Sweets
Apple Berry Tart with Amaretti
Sweets keep coming to mind of late. It must be the holiday season that is fast approaching and all the expectations that go with it for sweets that inspire a spirited finale for the holiday meals.
The recipe that follows certainly fits into the seasonal tradition of good home baked goodness without too much fuss. The berries add a splash of seasonal color and the amaretti a wisp of sweet almond aroma as it arrives at the table.
Panna Cotta dai Tropici
Panna Cotta, which means cooked cream in Italian, is one of Italy’s favored traditional desserts. Originally from the Piedmont region, known for its exceptional cream, Panna Cotta’s rich creamy goodness is now enjoyed around the world.
Relatively easy to make once you have the proportions set in stone. Traditionally, panna cotta was made with pure cream served with fresh fruit or fruit coulis (puree). As the recipe evolved and became regular fare in restaurants, gelatin was added to the recipe to firm up the cream for molded presentations. Sauces also proliferated as a flourish to this once simple county dolci. .
As I live in Thailand I thought why not go for a tropical panna cotta with fresh lime juice, mango, and a flourish of salted cocoa sauce laced with local vanilla. I do prefer the texture of the traditional panna cotta, but I did use gelatin in this recipe, although just enough to hold the cream together without transitioning into a firm Jello like consistency. This does make unmolding a little tricky, but the texture is worth the sacrifice… and, as you can see, you have an arresting Joan Mitchell abstract painting on your finished plate to show for it!
Baked Apples with Lemon
There is something about French cooking that is certain; nuanced taste and unpretentious style. A respect for tradition, technique, and above all choosing the finest fresh seasonal produce, meats, fowl and dairy products that sets French cooking , whether it be from the country kitchen or the finest restaurants, in a class of its very own.
The baked apple recipe that follows is an adaptation from The Natural Cuisine of Georges Blanc, a cook book I have returned to again and again over the years. The preparation is quite easy and serves up a gracious finish for a seasonal fall or holiday meal.
Rhubarb Lingonberry Cobbler
Casual summer meals…al fresco!
Rhubarb generally appears in spring and flourishes throughout the summer months in the northern hemisphere. Originating from the Himalayas, Tibet, China, and Mongolia, rhubarb made its way to Europe with Marco Polo, and from there the Americas. Who knew! Rhubarb was just a large plant that pops up in the garden every spring and routinely cooked up into jams, sauces, and of course cobblers, without even a thought about its colorful origins.
Rhubarb has its devotees as well as those who recoil at the very thought of its astringent flavor, but with thoughtful preparation it can be downright delicious and healthy to boot. Rhubarb is rich in fiber, anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals, which may convince some of its naysayers to give it a second thought.
The most popular variety is the ruby red stemmed rhubarb, but the green stemmed variety has essentially the same flavor, although not as visually enticing. For the recipe that follows I referenced Nancy Silverton’s recipe for rhubarb cobbler from the Pastries from the La Brea Bakery, with a few adaptations, including using some lingonberries which I happened to have in the freezer, instead of the usual strawberry option, to add some color to the green rhubarb that is available here in Thailand.
