Sweet Thing

The gorgeous truffles above were made by Christy Fox, whom I met when I interviewed her for NW Palate magazine's "In Our Kitchen" column a few months ago. At that time Christy was executive chef at not one, but two restaurants in Ketchum, Idaho, the toney Chandler's Restaurant and the more intimate Baci Italian Cafe & Wine Bar.

Shortly after we talked, she decided to leave Ketchum for a saner life here in Oregon, where she'd spent part of her childhood. Now she's heading up the catering department at the landmark Portland institution Sheridan Fruit and enjoying having a life again, which included making truffles for friends this holiday.

The flavors of these luscious little bombs are orange-cardamon, eggnog, curried chocolate with pink Himalayan salt, two different types of mint, white and dark chocolate, amaretto and raspberry. Each one was rich and smooth, and their distinctive flavors were present without being over-the-top.

Have I said lately how lucky I am to be meeting such great people? Yikes! And don't be surprised if you hear about these truffles in the near future. Christy said she may try selling them at some festivals this summer, and you can be sure I'll give you plenty of notice so you can get some for yourself!