When we sent out invitations for a casual dinner party celebrating my partner's birthday, one of our food-snob friends brought a white truffle and insisted we use it that night. I thought this was presumptuous and rude, but my girlfriends say I was right to just roll with it. What should I have done?
It was presumptuous, yes, but the gift of a $300-per-ounce fungus is never rude. If he really is a food snob (I'm assuming it's a man - they always are), your friend should have been well qualified to cook it. I would have told him I wanted fresh tagliatelle tossed with artisanal salted butter and the truffle shaved on top, then pointed him toward the kitchen. Failing that, I would have thrown paper-thin slices over well-buttered toasted baguette slices, giving your food-snob friend - and all the other guests - the best $300 toast they ever had.
Chris Nuttall-Smith is a food writer and restaurant columnist. Have an entertaining dilemma. E-mail style@globeandmail.com.