BY STEPH KEAY
HauteCUISINE
A MUSHROOMING SUCCESS How one local company transformed a 20-pound case of unwanted truffles into a booming cooking class empire
SITTING IN FRONT OF $20,000 WORTH OF FRESH TRUFFLES, FRENCH Laundry alums Jason and Sarah McKinney were at a loss. The mammoth shipment of the famously earthy spheres of flavor had just landed in San Francisco the same day the shelter-in-place order was announced, and the high hopes they had for their fledgling company—which they founded to supply restaurants with the finest fungi—were looking dire. With only a small window of time to utilize the truffles (likely less than a week), the McKinneys had to find a way to use all 20 pounds of the precious cargo. Then, the phone rang. 34
A prized delicacy, truffles have long been a mainstay on the finest menus across the world—including The French Laundry, the famous, triple-Michelinstarred restaurant where the McKinneys first met. Along with chef Tyler Vorce, the McKinneys developed an incredible passion for the ingredient, elevating dishes at the famed Napa eatery with the fungus’ distinct, earthy flavor and incredible complexity. Together, they sought to launch Truffle Shuffle, a direct-from-the-source importer of truffles they hoped would serve restaurants across Northern California. Similar to highlighting food producers such as butchers and farmers, the three truffle aficionados aimed to bring more awareness to truffle hunters and deepen the appreciation for these exceptional morsels of umami. When the pandemic hit, it seemed as though the timing couldn’t have been worse—but in hindsight, it was a blessing in disguise. When Jason picked up the phone, he answered a call from a private San Francisco social club asking him to host a virtual cooking class for its members. Despite having no professional background in teaching, the Truffle Shuffle founders embarked on developing a program to lead home cooks through the preparation of a restaurant-quality dish utilizing fresh truffles, including
PHOTOS COURTESY OF TRUFFLE SHUFFLE
Black truffles
