Panna Cotta: Italy's Elegant Custard Made Easy

Camilla V. Saulsbury
Cumberland House (2007)
ISBN 1581825951
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (5/07)

When I visited my family last summer, everybody seemed to be serving panna cotta. Well, to be quite exact, everybody seemed to be serving strawberry panna cotta. While I had to agree that it was one of perfect summer desserts, I truly wished there would be more variety. I even toyed with the idea of trying something different at home, but it just never happened.

Then I came across Camilla V. Saulsbury’s “Panna Cotta” and the cover photo was enough to pique my interest. See, the pretty dessert on the cover was not pink. It looked slightly marbled and had interesting dark specks in it. Garnished with mint and peaches it looked so inviting and mysterious. I could not resist delving into the book. The first four pages were a true feast for the eyes. Panna cottas of every hue, some of them even layered! Then came the introduction, where Ms. Saulsbury competently explains the basics and makes you familiar with the history of this deceptively simple, silky wonder and the ingredients as well as techniques used in the creation of various kinds of panna cottas. As fun as I found this first section, the real thrill started with the recipes. Chapter 1 deals with the Top-10 Panna Cotta Favorites. Surprisingly enough, strawberry was not one of them… But there were some that shall certainly become favorites in my kitchen, most notably the exquisite Lavender one. Well, the Cappuccino Layered Panna Cotta was not bad either…

Every one of the following chapters brought more intriguing recipes. They deal – in order of appearance – with Chocolate, Caramel & Spice; Fruit Panna Cotta, Spirited Panna Cotta, Enlightened Panna Cotta and Savory Panna Cotta. While I tried a couple more and I found all of them excellent, I am now waiting for the summer corn to appear on the market. The recipe that intrigued me most was the one using summer corn and crab. While the recipe calls for frozen corn, I just think it would be even better with some fresh corn kernels.

I found this book to be imaginative and down-to-earth. Most recipes don’t call for any over-the-top ingredients. The instructions are clear and very easy to follow. While I wish that every recipe would be accompanied by a photo, I certainly appreciate the photo section in the beginning of the book. Having the serving suggestions as well as recipes for the accompaniments to the panna cottas available in the book will certainly make planning meals with those wonderful little creations considerably easier. It was an eye-opener for me to see all of the wonderful savory creations in this book, which could easily serve as the focal point of any meal, especially a summer one.

I would highly recommend “Panna Cotta: Italy's Elegant Custard Made Easy” to all cooking enthusiasts, especially those who are willing to accept the fact that panna cotta does not have to be strawberry flavored.

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