Jer: Panna Cotta

When my family has a potluck gathering there is a particular dessert that my Auntie Harriet regularly brings that I just love. She mixes sliced strawberries into strawberry Jello and then tops the firmed gelatin with a layer of whipped cream. Its always one of the first desserts to be finished and I really just love it. There is another dessert that my mom and all of my aunts make regularly for parties. A $2 can of Dole fruit cocktail is mixed with some condensed milk and Cool Whip. I love these classic immigrant American desserts that can feed three generations of Filipinos for less than $10. They were the inspiration for my take on Ms. Hesser’s panna cotta.

I wanted to do something a little different with the panna cotta, especially since both Kaoru and Julie had already paired it with a fruit topping. What I love about the childhood dishes described above is how the bite-sized pieces of fruit get suspended in the thicker body of a creamy substance. Tonight was my sister Rachel’s birthday dinner and I certainly couldn’t make her panna cotta filled with cheap fruit cocktail. More importantly, there are certain substances that are just banned from my kitchen given how much of it I ate as a child. Canned fruit cocktail, Cool Whip, Spam and corned beef top that list (even though I will happily devour them at a relative's home). Instead I opted for a visit to Chino’s Family Farm and Seaside Market where I found some enticing artisinal plums, pears and peaches as well as the most inviting squash-yellow raspberries cultivated by the Chino family. One of these aesthetic gems, the $5 horned melon, did not make it into the panna cotta. My sister and I eagerly opened it up to taste its fruit to find a mushy and runny green substance that tasted nothing like we expected. We laughed when we did some research to find that people suggest using it as ornamentation in a table centerpiece.

This panna cotta is definitely lighter and more healthy than the creamier version Kaoru and I made in the spring. I like them both to finish different types of meals. Tonight I made my sister her two favorite dishes, a wonderful eggplant parmesan made with these delicate Japanese eggplants from Chinos and fettuccini Alfredo made with homemade egg pasta that I kneaded by hand in front of her as a gesture of how much I love her. We also started with a salad using Chino butter lettuce and tomatoes topped with imported burratta and finished with olive oil and a very thick balsamic syrip. Our meal was amazingly flavorful and truly wonderful yet very rich so this lighter panna cotta was a very nice and light finish.

I used only about one cup of yogurt and strained it for about a half hour to thicken it up. I took Kaoru's advice and added some vanilla. I probably added about a cup of one-inch diced and peeled fruit and we really liked how it deepened the flavor and texture of the panna cotta. Also, even though the recipe didn't call for it I did strain all milk-products into the final bowl to ensure no large particules or air bubbles.

Julie: CFML pg 68 Ginger Duck

I love braising, particularly in the fall. The labor of love of having a dish to tend throughout the evening, the wonderful smell filling the whole house, and the reward of the fall off the fork tenderness of whatever is cooking. I have never made a whole duck before, so this is going to be an adventure for me! The recipe looks involved but hopefully worth it. And the reward of having extra flavorful duck broth to use in other dishes, such as rice or pasta sauce, looks like a great bonus.

Ginger Duck (pg 68 CFML)

1 duck (thawed overnight in the fridge, giblets removed)
1 opion, peeled and cut in half, or 3 shallots, peeled
2 stalks celery, cut into 3 inch long pieces
2 teaspoons ground ginger
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 cup sherry
1 small bunch watercress, trimmed and washed

1. The day before, tuff the duck with the onion and celery. Place the duck, breast side up, in a large soup pot with enough water to half cover it. Ad the ginger and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce the heat so that it simmers very gently (the bubbles should be lazy not fizzy) for 1 hour.
2. After 1 hour, turn the duck over. Add the sugar, soy sauce and salt. Continue simmering for another hour. Turn duck once again and simmer until tender and falling apart, about another hour. Turn off the heat and when cool enough to handle, remove the duck carefull from the pot (it tends to fall apart after so much cooking) and place in a roasting pan. Cover and refrigerate until the next day.
3. Pour the broth from the soup pot into a container and chill overnight. A layer of fat will form on top. Scrape it off and discard it. What remains is delicious in rice (see recipe on page 69) and soups and can be frozen for months.
4. Before serving, bring the duck to room temp. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Add the sherry and 1 cup of the defatted duck broth to the roasting pan and place in the oven. Roast uncovered for 30 to 45 minutes, basting occasionally with the juices in the botom of the pan. The duck is done when it is heated through and the skin is crisp and a dark chestnut brown.
5. Transfer the duck to a serving platter and garnish with lots of watercress (disguising where legs and wings have fallen off, if they have)
Dinner for 4, with no leftovers, recipe can be doubled; Elizabeth usually cooks 2 ducks at a time.

Off Topic Extra: Chunky Apple Spice Cake with Vanilla Butter Sauce

So this has nothing to do with CFML, but I just had to share my happiness in a cooking experience, and a lovely recipe I discovered. As I mentioned before, my family all came over for Rosh Hashanah dinner yesterday (Jewish New Year). Since this is a joyous holiday, tradition dictates having lots of sweet foods, to symbolize wishing the New Year with lots of sweetness. Anecdotally, this year Ilearned that round foods are also traditional, to symbolize a wish for a "perfect year". So menus often include apples dipped in honey, honey baked carrots, pomegranates, and braised meats. And of course a challah, but round instead of the usual oblong.

This was my first time hosting Rosh Hashanah dinner, and a big deal for me. My grandmother has hosted for ages, but it has gotten to be too much for her, so I took over this year. It was a big honor but also a big responsibility. So planning the menu took some time, as I wanted some traditional favorites, mixed with a few new things. We had chopped liver, babaganoush, mediteranean mezze for starters, matzoh ball soup for first course, braised lamb in pomegranate sauce on cous cous for the main, and honey ginger glazed carrots on the side. The dinner came out well despite missing some of the laborious traditional foods I couldn't even attempt to replicate, such as the Gefilte fish she used to spend 3 days making. The highlight was dessert, for as much as I love my grandmother, dessert was never her thing. She used to make this hockey puck like honey cake from a manashevitz mix...let's just say it was a good thing we were all full from all her other delicious foods by that time.

So this year, I found a recipe for an apple spice cake, and it turned out deliciously. The sauce you pour on top just soaks in and makes it moist, rich and delicious, on top of an already flavorful and moist cake... it all came out lovely. Flavorful, rich, decadent, and different... a real treat. The family all agreed it was definitely going to become a Rosh Hashanah tradition, which made me very happy. And it was very easy to make to boot! With apple season upon us, I thought I would share the recipe with you gals:



Chunky Apple Spice Cake with Vanilla Butter Sauce
12 servings 50 min 10 min prep

1/2 cup butter, softened
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon pumpkin pie spice
1 teaspoon ground allspice
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups peeled and chopped apples (Granny Smith or Gala)
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup raisins, optional
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

Vanilla Butter Sauce
1/2 cup butter
1/2 cup whipping cream
1 cup firmly packed light brown sugar
2 tablespoons pure vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 350°F degrees.
Beat butter and brown sugar for 5 minutes in a mixer bowl.
Beat in eggs and vanilla just until blended.
Set aside.
Mix flour, pumpkin pie spice, baking powder, allspice and salt.
Gradually add to sugar mixture; beating until well blended.
Stir in apples, nuts, and raisins, if desired.
Pour into one greased 9-inch baking pan. (I used two 8" rounds as I couldn't find my 9", then layered them with a layer of sauce in the middle)
Bake 35-40 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Cool on wire rack 10 minutes.
Serve warm with Vanilla Butter Sauce.
Vanilla Butter Sauce--------------------.
Combine butter and whipping cream with brown sugar.
Bring to boil over medium heat.
Reduce heat; simmer 10 minutes or until slightly thickened.
Remove from heat; stir in vanilla.
Serve warm.
Do-ahead Suggestion: The cake and sauce can be prepared and refrigerated separately the day before.
Warm the cake, in the oven, and the sauce, on top of the stove, before serving.

Pannacotta W/ Poached Plums

On Labor Day, I made a late lunch for our dear friends from business school, Dave and Alison, who were out visiting from Washington D.C. They are true foodies, a pleasure to dine with-- Dave can recount every trip they have ever been on meal by meal, often course by course! However, they are also a challenge to cook for--Dave is allergic to many things, including all dairy, and Alison is 5 months pregnant, so has to avoid all things unpastuerized or raw, and also has a slug of allergies as well. So crafting the menu took some thought but I think it came out well without being too obviously devised.

For starters, I served some munchies from the farmers market-- duck pate, olives, salami, hummus & pita. For the first course, I riffed on a salad Chris had a few weeks ago at a restaraunt here that we love. It was grilled peaches with a few slices of serrano ham, goat cheese, and frisee. The flavors were fantastic together, so for lunch I wrapped some grilled peach slices and a chunk of goat cheese in thin slices of prosciutto, and served it on some baby greens, and drizzled it all with a bit of Balsamic. (no goat cheese for Dave). The flavor combinations were fantastic--salty, sweet, tangy, sharp--and it came out beautifully with all the colors. Unfortunately I was so caught up I forgot to take a picture of it! And it went so fast, by the time I remembered, it was all gone!


For the main course, I made the famous Zuni Roast Chicken with Bread Salad. I'd made the chicken before, but this was my first time with the Bread Salad, and as Dave closed his eyes to eat it and muttered "divine", I knew I had a hit. The crusty bread with the chicken drippings and the currants and pine nuts was so delicious!

Then to dessert... the pannacotta. It came out so silky and delicous, I was thrilled with the outcome. What a perfect summer dessert! Instead of the balsamic strawberries (Alison is allergic), I saw a poached plum preparation (from a tart recipe in Food & Wine) that I thought would be delicious with the panacotta-- and I have to say it was a fantastic match. The tangy aromatic syrup from reducing the poaching liquid was absolutely delicious drizzled onto the silky pannacotta. And both the plums and the pannacotta were done well ahead of time, so it was a snap to serve. This combo is definitely going into the entertaining repertoire-- great choice, Kaoru.

Here is the recipe for the plums in case anyone is interested:

Poached Plums
(by Nina Planck from Food & Wine Aug '06)
2 cups fuity red wine, such as Beujolais or Zinfandel
1/2 cup sugar
6 whole cloves
6 black peppercorns
1 cinnamon stick, broken
1/2 vanilla bean, split and scraped
6 medium puple plums (~ 2 1/4 lbs), pitted and wedged into 1/8s

In a large skillet, combine all the ingredients except the plums. Bring to a boil, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Add plums and simmer over moderate heat until tender, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon transfer the plums to a plate; let cool to room temperature. Boil the liquid until reduced to 1/3 cup, about 10 minutes. Strain the syrup into a bowl.