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Day 4 -- Truffle hunt, chocolate making workshop, Ristorante de Cambio.
Setting out toward a truffle hunt, the scenery couldn't be more picturesque.
Walking up to the house of our truffalau, or truffle hunter.
Our host Natale (left) lives here with his brother and sister.
Natale is the story teller of the group, and picks out his "victim" to talk about how truffles are an aphrodesiac.
The family has two dogs; this is the younger one.
This older dog goes out on the hunt with us.
We walk down through some trees just behind their house, and the dog picks up a scent.
He rewards the dog, and takes out his pick to dig out the truffle.
Here it is...
...and Kimberly wants a bite.
Walking back to the house.
They have set out a spread for us with some treats.
He takes out a few more truffles so we can take a picture as if we had found all of these.
The view from the back yard is amazing.
A common theme for the trip: salami and other meats with cheeses, and wine with lunch.
Natale gets out the truffle shaving tool...
...and decorates us a plate of cheese with olive oil and truffles.
In the afternoon, we head over to a chocolate-making workshop at Sacco.
Our chocolate master does not speak English, so Carla acts as interpreter.
The tempering of the chocolate is all done in a machine. The chocolatier shows how adding a few ounces of water to the mix...
...causes it to set up and be shapeable. Note the blobs at top, and after the water is added, the chocolate keeps its shape.
We get an opportunity to put the chocolate into molds.
Kimberly puts the chocolate into the mold...
...and uses a vibrating table on the machine to push the bubbles out.
After a few minutes, the excess chocolate is dumped back and the mold is put into the cooler.
Coming out of the cooler, the cups are taken out of the molds.
Their signature candy uses a chocolate that is made with hazelnut oil, and wrapped a certain way.
We all take turns trying to wrap it "just right."
A view of the shop from the inside...
...and the outside. The workshop is upstairs from here.
At the end, they gave us a tray of sweet treats and savory treats to try.
Another mold we made upstairs: a chocolate square with nuts and dried fruit.
A cooler display case.
That evening, we head off to our special dinner, taking the metro back into downtown.
Like true Americans, we go to the earliest seating, and we are early even for that.
The restaurant has been serving since before the US Constitution was signed.
A very lovely decor.
We almost felt a little out of place with the fanciness.
A little starter with grapes, olives, peppers, and figs.
Some crunchy rice cakes to eat with the early courses.
You can choose from the six- or nine-course menu; we chose six.
Our first course: cuttlefish and friggitelli nigiri.
A seafood salad, most of which is hidden under the leek garnish.
For bread options, we had this amazing dark loaf...
...or these little puffs. As Americans, we had to ask for butter.
A pasta and ravioli course.
An interesting combination of tuna belly with prosciutto. The taste kept going back and forth in your mouth between the two.
A bad translation on the menu called this "old cow." They do that to distinguish it from veal, but it was much more appetizing than the name would suggest.
The happy and toasty couple.
A little palate cleanser.
The first dessert couse called an exotic fruit sandwich of mango.
A finishing course with dried fruit chips on the left, and tiny frosted puffs on the right.