Visitors meet Rico, a truffle-hunting dog.
Dario de Conti of Ca’Momi demonstrates pizza making
Truffles were celebrated as the tantalizing aroma of truffles drifted through Oxbow Public Market on the final day of the 2016 Napa Truffle Festival, drawing the throngs at the annual Festival Marketplace to the truffle dishes on the menus of the market’s many eateries.
From a special pappardelle dish at Kitchen Door to mini beef Wellington bites at Five Dot Ranch to sweet cream ice cream at Three Twins, dishes throughout the market incorporated the elusive underground mushroom.
Visitors could buy truffles or enter a drawing to win one, and were treated to cooking demonstrations with chef Jake Rand of Eiko’s and chef/owner Dario de Conti of Ca’ Momi. A special treat was the opportunity to interact with specially trained truffle-hunting dogs.
During the Marketplace, the Festival also offered Truffleluxe, a more exclusive “curated” version of the event hosted by Feast it Forward and Sunset Magazine. Among other things, Truffleluxe offered wine and cheese tasting, additional cooking demos, a special gin cocktail, a discussion about truffles with Robert Chang and Dr. Paul Thomas of American Truffle Company, and a demonstration with several truffle-hunting dogs. It was a great day to see truffles celebrated at the Oxbow Public Market.
Chef Jake Rand of Eiko’s shaves truffle over his ramen noodle dish
Catharine Bergen demonstrated a frittata recipe at Truffleluxe.
