chefs say. They’re not ready to throw in the towel. They’re not made for quitting. At a time when restaurants struggle and many people don’t have food to put on the table, Truffle Shuffle shines through as a humble ray of hope – and for that hope, I’m very grateful.
Disclaimer: While I received complimentary products to facilitate this review, all opinions expressed here are my own.
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