Cheese and white truffle

It's white truffle season again, and my favorite cousin is in the mood for some.  So I organized a small gathering at Cipriani, since I wasn't about to get a table at Otto e Mezzo.  Of course, we are always happy to go back to Cipriani's classic fare.

I started with Burrata and sun-dried cherry tomatoes.  When the plate was placed in front of me, I almost fell out of my chair.  The cheese is easily the size of my fist!  Not exactly a light starter...  But what an amazing milky and creamy hunk of cheese!  I shared a quarterly of it with my friends and we all ooohed and aaahed over it.  The sun-dried cherry tomatoes were sweet and a little tangy - a good accompaniment to the rich cheese.

2000 Malartic-Lagravière Blanc - this wine definitely met my expectations.  Nose of minerals, pipi de chat, toasty oak, lemon, fragrant and floral, buttery and a hint of muscat.  Very aromatic and enjoyable.

2002 Williams Selyem Pinot Noir Coastlands Vineyard - very fruity, jammy, full of strawberries, bubble gum, vanilla and a bit alcoholic.  A bit hot on the palate.

The main event, of course, was risotto alla Parmingiana with shaved white truffle.  They never give you enough truffle... and I keep wondering whether I actually got the 5g that I was entitled to.  Of course the truffle was fragrant... and the risotto was perfect.

I was actually kinda full after the Burrata, and the risotto definitely put me over the edge.  While my friends each enjoyed a slice of cake - including my favorite vanilla cream cake -   I decided to give it a pass.  I didn't want to feel sick again.

I did, however, take home an entire vanilla cream cake for tomorrow...