Panna Cotta

For reasons I can't articulate, I've been terrified of custardy desserts. Maybe it's the fantastic failure at my attempt at a lemon meringue pie, or maybe it's the bother of stirring constantly lest I scald boiling milk and thereby ruin my dessert.

Anyway.

Panna cotta is so stupidly easy that my terror of it is rather embarrassing. Had my pregnant self not been craving it so strongly, I probably wouldn't have ventured.

Ingredients:

1 envelope unflavored gelatin (about 1 tablespoon)

2 tablespoons cold water

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup half and half

1/3 cup sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Directions:

1)In a very small saucepan sprinkle gelatin over water and let stand about 1 minute to soften. Heat gelatin mixture over low heat until gelatin is dissolved and remove pan from heat.

2) In a large saucepan bring cream, half and half, and sugar just to a boil over moderately high heat, stirring. Remove pan from heat and stir in gelatin mixture and vanilla.

3) Divide cream mixture among eight 1/2-cup ramekins and cool to room temperature. Chill ramekins, covered, at least 4 hours or overnight.

4) Dip ramekins, 1 at a time, into a bowl of hot water 3 seconds. Run a thin knife around edge of each ramekin and invert ramekin onto center of a small plate.

Passover Meal

We celebrate Passover every year. We do so with a lot of flexibility to the menu, the date and the passover script, but still fun. If you've never tried it and want to, try this meal plan and I'll e-mail you my much-abridged Passover script. Cheers!

This year's Passover Menu:

Appetizer-- Potato Latkes with Applesauce and Sour Cream

Drink-- lots of 100% grape juice in lieu of wine

The Seder Plate (These foods are more symbolic than filling. We include the orange on the Seder plate symbolizing the right of women to become rabbis)

The Passover Feast--

Melted Onion chicken
Matzoh Ball Soup
Bitter Herbs Salad

Dessert--
Fruit and other non chametz delicacies. Any ideas for desserts that use absolutely no leavening?

Grilled Brined Shrimp

Brining is a surefire way to get tasty shrimp. Under-salted shrimp always has an off flavor, and it can't be covered by salting after cooking. I find that shrimp either has to be brined or have significant salt while boiling or cooking. I made these babies tonight.

Brine:
3 C water
1 C white wine
1/3 C (yes, cup) kosher salt (use a little less if using table salt)
1 lemon, chopped
4 bay leaves
spices--I used a tsp of cajun spice. Old bay, garlic,

Add 1 lb of de-veined (peeled or unpeeled) shrimp to brine so that every shrimp is covered. Pop the bowl in the fridge for 30-40 minutes. Don't brine for too long, or they'll get too salty. Also note that brine is a very inexact science. Substitutions and experimentation are encouraged.

Skewer shrimp and grill on medium, medium low heat for about 4 minutes. Shells will be pink and meat will no longer be gelatinous.

Serve with lemon and garlic butter and LiT Chick's amazing clam chowder.