Truffle oil is an inexpensive way to get the flavor of truffle into foods. But when you buy a bottle, make it “truffle season” in your house. The aroma dissipates quickly after opening, so use up the oil within a few months. Fortunately, it works almost everywhere—as a bread-dipper, in salads or on meat, fish, eggs, chicken, corn and other vegetables. Just don’t cook with truffle oil—the scent evaporates when the oil is heated. Instead, brush it onto the food when it comes off the flame, or drizzle it into soups. Truffle oil’s “companion,” truffle vinegar, can be used to deglaze, but vinegar is not the ideal form in which to enjoy a hint of the fungus. Most truffle oil and vinegar are not made with real truffles, but are synthetic approximations. Some are much better than others.