I am also a keen cook and want to go onto cullinary school. I know they never used as a main ingredient though, they are used to top something off and to flavour it, sort of like a spicei know it takes alot but the flowers are so awesome looking and as to the man and his truffles. Truffles are actually not a spice at all there a fungus or a mushroom and black truffles are also known as winter truffles and have a much milder taste than the white (summer) truffle and yes they are expensive any where from 500-1500 per lb there are some truffles that are much much cheaper there grown in the himalays and dont have the rich full bodied flavor of there french cousins and cost round 50$ per lb we used them in culinary school there smell really gets ur attention