Even the chips and flakes that fall off the whole truffles are costly. They‘re used to make truffle oil and truffle salt that in turn flavor other foods.

There have been a few truffle popcorns launched in the last couple of years, some more successful than others.

But we say “wow!” to the truffle popcorn from 479° Popcorn, a luxury producer or heirloom popcorn that is a NIBBLE Top Pick Of The Week.

We’d previously had the company’s excellent popped Black Truffle + White Cheddar Popcorn. But truffle lovers will love the latest truffle popcorn in a pop-it-yourself (PIY) kit: regular popcorn with truffle salt and truffle oil. It’s simply marvelous, and (spoiler alert to our foodie friends) we’ve designated it as our personal holiday gift for 2010.

Truffle oil, combined with truffle salt
makes the best truffled popcorn.
Photo by Katharine Pollak | THE NIBBLE.

Simply pop a batch of the beautiful popcorn kernels in heirloom strains of Dakota Black, Shaman Blue, White Diamond and Yellow Topaz. Drizzle with a few drops of black truffle oil and sprinkle with truffle-infused sea salt. Then inhale the famous aroma as you devour the popcorn.

• The Black Truffle PIY Kit is $45.00, which may seem high, but remember the price per pound of the truffles required to make the truffle oil. You can purchase it at 479Popcorn.com.
• Read our review of 479° Popcorn.
• Learn all about truffles in our Truffle Glossary.

A saucier has rounded edges, eliminating
corners where food can burn. This saucier
is available at Amazon.com.

A griddle is not a grill, a saucepan is not a saucier and a skillet is not a sauté pan. You need the right equipment to do the best job; that’s why the variations were developed.

• Griddle vs. Grill: A griddle is a heavy, flat cooking utensil. A grill is an open web on which foods are placed to directly expose them to fire.
• Saucepan vs. Saucier: A saucepan has straight sides and is used for basic heating and boiling. A saucier (photo at left) is rounded and bowl-shaped, ideal for the preparation of sauces, custards, risotto and creamy foods. Unlike the saucepan, there are no corners in which food can hide and burn; and the wider mouth is better for whisking.

• Skillet vs. Sauté Pan: A skillet has low, sloped sides that help with evaporation and steam dissipation. It is used for browning and/or caramelizing, and for reducing sauces. The sloped sides make it easy to flip food and slide it out of the pan. A sauté pan has straight sides and a lid. It is used for braising and pan frying; the high sides reduce splatters and keep in the moist heat.

Now that you know the difference, put the equipment you need on your wish list to make cooking more efficient.

But what if you don’t eat red meat and cheese, or simply want a change?

Our solution is smokin’: a smokey chicken burger topped with smoked Gouda and smokey barbecue sauce.

To make it even more special, a ciabatta roll replaces the burger bun.

• Get the recipe.
• Find more chicken recipes in our Gourmet Poultry Section.

Don’t you want to take a bite? Photo
courtesy Sable & Rosinfeld.

Photo courtesy Wholesome Junk Food Cookbook.

To make this great match even better, add 1 cup of coarsely grated Cheddar to your apple pie crust dough.

You can still serve the pie with a wedge of Cheddar.

And you can also wow the crowd with this Cheddar Cheese Ice Cream recipe.

But some holidays, like National Cheeseburger Day, deserve more than a tweet. As one of America’s favorite foods, the cheeseburger demands that you celebrate!

• Check out 8 gorgeous cheeseburger recipes.
• Don’t want cheese? See our 40+ burger recipes—a different burger for every day of the month.
• How about a spicy peanut butter burger recipe?
• See the history of the burger. Who invented it?
• Find out how food holidays are created, and the whole year of holidays.

Bacon, cheese, hash browns and onion rings:
The Farmer John Cheeseburger is for hearty
eaters. Photo courtesy Wisconsin Milk
Marketing Board.