Ti Voglio Bene - Strawberry Panacotta

They say when it comes to love, there's no distance nor language is a daunting barrier. But people have to work extra harder to make that phrase possible. Some people want to be with the person they love or like on Valentine's Day but their enemies (which are time and money) always defeat them. It's hard to battle when these two things are your opponents especially when the person you long to see is on the other side of the planet. On the other hand, some people want to express how they extremely feel about the person they love or like but words are inadequate to elaborate their emotions when they struggle and juggle for the right words just to say it. It’s hard again to battle with language barrier but at the end of the day once the essence is captured in the broken English---it will be good enough to melt your heart.

Through the years Valentine’s Day for me is slowly becoming an obsolete thing. I am often affected by the behavior of society. I’ve seen a lot of married couples that both practice infidelity. I do understand that the human needs are endless. Human beings never stop wanting to be taken cared of, to be appreciated, to experience new things or new person and the list goes on. So sometimes I don’t see the point of marriage. But at the end of my own tunnel the famous movie characters like Jonathan Trager, Declan and fictional person John Green with his famous quote, I think still do exist. It’s hard to find them nowadays but you just have to keep looking. Whether I meet someone like them along my journey or not, things will be fine. I may get disillusioned about the concept of marriage but never on falling in love.

Here’s a heart-warming recipe I derived from a famous Italian dessert Panacotta. My version of cooking cream and jelly together. Something I did for Valentine’s Day even though I was in the verge of sleeping last night.

DRUNKEN STRAWBERRY PANACOTTA

Ingredients:

• 2 Cups heavy whipping cream

• 3 tbsp. Vanilla Syrup

• 2 Ounces granulated sugar

• 1 Envelope Knox or other brand unflavored gelatin

• ¼ Cup cold water

• Bunch of Strawerries

• Shiraz Wine

• Brown Sugar

• Butter (of course)

Procedure:

Dissolve gelatin in water. Pour the whipping cream into a saucepan. Take 1 vanilla bean, cut it open, and scrape it out into the saucepan. Then add the whole bean. Add sugar and mix. Heat the mixture over moderate heat (do not oil) and simmer for 15 minutes. Remove pan from the heat and remove vanilla bean with tongs and discard. Stir the mixture consistently while gradually dissolving the gelatin/water into the hot whipping cream. Pour the mixture into pudding cups that have been rinsed out with cold water to chill. Put cups in the fridge for 3 - 4 hours until set. Ready your pan with butter and sauté strawberries. Set aside then melt sugar with red wine. Allow it to simmer until it thickens. Add the sautéed strawberries. When ready to serve, turn the panacotta upside down onto serving plates and place topping over each one.

Buon San Valentino!

big hug,

joanie xxx