But as I was slowly walking through the aisle of the cookbook section, I stopped and looked at some of the Italian cookbooks. With as many Italian cookbooks that I own, I definitely didn't need another one. But Fabio Viviani (I had no idea who he is/was as much as I watch cooking shows) has a new book, Fabio's Italian Kitchen. There was a bit of snarkyness (is that a word?) in his writing that I found a little humorous. He also had a recipe for Panna Cotta that was made differently than all of the other Panna Cotta recipes I have tried and made before. The combination of his writing and the Panna Cotta recipe intrigued me enough that I left with the book. In my world this would be instant gratification.
Over the years I have experimented with a variety of Panna Cotta recipes always in search in the perfect recipe. Some of these have included a Buttermilk Panna Cotta, one that uses honey instead of sugar, and one with a higher cream to milk ratio just to name a few. Never had I made one where there was an ice bath step in the process, but OMG, this seriously is the best Panna Cotta I have ever made. I seriously think it is the closest thing to Panna Cotta perfection. Finally, my search for the perfect recipe has ended and I no longer have to look at another Panna Cotta recipe again, except out of curiosity.
I am self-confessed chocoholic, but put Panna Cotta on the dessert menu in a restaurant and suddenly the thought of eating chocolate for dessert seems like a terrible idea. There is something about the taste of the creaminess of this Italian 'cooked cream' that is so satisfying that it just beckons to be ordered, to be eaten for dessert. It is not as rich as creme brulee and not as sweet as flan. For me panna cotta is the perfect of all custard-like desserts.
The recipe called for serving the Panna Cotta with a red wine reduction sauce. But I knew I wanted to make it with the balsamic strawberries. Even though I have gone on the the rant of "I will only eat freshly picked native strawberries" awhile back, the strawberries in the supermarket are actually transformed by the brown sugar and balsamic glaze. So all I needed from the grocery store to make this recipe were the strawberries because I had everything else in either the refrigerator or the cupboard.
The gelatin and milk are combined in a heavy saucepan allowing the gelatin to bloom for approximately 20 minutes. Then the heavy cream, brown sugar, vanilla and salt are added and cooked over medium heat for approximately 6 to 7 minutes or until gelatin and sugars have dissolved. This mixture definitely needs to feel warm to the touch.
The original recipe called for one and half teaspoons of vanilla, but I didn't think that was enough. So I increased the amount of vanilla to one tablespoon. When getting the ingredients ready for this panna cotta I suddenly remembered I had bought some vanilla bean paste a few weeks earlier. So I went with the bean paste. One tablespoon of vanilla bean paste equals one tablespoon of vanilla extract. The benefit of using the bean paste is that it added some flecks of the bean to mixture. But if you only have vanilla extract, don't worry about not having any flecks.
After the mixture is cooked, it is placed over an ice bath for 30 minutes or until it begins to thicken slightly. I was amazed that the ice bath actually began to thicken the panna cotta. Having never put panna cotta in an ice bath before putting in bowls or ramekins I wasn't sure what to expect. Definitely stir the mixture before pouring into the serving dish of your choice.
Once the mixture is poured into serving dishes, you cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for up to six hours or preferably overnight. This is a very easy dish to put together the night before.
While the Panna Cotta is chilling, I made the balsamic strawberries. What's so nice about these berries is that three simple ingredients turns strawberries into a sweet, slightly tangy sauce.
Cut up as little as a pint of strawberries and as much as a quart. Remove the greens and cut into bite-sized pieces.
Light brown sugar is mixed with the balsamic vinegar and poured over the strawberries. I generally like to make my strawberries early in the day to allow the berries to soak up the brown sugar and vinegar mixture.
The berries also deepen in color which makes them look even more appetizing. A few months ago I had brought a panna cotta with the balsamic strawberries over to a neighbor's house as I was assigned dessert. No one ever had this combination and everyone loved it. Actually they were surprised at how much they did like it, because the thought of balsamic vinegar and strawberries was not one they thought would have worked.
When the panna cotta is thoroughly chilled, top with a couple tablespoons of the berries and some of the macerating liquid. You can also unmold the panna cotta, serve on a plate and place the berries on top. This panna cotta is so creamy delicious it almost does not need to be served with anything else. For the less adventuresome in your family or amongst your friends, serve theirs plan but make them take a bit of someone else's with the balsamic strawberries. I would bet they will be asking for you to pass the balsamic strawberries.
Recipe
Panna Cotta with Balsamic Strawberries (Panna Cotta recipe slightly adapted from Fabio Viviani in Fabio's Italian Kitchen)
Ingredients
For the Panna Cotta
3 1/2 teaspoons Knox gelatin (slightly less than two packets)
2 cups whole milk
2 cups heavy cream
6 Tablespoons light brown sugar
1 Tablespoon vanilla bean paste (or 1 Tablespoon vanilla extract)
pinch of sea salt
For the Balsamic Strawberries
1 pint of ripe strawberries, leaves removed, and cut into bite sized pieces
3 Tablespoons light brown sugar
3 Tablespoons balsamic vinegar
Directions
For the Panna Cotta
1. Place gelatin and milk in a medium sized heavy saucepan and allow the gelatin to bloom (20 minutes was suggested)
2. Add cream, brown sugar, vanilla and salt.
3. On medium heat, heat until gelatin and sugar dissolves. Approximately 6 to 7 minutes. The mixture should be warm.
4. Put mixture in a glass bowl over an ice bath for 30 minutes to allow to slightly thicken.
5. Stir mixture and then pour into ramekins or the serving dishes of your choice. Depending on the size of ramekins or bowls you use, it will make 5 to 8 servings.
6. Chill covered in the refrigerator for at least 6 hours or preferably overnight.
For the Balsamic Strawberries
1. Mix balsamic vinegar with brown sugar. Pour over cut strawberries.
2. Let macerate in the refrigerator for several hours.
When getting ready to serve the Panna Cotta, top each one with two tablespoons of strawberries and some of the liquid. You can also unmold the Panna Cotta using the same aforementioned presentation. Serve extra strawberries on the side.
1. Mix balsamic vinegar with brown sugar. Pour over cut strawberries.
2. Let macerate in the refrigerator for several hours.
When getting ready to serve the Panna Cotta, top each one with two tablespoons of strawberries and some of the liquid. You can also unmold the Panna Cotta using the same aforementioned presentation. Serve extra strawberries on the side.
Last week I promised myself that I would walk and/or walk/run five days a week as challenging as my work schedule can be. In week one I lived up to the promise. I don't know if I feel better because I exercised or if I kept a promise I made to myself. Most weeks begin with good intentions and then I let life get in the way, rarely putting myself first. There is no time like the present to make a paradigm shift. I can give more if I feel better. So it should end up being a win-win.
As I was walking on the beach one night this week, I texted my sister a photo of the ocean. That text communication turned into a conversation that I think had the phrase 'get ready for another marathon' in it. I haven't gone back to read the text because I was in shock. More than a decade ago, more like 15 years ago, it was my sister that pushed me to begin running. Needless to say, it wasn't easy to begin running as an 'older' adult. But I built enough stamina and endurance to first run a few 5ks, the some 10ks, then some half-marathons, then a 20 miler, and then two marathons. Honestly, I felt my best when I was running. I am not sure I am up for another marathon, but would like to be able to run another 10k sometime during the summer. One thing is for certain, I won't be running a race with my sister. She is seven years younger, even more competitive than I am, and let's just say I had a bad race experience with her once. I love my sister dearly, but hearing her say 'suck it up' doesn't even begin to describe the experience.
