Panna Cotta: Italy's Elegant Custard Made Easy [Hardcover]

Camilla V Saulsbury (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 1, 2007

Book annotation not available for this title.
Title: Panna Cotta
Author: Saulsbury, Camilla V.
Publisher: Turner Pub Co
Publication Date: 2007/03/30
Number of Pages: 141
Binding Type: HARDCOVER
Library of Congress: 2007000994

Editorial Reviews

From the Publisher

It's time for panna cotta to get its due as a dessert classic.

An exquisitely silky custard, panna cotta is at its most basic a confluence of cream, gelatin and sugar, and a short list of other ingredients that lend it flavor. Molded in ramekins--or more simply set and served in glassware or cups--it has both a homey provenance and refined austerity, making it an ideal partner for a wide range of sumptuous trimmings from bittersweet chocolate to balsamic strawberries to Cabernet caramel sauce.

Yet despite its luxurious texture and chic presentation, panna cotta is one of the easiest desserts to prepare: soften some gelatin, warm some cream and sugar, combine the two, and the cooking is done. It can be made up to a day ahead, too, making it as ideal for an haute cuisine supper party as for the close of a cozy weeknight meal. Come serving time, simply unmold and garnish--that's it. If the crowd is large, recipes are easily doubled or tripled; if the occasion is intimate, simply halve the recipe. Since there is no baking involved, the proportions remain equivalent.

Panna cotta is more than a dessert dream come true, too: it can also be a savory first course. Made from a combination of cream with vegetable purees, cheeses or fresh herbs, these panna cotte are in a class of their own in taste, style and presentation. And like their sweet siblings, savory panna cotte have the enticements of ease, style and sophistication.

Within these pages, you will find 100 recipes celebrating panna cotta. The first five chapters offer a suite of sweets; the sixth, a baker's dozen of savory options. All are centered on ease of preparation, with flavors ranging from subtle to bold and everywhere in between, with plenty of innovative interpretations as well as tried and true classics.

In addition, you'll also find recipes for myriad panna cotta accompaniments--sauces, gastriques, jams, syrups, fresh fruits, sugared rose petals, marrons glacés and more--that are as delectable and simple-to-assemble as the panna cotte themselves. Have fun mixing and matching flavors to create desserts or first courses that truly reflect your style and taste.

So enjoy the charms of panna cotta, they are many, and may a plethora of these recipes will make their way into your dessert and first-course repertoire. With a flick of the whisk, Italy's elegant custard can be yours.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 141 pages
• Publisher: Cumberland House Publishing (March 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1581825951
• ISBN-13: 978-1581825954
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #150,633 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Camilla Saulsbury is a freelance food writer, recipe developer and cooking instructor. Her culinary focus is translating food and flavor trends into fresh, innovative, and delicious recipes for the home kitchen.

Camilla has been involved in the world of food for more than 16 years, including catering specialty desserts in the San Francisco Bay Area, writing cookbooks and freelance food articles, and developing recipes for national food companies. Further, she has won several of the country's top cooking competitions, including the $100,000 National Chicken Cook-Off, the $50,000 Build a Better Burger Contest, and the Food Network's $25,000 Ultimate Recipe Showdown (Cookies Episode).

Camilla's interest in food is also academic. She holds a Ph.D. in sociology from Indiana University with a specialization in food studies, and her doctoral dissertation was a multi-faceted study of the contemporary meanings of home cooking in American culture. Following completion of her Ph.D., Camilla made food writing, food research, and recipe development her primary occupations.

Camilla is the author of ten cookbooks, published by Sourcebooks and Turner Publishing. She is the brand ambassador for Pepperidge Farm® Puff Pastry and has served as a spokesperson and recipe developer for Pillsbury® Brownie Mixes and Cake Mixes. She is also the featured cooking expert for the online magazine GALTime.


Camilla has made multiple appearances on the Food Network, has been featured in the New York Times, made appearances on Today, Good Morning America-Health, BetterTV and QVC, and is a member of the International Association of Culinary Professionals (IACP). Her work has appeared in such magazines as Southern Living, Better Homes and Gardens, Cooking Light, Woman's Day, Woman's World, Cosmo Girl, Quick & Simple, Country Woman, Sunset, Cook's Country, and Vegetarian Times.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Treasure...5 Stars, March 27, 2007

By 

ShannonCooks&Caters (Santa Monica, CA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panna Cotta: Italy's Elegant Custard Made Easy (Hardcover)

I love this cookbook. In the first week I tried five recipes, and all of them were perfect. This past weekend I made the Gianduia (chocolate hazelnut) panna cotta for a party of 16, serving it in martini glasses with a drizzle of Frangelico, dollop of whipped cream and chocolate shavings on top. People proclaimed it was the best dessert they had ever had, yet it literally took me about 20 minutes total to prepare (including the garnishes). Turned around and made the cinnamon panna cotta with sticky toffee sauce for my husband, son and his friend who was spending the night. Oh my goodness--what a dessert! The boys, both picky eaters, were literally licking their plates. You will really learn from this book--interesting history notes at the front as well as excellent information about the how-tos of panna cotta (I really appreciated this). And oh, the recipes: unique, easy and delicious that everyone from foodies to picky children will love.

Here are the 7 I've tried and give top marks to:

*Cinnamon Panna Cotta with Sticky Toffee Sauce*

*Gianduia Panna Cotta*

*Lemon Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Crushed Raspberry Sauce*

*Toasted Coconut Panna Cotta*

*Winter Spice Panna Cotta with Cabernet Caramel Sauce*

*Sweet Goat Cheese Panna Cotta with Roasted Plums*

*Ginger & Brown Sugar Panna Cotta with Caramelized Pineapple* (Note: this last one was from the "Light" chapter, lower in fat and calories. INCREDIBLE.)

9 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "Panna Cotta" is a speciality cookbook recommended for anyone wanting to add a gourmet Italian touch, April 10, 2007

By 

Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panna Cotta: Italy's Elegant Custard Made Easy (Hardcover)

Food writer, food scholar, recipe developer, cookbook author, and an acknowledge San Francisco Bay area gourmet, Camilla Saulsbury once again applies her considerable experience and impressive expertise in compiling flavorful, lovely, savory, 'kitchen cook friendly' recipes for one hundred delectable dishes involving Panna Cotta (an elegant Italian custard). Thirty of these culinary delights are shown in their final form with wonderful full-color photography that enable even the most novice chef just what to expect and how they might be served as part of a memorable meal. From Lemon-Buttermilk Panna Cotta with Crushed Raspberry Sauce; Caramel-Coconut Panna Cotta; and Strawberry Daiquiri Panna Cotta; to Winter Spice Panna Cotta with Cabernet-Caramel Sauce; Cauliflower Panna Cotta with White Truffle Oil; and Gorgonzola Panna Cotta with Red Currant Gastrique and Crispy Prosciutto, "Panna Cotta" is a speciality cookbook recommended for anyone wanting to add a gourmet Italian touch to their dining menus.

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!!! What a book!!!, March 17, 2007

By 

Eleni, Pastry Chef Wannabe (Palm Springs, FL) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Panna Cotta: Italy's Elegant Custard Made Easy (Hardcover)

I only wish there were a higher rating than 5 stars as this book deserves it. I have made a few panna cotta recipes in the past and was thrilled to find this book--the variations are INCREDIBLE. The recipes are easy to follow with utterly wonderful results. The lemon buttermilk panna cotta with crushed raspberry sauce, bittersweet chocolate panna cotta and crème fraiche panna cotta with red wine syrup are three of the most incredible desserts I have ever tasted--I can't believe I made them. The proportions of gelatin and sugar in the 3 recipes I tried are perfect--the panna cotta were delicately set with just the right amount of sweetness. I can't wait to make my way through the book--limoncello panna cotta and coffee toffee panna cotta are next on my to-do list. This is destined to become a classic. A must buy!