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• by:
• Saulsbury, Camilla V.

Born in the Piedmont dairy country of northeast Italy, panna cotta is a soft, creamy, eggless custard whose name translates as cooked cream. Despite its luxurious texture and elegant presentation, panna cotta is simple to prepare: heat some heavy cream, add sugar, softened gelatin, and flavorings, and then chill until set. And though the name means cooked cream, many of the panna cotte in this collection are reinterpreted with other dairy products, including plain milk, creme fraiche, buttermilk, yogurt, sour cream, cream cheese, and mascarpone cheese.

This collection of recipes highlights how panna cotta, much like vanilla ice cream, is a blank slate for flavor possibilities. From the traditional--Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta with Balsamic Berries and Bittersweet Chocolate Panna Cotta--to nouveau interpretations--Lavender Panna Cotta with Blueberry Coulis and Muscovado Butterscotch Panna Cotta--there is a panna cotta recipe in this collection for most every taste and occasion.

While panna cotta is traditionally a dessert, this collection includes a chapter on savory panna cotta, reflecting recent restaurant trends in serving panna cotta as a first course. Recipes include panna cotta made with vegetable purees, such as Cauliflower Panna Cotta with Truffle Oil, and panna cotta made with a variety of savory cheeses, such as Goat Cheese Panna Cotta with Arugula-Roasted Beet Salad.

Readers are offered tips for adapting panna cotta to a wide variety of occasions, making the recipes suitable for weeknight dining, small supper parties, or large gatherings. Fuss-free entertaining tips are proffered as well as an appendix for locating harder-to-find ingredients and equipment. Includes 28 small, color photographs.