Customer Reviews

Panna Cotta: Italy's Elegant Custard Made Easy

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.)

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.

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!

I just received this panna cotta book and first tried the pear panna cotta. It was simply delicious! The recommended serving it alongside some bleu cheese which was an amazing flavor complement to the pear. Panna cotta is extremely easy to make and very delicous! I look forward to trying some of the other recipes.

I really like this cookbook. It has several different and unique recipes for panna cotta as well as the usual ones. I have never found another cookbook that is devoted only to panna cotta recipes. If you like panna cotta, this cookbook is for you.

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.

Received book free of charge.

This is a fantastic cookbook with an amazing array of recipes for this one sort of custard. Inventive, fresh and simple. Can't wait to work my way through this entire range of recipes!