Last October, I went truffle hunting in Piedmont, northern Italy, and I thought that the nicest way to enjoy white truffles after a day in the forest is to just shave them over very plain but good quality spaghetti (just toss the cooked pasta in butter and shave on the truffle...gorgeous). I'm pretty sure you could do the same with the black varieties.

The other great starter is a fonduta – truffles shaved into melted fontina cheese (again, meant for white but would work well with black) and eaten with vegetable sticks.

For an informal starter, what about a truffled camembert? Slice a ripe camembert in half horizontally, lay thinly sliced truffle on the lower piece and sandwich with the top. Return the cheese to its wooden box and keep in the fridge for a day or two (in a sealed plastic bag to prevent the smell infecting other foods). Then bake the cheese in its box and serve with ciabatta or French baguette (broken off by hand, of course).

Another informal starter is truffenade on toast – like a tapenade, but using black truffle (a paste of chopped truffles, olives and mushrooms).

As for the oil, I like to make truffled mash – add the oil with a tiny bit of butter when you mash the spuds.

Finally, here's a 'posh' truffle starter: Shellfish and Truffle Profiteroles. I've had this recipe kicking around my kitchen for ages, and if you've got an important dinner party, or just fancy something special, give it a go.

For the filling:
2 egg yolks
225ml olive oil
2 tbsp white truffle oil
salt and freshly ground black pepper
500g prepared shellfish, such as prawns, scallops or lobsters (roughly chopped)
30g chopped red onion
2 tsp tarragon, chopped
2 tsp chives, chopped

1. Combine egg yolks and lemon juice in a food processor. While the motor is running, add olive oil and truffle oil in a slow but steady stream until emulsified (making a mayonnaise, basically). Season to taste.

2. Transfer mayo to a bowl and add shellfish meat along with chopped onion, tarragon and chives. Season with salt and white pepper, if necessary.

For the profiteroles:
100g unsalted butter
225ml milk
generous pinch of salt
a few cracks of black pepper
100g flour
½ tsp baking powder
5 eggs
1 handful mixed chopped fresh herbs, such as chives, tarragon and basil
zest of 1 lemon

3. Preheat oven to 220C/425F/gas mark 7. Bring butter and milk in a saucepan to the boil then stir in salt and pepper. Mix flour and baking powder together and add to milk mixture, whisking/beating to form a dough.

4. One at a time, beat eggs to the dough (this is best done with an electric mixer). Make sure each egg is completely incorporated into the dough before adding the next one. After each egg is added, toss in a little of the herbs and lemon zest and stir until incorporated. Repeat until all herbs and zest are incorporated.

5. Transfer mixture to a pastry bag with no tip. Line a baking sheet with parchment and pipe out 16 golf ball-sized dough balls. Bake for 10 minutes (until puffed up) and then reduce temperature to 190C/375F/gas mark 5 and bake until golden brown (about 25 minutes - it should feel light and dry). Cool on a rack.

6. Using a spoon, slice off the very top of the profiteroles and fill with the shellfish and truffle oil filling. Arrange on a platter and drizzle with a little more truffle oil.