Islands in the sky, food & travel

We are on a roll here with the no-bake desserts!  How long can this go on for inveterate bakers like me? Here's a quick no bake and gluten-free treat. Do you have fresh pineapple and don't know what to do with it? Canned pineapple will also do nicely. I usually make this as a charlotte, but individual portions are also nice, and easy to pack up for a picnic or outdoor meal, so here you go:  What you'll need : 15-20 ladyfingers (or gluten-free variety) 3 gelatin sheets 1 small pineapple, or 1 can crushed pineapple 1/4 cup pineapple juice 2 cups heavy cream 3/4 cups of confectioners sugar You'll need 6 clear ramekins, tumblers, preserve jars or glasses. Cut the ladyfingers in half inch lengths.  Soften the gelatin sheets in a bowl of cold water.  Pulse the pineapple in a mixer or blender about 2 minutes until you get a smooth purée.  In a saucepan, warm in medium heat: pureed pineapple, juice.  Once warm, squeeze water off gelatin sheet and add it to the pin...

With summer heat upon us, now is the time for refreshing no-bake recipes (I'm presently avoiding the oven) and panna cotta is a favorite in our home.   What is panna cotta anyway? It's basically a cream jelly, in Italien "cooked cream". Originally from the northwestern Piedmont region of Italy, it has a delicate, light and smooth texture that is often combined with a berry reduction, or fresh berries at that. Strawberries being so delicious and ubiquitous this season, I went with a combination of two fruits for a bit of color, topped with a whipped cream and cigarette wafers I made a couple of weeks ago and froze, a near-fail turned into a nice complement to a number of desserts, so don't give up on fails!   Here's the recipe : Panna cotta 400 ml whipping cream, at least 30% fat content 400 ml of whole milk or almond milk 4 gelatin sheets 80 mg of sugar 2 packets of vanilla sugar (or 2 teaspoons of vanilla). Mango jelly  (make after panna cotta has set) 1 mang...