Marvelous Mixtures Part 2, Perfect Panna Cotta

So, this weekend my kitchen was a little crazy. I had a bunch of friends over for homemade pizza, cannoli, and panna cotta. And it got me to thinking about one of the biggest mysteries in cooking, gelatin. I mean really. What phase of matter is Jell-O? And what makes it work?

To answer the first question, substances come in three phases of matter, solid, liquid, and gas. Solids are substances that are a set shape and volume because the molecules move so slowly that they kind of bond with each other. Liquids are moving slow enough that they hold each other together at a set volume, but can move around each other pretty freely, so they take the shape of what ever container they are in. Gases are moving so fast that they don't hang out together at all, they take both the size and they shape of their container. Sometimes these phase of matter mix together (see Part 1). Jell-O is a liquid dissolved in a solid, aka a gel. Simple enough right?

So, what makes Jell-O work differently than your shave gel? Gelatin is made of collagen, a protein in animals that connects bones and muscle fibers in the body (it is what makes meat tough). We buy this collagen in powder form. When the the gelatin powder is heated with a solution, like sugar water, it mixes in with the liquid to make a sol. When it cools it creates a crystal structure (see Cornstarch Crystal Conundrum) that has holes big enough to to be filled with really yummy liquid, and it becomes a gel. When it heats back up, the crystal structure falls apart again and the liquid seeps out. And that in a nut shell is Jell-O.

My take on Jell-O today is a little less American and a little more Italian. Panna Cotta is a tradition Italian dessert that uses milk and gelatin to created a creamy, dreamy, jiggly, plate of deliciousness. It is really easy to make and perfect if you are having a dinner party, because you can make it days ahead and just pull it out when dessert rolls around. I know it was a hit with my friends this weekend, and a lot less labor intensive than my little cannoli experiment. I got this recipe from the blog Sticky, Gooey, Creamy, Chewy (http://stickygooeycreamychewy.com/2010/03/16/dominator-honey-vanilla-bean-panna-cotta-and-why-i-love-facebook/) and made a few changes to the topping recipe. This is my version.

Perfect Panna Cotta (this made 10 small servings, easy)

Ingredients, Panna Cotta

1 cup whole milk

1 Tablespoon gelatin

3 cups heavy cream

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup sugar

1 vanilla bean

pinch of salt

Place the milk in a small saucepan and sprinkle gelatin over it. Let stand 5 minutes. Split the vanilla bean and scrape out the seeds with the point of a sharp knife. Put the saucepan over medium heat and stir until the gelatin is just dissolved (do not boil). Add cream, honey, sugar, vanilla bean and seeds, and salt. Stir until the sugar and honey dissolve (5-7 minutes). Turn off the heat and let steep 15-20 minutes. Remove the vanilla bean pod. Pour the mixture into lightly greased molds, small jars, or glasses. Chill for at least two hours before topping.

Ingredients, Topping

8 oz strawberries

2 Tablespoons sugar

1 Tablespoon lemon juice

2 Tablespoons cold water

1/2 package gelatin

Blend the strawberries and sugar together until smooth. Heat mixture in a saucepan until it begins to bubble. Stir in the lemon juice and remove from the heat.* Place water in a small bowl and sprinkle the gelatin on top. Let sit for 5 minutes. Add fruit mixture and stir to dissolve. Let cool slightly. Pour over panna cotta and chill until set.

*The other alternative is just to stop here and pour the liquid sauce over the panna cotta just before serving, like I did in the picture.