The truffle man

To meet Tom Michaels is to meet your favorite uncle, or a favorite professor. His demeanor is so gentle, almost self-effacing, you'd be hard pressed to believe he is a gastronomic revolutionary.

And yet, that's just what he is. A little over three years ago Tom produced one of the most prized culinary treasures of Southwestern France, but he did it in East Tennessee. The black Perigord truffle - Tuber Melansporum - is an almost mythic little fungus. Possibly the Holy Grail of food fanatics, the black truffle (which grows on the roots of oak and hazelnut trees) exudes a fragrance and taste, vaguely reminiscent of mushrooms, that is both mystical and addictive. For centuries it was the sole provenance of France where it commanded incredible demand despite exorbitant prices.

Tom, of course, would blush at such compliments and remind you that he is neither alone in his efforts nor was he the first domestic producer: He has colleagues in Oregon and Australia who have succeeded in producing viable truffles. Still, the quality and quantity of Tom's crop have excited an interest that reaches out from his home in Chucky to great kitchens in Knoxville, New York, Napa Valley and beyond. Celebrity chef Daniel Bouloud remarked, "This is it... the first time in America. This Tennessee truffle is the real thing." Tom's work has been lauded in the pages of the New York Times and GQ and on NPR.

Certainly the prize is pricey (between $40 and $60 per ounce), but a little dab will do, and, if you shave a bit of the truffle into European style butter, it freezes marvelously. A little pat of truffle butter on a grilled steak is nearly gastronomic apotheosis.

(Truffle season in Tennessee begins in December and ends in March, but Tom does import the Australian Perigord. www.tennesseetruffle.com)

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