Panna cotta means cooked cream in Italian.

It ranks right near the top as both doable and delicious.  

Five minutes of preparation, a few simple ingredients and a few hours in the fridge.   It is simply a matter of softening the unflavored gelatin, mixing in the cream and sugar and spooning it into dessert dishes,  stemmed glasses or ramekins for unmolding.

The gelatin causes the dessert to set but to maintain a softness and creaminess that makes it the perfect end to a meal. 

It can be made with just neutral flavors or can be morphed into a myriad of possibilities with the addition of flavoring extracts, fresh fruit zest, a splash of a liquer,  a bit of a chopped herb or a hint of a ground spice. 

It can be accompanied by fresh fruit, caramel, chocolate sauce, flavored whipped cream, a handful of crushed nuts or a sprinkling of crystallized ginger.

You might like to try Lime Mascarpone Panna Cotta. 

Vermouth is a fortified wine which simply means that it is a wine strengthened by another wine or spirit.  Fortified wines includes port, sherry, Madeira and vermouth.  These wines are shelf stable and require no refrigeration.  They also last longer than a typical wine.  

There are two kinds of vermouth:  sweet (red) and dry (white).  Both come from white wine but the red is sweetened and colored with the addition of caramel.  Sweet vermouth is typically used as an aperitif while dry is used in martinis and as a cooking liquid. 

The word comes from the German vermut or wermut (wormwood) which is how it was initially flavored.  Today’s vermouth is flavored with varying combinations of flowers, herbs, spices and seeds such as camomile, bitter orange peel, nutmeg, coriander or cloves.  

Dry vermouth can be used in lieu of white wine but since it is fortified it is stronger than white wine and half vermouth and half water should be used to equal the amount of liquid called for in a recipe.

Photo from wikipedia.org

Cardamom is native to India where it is known as “queen of the spices” but Guatemala is now the world’s largest producer.  Cardamom is hand picked so it is one of the more expensive spices closely trailing saffron and vanilla. 

It is a member of the ginger family and its taste and scent are hard to pinpoint.  It is pungent and acidic.  It is warm and citrusy with a lemon note.  It has undertones of eucalyptus and hints of spice and heat.  It is very potent and definitely discernible so a little goes a long way.  You might sometimes be tempted to add a little extra cumin or cinnamon.  Take care with cardamom until you have used it a few times! 

Because of the myriad of flavor components, cardamom is equally suited for sweet or savory applications.

It is most typically found ground in the supermarket but you can find the almond shaped green or brown pods online or in some whole/natural food stores where the inner seeds can be ground in a mortar and pestle.  Alternatively, the entire pod can be smashed and added to a braising liquid and removed prior to service.   

Cardmom is prevalent in Scandinavian, Dutch and East Indian cooking and is a staple in Turkish coffee.

Give Turkish Coffee Pudding a try for a small but rich and satisfying dessert.

A vinaigrette is a master recipe which can be modified in countless ways.   It is basically a ratio of 3 parts oil to 1 part vinegar.  I prefer extra virgin olive oil although you could use any oil you have on hand.  The more neutral the oil the more flavors you might want to add.   The key to making a good vinaigrette is to whisk the oil slowly into the vinegar thereby creating an emulsification or binding so these two incongruent partners hold  together and thicken.  

The most simple can be made by simply adding salt and pepper to the combined vinaigrette and drizzling over your salad greens.  The beauty of a vinaigrette is the many variations which can be created from this 3:1 ratio.   Instead of the vinegar, try an acid – - orange juice, lemon juice or lime juice.   Add some of the zest from the fruit.  Toss in a few fresh or dried herbs, a pinch of dry mustard, some cayenne for heat.   Jazz up your vinaigrette with a flavored olive oil – - porcini mushroom or garlic.  Use a pomegranate, pear or balsamic vinegar.  Go ahead.  Let your imagination run wild.   

And don’t just think salad.  Try drizzling a flavored vinaigrette over steamed vegetables or grilled vegetables, toss with some pasta or brush some over grilled fish.  

Home made vinaigrette is a great recipe to add to your bag of tricks.