Neil Saavedra

You know...

I can't imagine a less intimidating name than the Mushroom Mafia, maybe off the top of my head.

So as they say, write what you know.

So he's a musician.

What about the rest of the details, even though you obviously have background and appreciation for the finer things in life, wine and music and things like that?

What kind of research and deep dive did you have to do on all of the

the things dealing with truffles and everything in the periphery?

You know, and there's even like you can go from here in Los Angeles, you can go up probably to Oregon or certain places and you can go hiking with a usually with a scout of some kind that will bring you and you can go dig for truffles or something like that.

But they're not all the same quality.

You've got white, you've got black and then, you know, certain qualities that go there in.

But, you know, chefs will tell you, as they have me many times on the program.

they're incredibly expensive, which is why you get this special razor to cut them micro-thin into your pasta, which I have had.

But the first time you do it, it's a rude awakening when you get that bill.

It was pasta, right?

But they do have this unique –

flavor and texture to them that is not like anything else, earthy and delicious.

It's just not like anything else to them.

Did you find, were you surprised by some of the prices or some of the details you found out about truffles during your research for your novel, Buried Treasure?

No, please do.

There is something about that because, you know, trust me, I'm like a mime on the radio.