Saffron Panna Cotta

Panna cotta is a delightfully light Italian custard dessert, and the infusion of saffron makes this a luxurious treat. I made these panna cottas parfait-style and layered them with rose whipped cream and toasted, chopped pistachios (and some dried rose petals to be fancy!) . Making panna cotta is as simple as mixing blooming gelatin with sweet cream. It is seriously full-proof. Like, bullet proof, full proof.

Traditional panna cotta is flavored with vanilla, but I used saffron threads and cardamom pods for a Middle Eastern meets Italia treat. The bright red saffron threads were infused in the cream, giving the panna cotta a gorgeous, bright yellow hue. Saffron has a reputation for being the world’s “most expensive spice,” but I used Afghan saffron from Tahmina—which is a mere fraction of the price of Spanish saffron, and has even won awards for its taste as best in the world.

Tahmina Afghan Saffron offers high quality at a fraction of the price of Spanish Saffron

Saffron has a very unique flavor, and like many other spices, it’s also popular for its medicinal properties. It’s known to aid everything from high blood pressure to anxiety. Saffron truly has a unique, slightly pungent taste that makes it perfect for dessert. I’m always looking for ways to dial up flavor and balance sweetness, and saffron does the trick in these pudding-like treats. Since saffron is a spice, it’s perfect for diffusing in cream. I chose to use the threads whole, making it a breeze to filter once it was completely diffused in the cream.

Allow the saffron threads and cardamom pods to diffuse into the cream.

Saffron Panna Cotta

Serves 6-8

Hands-on time: 30 minutes

Total time: 4 hours

1 envelope (1 tablespoon) unflavored gelatin
2 tablespoons cold water
2 and 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup whole milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon Tahmina saffron threads
5 whole cardamom pods
pinch of salt

whipped cream flavored with a few drops of rose water, dried food-grade roses and chopped pistachios (optional, for garnish and serving)

1. Prepare 8 (1/2 cup) ramekins or 6 small parfait dishes by arranging them on a rimmed baking sheet.

2. Place the two tablespoons of cold water in the smallest pot you have. Sprinkle the gelatin over the water—the water will immediately absorb it and start to seize up. Use your finger or a small spoon to stir to make sure the gelatin has been evenly distributed. Set the saucepan over low heat and use a heat-proof rubber spatula (a wooden spoon or regular spoon also work) and gently stir the gelatin until it completely dissolves, about one minute. Remove the pan from the heat and set aside.

3. Prepare the panna cotta by combining the cream, milk, sugar, saffron and cardamom in a medium-sized pot. Place over medium-low heat and stir until the sugar dissolves. Continue cooking until large bubbles start to expand all over the pot, about 7 minutes. Remove the pot from the heat, cover, and allow the saffron and cardamom to diffuse for 15 minutes. Strain the cream into a large bowl and discard the cardamom pods and threads.

4. If the gelatin has solidified, gently reheat on low, stirring until dissolved, about 30 seconds. Pour the melted gelatin into the cream, and stir until combined. Distribute the cream evenly among the serving dishes (ramekins or small parfait dishes). Allow to sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes. Cover with plastic and transfer to the refrigerator. The panna cotta is ready to enjoy once the cream has set, which takes about 3 hours in the refrigerator. Keep it refrigerated until you’re ready to serve. This is a great make-ahead dessert, and will keep for up to three days, covered, in the refrigerator.
   

   Note: The panna cotta is excellent as is, but it can be topped with whipped cream and crushed nuts. I like toasted pistachios for this dish. I also added some crushed food-quality dried rose petals for a little flair.
   

   This post has been generously sponsored by Tahmina. Tahmina is an international brand with a vision to export transformational products from different conflict areas of the world and help develop industries.

Enjoy these parfait-style saffron panna cottas with a dollop of whipped cream and crushed pistachios.

Raspberry Balsamic Cheesecake

I’m jazzing up one of my favorite combos: berries and cheesecake. Raspberries are particularly good for baking because their sweet-tart flavor helps bring out other flavors in sweet desserts. I also played with some traditionally savory flavors to further bring out the flavors in the raspberries and cheesecake.

I cooked the raspberries down in a couple of tablespoons of balsamic vinegar. I then pureed them in a blender and strained the sauce since I’m not a fan of raspberry seeds. I folded the raspberry balsamic sauce into my no-bake cheesecake batter and slightly marbled it. Once the cheesecake was set, I topped it with more raspberries, and drizzled the Filippo Berio Raspberry Glaze with Balsamic Vinegar. Both the raspberry and balsamic vinegar flavors are layered throughout this cheesecake, which adds so much dimension and depth of flavor!

There are quite a few ways to make cheesecake. This recipe uses the no-bake method by whipping cream cheese with heavy cream to lighten and aerate it. There’s also a little gelatin to help it set so that you’ll get nice, straight edges when you cut it. I used a springform pan, and a press-in crust to keep things simple.

Raspberry Balsamic Cheesecake

This recipe has been adapted from Tasty

5 ounces cookies or graham crackers
4 tablespoons butter, melted
1 and 1/2 cups raspberries (fresh or frozen ok)
1 tablespoon Filippo Berio Balsamic Vinegar
4 (8-ounce) blocks of cream cheese (32 ounces, in total), very soft
3/4 cup granulated sugar (150g)
2 cups heavy cream
1 tablespoon gelatin powder
Fresh raspberries to top the cheesecake
Filippo Berio Raspberry Glaze with Balsamic Vinegar

Pulverize the cookies or graham crackers in a food processor. Combine with the melted butter, and press into the bottom of an 8 or 9-inch springform pan. Let it set in the refrigerator while preparing the raspberry sauce and cheesecake filling.

Place the raspberries in a small pot and mash. Stir in the balsamic vinegar and let cook until the raspberries break down. Transfer the mashed raspberries to a blender, and puree until smooth. Strain the raspberry sauce through a sieve and discard the raspberry seeds. Set aside.

Whisk the softened cream cheese with the sugar until smooth.

Place the 2 cups of heavy cream into a medium bowl, and sprinkle the gelatin in while whisking with a hand whisk or fork to prevent lumps. Wait five minutes so the gelatin can bloom. Next, microwave the cream for 60 seconds, and stir to completely dissolve the gelatin. The gelatin will want to set, so it’s important to work quickly at this point. Pour the cream into the cream cheese-sugar mixture, and whisk until smooth. Fold in the raspberry sauce.

Remove the springform pan from the refrigerator, and pour the filling in. Let set in the refrigerator for at least four hours.

Once set, remove the cheesecake from the springform pan and top with fresh raspberries and drizzle with raspberry glaze. Enjoy!

Many thanks to Filippo Berio for sponsoring this post.

Food & Wine Communal Table Podcast

I have to admit, this is one of the coolest interviews I’ve ever done.

Maybe it’s because someone did my make up. Maybe it’s because it was actually video taped, and you can watch the whole thing like a little fly on the wall of the recording studio. Or maybe, it’s because the host of this podcast, Kat Kinsman, is an awesome journalist and led our convo to amazing places where we synergized! I dunno which of the reasons, but it’s awesome. And if you haven’t watched, you should, and you can here. You can also listen wherever podcasts are found, like Apple and Spotify and the like.

We really just talked about food. I find it strangely comforting to talk to other people who geek out about food as much as I do. Take a listen, and then comment or even email me and let me know what you thought!

Summertime Grilling

As much as I love summer and barbeques, I had never grilled before. I was perfectly content preparing the items for grilling—skewering veggies and marinating chicken. But, I grilled for the first time last weekend. It was a gas grill, so it was super easy to regulate the temperature. And I realized that with a few select ingredients, grilling is SUPER simple. You don’t even need any fancy marinades. I simply sprinkled all of the veggies and seafood with seasoning salt, and then brushed them with an olive oil that’s especially made for grilling. I was even warned that the shrimp or salmon may stick to the grill, but with this made-for-grilling olive oil, i had no issues, and everything was soooooo delicious!

I grilled a mix of vegetables and seafood. And the olive oil was the perfect complement for each item. For veggies, we had zucchini, tomatoes, bell pepper and corn. For seafood, we had shrimp and salmon. I skewered some lemon halves and grilled them as well. If you have never grilled lemons, do it. It makes the lemons super juicy, and perfect for squirting all over that delicious grilled seafood.

What I loved most about this was the simplicity. Just seasoning and olive oil. I used a creole season salt, but Lawry’s season all, or even just salt and pepper would work well. I think grilling is best when the veggie’s flavors are being enhanced—not masked.

Summertime Grilling

1 cup Filippo Berio Olive Oil for Sauteing & Grilling
Seasoning Salt
Pepper
Assorted veggies and seafood

Heat the grill according to its directions. Place seafood and vegetables on skewers. Sprinkle with seasoning salt and pepper. Place olive oil in a small bowl. Generously brush olive oil onto both sides of the veggies and seafood. Place on grill and cook until cooked through.

Keep Calm & Cook On Podcast + Blog Her Photos

I recently recorded a podcast with none other than the Julia Turshen. Julia is one of those rare humans who is not only super talented, but also cares about people in the most genuine way. She came by my home a few weeks ago with all of her podcast equipment in tow. We ended up having the most candid conversation about everything— food, books… life. Click here to listen!

Roasted Ramps & Shallots in Olive Oil

If an onion and a garlic had a baby, it would be a ramp.

There’s no surprise that food lovers all around get excited for ramp season. They grow in the wild and can be foraged. (They’re also known as “wild leeks.”) . I picked up a bunches at the farmer’s market last week and was then faced with the “what do I do with these ramps?!” dilemma.

I decided to roast them, fully submerged in olive oil. Both a win for the ramps, and a win for the olive oil. I’ll have some nice caramelized ramps, and I’ll also have some super flavorful olive oil to jazz up any and everything I cook over the next couple of weeks. I also added some shallots and young green garlic (which looks like a spring onion!) .

I love simple cooking techniques that elevate ingredients. I submerged the alliums in two cups of olive oil and roasted them in the oven at 400 for 40 minutes, a technique that makes the ramps and shallots nice and caramelized, while also flavoring the olive oil. I used Filippo Berio’s “Delicato” Extra Virgin Olive Oil for its particularly mild flavor so that the essence of the ramps would be really vibrant in the olive oil. I learned about this technique of roasting a few veggies in a ton of olive oil from Alison Roman’s Dining In. I also added a bit of salt and pepper for seasoning.

Once the warming aroma of ramps fills your home, it’s time to remove them from the oven. I let them cool for a while, then stuck the ramps and scallions in a large mason jar. I then funneled the olive oil right into the mason jar along with them. I have used this flavored olive oil when scrambling my eggs, drizzling over grain bowls or pasta… any and everything! And i just grabbed the ramps and shallots whole out of the jar to accompany my protein with dinner.

Roasted Ramps in Olive Oil Recipe

Ramps, shallots, young green garlic, sliced in half (about 2 pounds total)
2 cups extra virgin olive oil (I used Filippo Berio’s “Delicato”)
salt
pepper

Place the halved ramps, shallots, and young green garlic in a shallow casserole dish. Pour the olive oil on top (It’s ok if the veggies aren’t completely submerged). Bake at 400 for 40 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool.

Store the veggies completely submerged in the oil. A large mason jar works great for this. You can store in the refrigerator for two weeks. The oil may solidify in the fridge, but it is so flavorful and will make all of your dishes that call for olive oil so much more tasty!

This post was generously sponsored by Filippo Berio.