"Panna Cotta" news and stories

KitchenDaily expert Gail Simmons loves ginger, the rhizome (underground stem) of the plant Zingiber officiale. She's created a sweet dessert that showcases its spicy, zingy flavor: Ginger Panna Cotta. Don't be intimidated by the term "panna cotta" -- it just means "cooked cream." To make this elegant dessert, she infuses the cream with flavor (in this case, ginger, lemon, and vanilla) and then uses gelatin to set it.

Cool custard is what panna cotta is all about. Add a layer of fruit compote, such as the mango version above, and it's a chill summer dessert. There are no eggs in panna cotta, though the custard is made with cream and gelatin. In fact, according to The Gourmet Cookbook, "panna cotta means 'cooked cream' in Italian," and it's a dessert you need to make at least four hours in advance, so it can set. (Here's a Gourmet recipe for vanilla panna cotta with a fresh mango compote.)

Amp up the creaminess by adding yogurt to the cream. This citrusy panna cotta di casa recipe calls for lemon yogurt, lemon curd and mascarpone cheese, and is served with a blueberry sauce.

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool for a shot of having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

If you think of the cool, jiggly Italian panna cotta as one of the most refreshing desserts around, this truly inventive starter will make you completely rethink it.

Australian blogger Jules, at thestonesoup, turns her panna cotta into a savory dish with cauliflower, adds a layer of an endive-and-scallion mixture, then tops it with smoked trout. Her recipe was inspired by chefs and cookbook authors Jane and Jeremy Strode, who made a name for themselves with their restaurant Bistrode, near Sydney.

A couple of notes about the recipe: Jules calls for "witlof," which, here in the states we know as chicory or endive. She also recommends leaf gelatin instead of the powdered form. Leaf gelatin comes in sheets, and isn't as available here as it is in Australia, Europe and elsewhere, so if you can't find it at the market, powdered gelatin will do just fine (one tablespoon of powdered gelatin equals about 4 gelatin sheets).

Become a member of the Slashfood Flickr pool to get a shot at having your photos featured in Feast Your Eyes.

A light panna cotta is a great way to end a romantic evening, like Valentine's Day. It is easy to prepare and can be set up in advance, which leaves you free to worry about other aspects of your night. When discussing panna cotta, "light" usually refers to the delicate texture and melt-in-your mouth appeal of the lightly gelled dessert, not necessarily to the fat or calorie content of the treat. There is nothing wrong with a little indulgence, but it's nice when a dessert that is light in texture is also light in the stomach, so I have made this panna cotta a little more figure-friendly by using yogurt and light cream (half and half) in place of the all-cream standard. I added some berries for color and a little bit of sugar for sweetness. The result is a dessert with the appealing texture of panna cotta, far less fat and the slight tang of yogurt.

Because I love to cook, it is easy to make any meal made at home romantic. All you need is a couple of candles on the table, well-cooked food, someone special and, to follow the meal, dessert. For the main course, I would choose something easy to make, something familiar. Dessert would be my focus, since I firmly believe that anything truly romantic should end with something sweet. These are my top four most romantic desserts:

Molten Chocolate Cake - Known sometimes as a chocolate lava cake, these individual serving sized cakes are menu must haves on Valentine's Day. Unfortunately, they are often poorly made, as people simply undercook a regular chocolate cake to "create" a molten center; all they are doing is allowing batter to run all over the plate. A real molten chocolate cake should have a ball of ganache placed in the center before baking, which will melt and deliver a delicious sauce that is more delicious than any cake batter could ever be. This recipe from Epicurious substitutes chocolate pieces for the truffle center, but the Chocolate Espresso Lava Cakes are excellent, nevertheless.