Bonnie: I’ve found that people either love or can’t stand the smell of truffles. There’s very little middle ground. I’m one of the former — a truffle lover.

It was the ‘70s. I was dining with my dad at an upscale Italian restaurant on the Upper East Side of NYC near the medical center where my mom was hospitalized when I first discovered these pungent fungi. I recall a large rice-filled apothecary jar on the front table catching my eye. Odd, I thought. Why have a jar of rice displayed? I was clueless that truffles were nestled inside to keep them dry while allowing the rice to absorb their aroma. I was young and on the verge of becoming a foodie.

The maître d’ offered a shaving of truffle over my risotto — an act that elevated that dish to ethereal. I was hooked. I loved the earthy flavor those specks added.

Truffles are prized fungi that only grow in the wild, underground near the roots of trees. Funny as it seems, it’s actually highly trained pigs and dogs that unearth them by sniffing the ground near those trees.

As a movie buff, you might recall the scene in “No Reservations” (an unnecessary remake of “Mostly Martha”) where Zoe (Abigail Breslin) — while helping Kate (Catherine Zeta-Jones) in the restaurant kitchen — picks up and sniffs a black object, is repulsed by the smell and tosses a few hundred dollars’ worth of truffles into the garbage pail only to be dug out by Kate after she notices them missing.

Truffles are that expensive. Just beware that you don’t say yes to shavings of truffles on your food at restaurant without first inquiring about the cost. I learned that the hard way in the early ‘90s.

I was deeply engrossed in conversation with some friends while dining at Rebecca’s Restaurant & Bar in Greenwich, CT, when the waiter stopped by the table after each dish was served offering a shaving of truffles. He did it as casually as if offering a grinding of fresh pepper or Parmesan cheese. We each said yes, never stopping our chatter for a second to consider the consequence of our actions — that those sprinklings would add more than $120 to our bill. Never again.

With this new truffle butter from Transatlantic Foods, I can easily add that flavor to my foods without that expense. I learned about this delicacy from a foodie friend who was raving about it. She mentioned that the Aux Delices des Bois Black Truffle Butter won the outstanding new product award this past summer at the Fancy Food show.

I reached out to the company, rightly thinking that the butter could be a FeaturedBite.

I had learned that the recipe used for it is from the grandmother of Thierry Farges — one of the owners — who lived in the Perigord region of France, one of the world’s renowned areas for truffles.

I had to try it. This is Wisconsin butter whipped with minced truffles, truffle water and truffle oil. It’s yummy on potatoes, ears of corn or for that matter, on any veggies. Try a dollop on pasta, swirled into rice (especially as a finishing touch on risotto) or a pat on a just-cooked steak.

And, to lengthen the storage time, I like that I can store the butter in my freezer, pulling it out to take a spoonful to finish whatever I’m cooking, which will wow my guests.

The company is just beginning its distribution in the US. If you live in the Big Apple, you can find it easily. But the rest of you might just have to wait until it has found suppliers or until the company resumes its mail-order business.

Bryan: What more can you ask for in a food product? Combining two of the most decadent, luscious, rich food products on earth (butter and truffles) into one easy-to-use substance is exactly what Transatlantic Foods has done with its latest release. Truffle Butter is simply amazing, a deeply delicious foodie find that will change your attitude about how (and how frequently) truffles can be used in your kitchen creations.

As Bonnie has pointed out, truffles are an extravagant treat for curious Epicureans. Their deep earthy flavor is unmatched by any other known food, adding an extra kick to a wide range of dishes. Pasta plates, from creamy risotto to simple spaghetti, are elevated to new levels with a simple shaving. Take these same shavings and add to roasted fish or chicken to completely change the dynamic and flavor of your favorite recipes. These “mushrooms” are not just an ingredient, they are a true secret ingredient, with only one problem: You’ve not only raised the flavor profile of your dish; you’ve raised the price of it exponentially.

Enter Truffle Butter…
A 3.5-ounce tub costs only $6 to $7. The Truffle Butter can be frozen and mixed into (or melted over) almost anything. There is finally a product that allows for truffle experimentation without feeling like you’ve flushed $20 down the toilet. Spread a little on bread for a roast beef sandwich, mix a pat into your pastas or melt it over fish or chicken. One of my favorite uses so far has been to add the Truffle Butter to a marinade for pork tenderloin. There is nothing on earth I can compare this to.

This is one of the few products I can honestly say you truly have to try to understand. There is no explaining, there is only trying. Now I’m just waiting for foie gras mayonnaise.

Eric: In my head, truffles – the word, the smell and the taste – resonate as a detection alarm for unskilled cooks. Throughout my catering and banqueting experience I’ve come across myriad dishes that contained the elusive (and incredibly expensive) fungus, and not one of them properly delivered its taste and exquisite flavor. There was one caterer in particular for whom I would work who used to use a ratio of 1:1 (potato to truffle) for her mashed potatoes. Ever since serving for her I have not been able to enjoy the truffles essence – that is, until now.

What is a truffle? Aside from being one of the most expensive foods in the world – ranging from $250 per pound for the black truffle to up to $2,700 per pound for the white truffle (dubbed the “white diamond”) – it is also one of the rarest. It is not a delicious piece of chocolate, but rather an underground tree fungus similar in texture to a potato and ranging in size from a walnut to an apple. Simply put, truffles are rare, expensive and an acquired taste.

Aux Delices des Bois deserves to have won the most outstanding new food product of 2008 and has helped to bring the true taste of truffles to the masses at an amazingly affordable price. I was initially skeptical to try the butter – as I mentioned earlier I’ve smelled and tasted too many botched attempts at using the ingredient – but after much encouragement from a truffle addict I took a small amount (still doubtful) and spread it on my corn. After a few bites, although it took me a moment to admit it, I was impressed. This company has really done it right – and I imagine it will change a lot of people’s perspectives on how amazing the flavor of a truffle can be.