Pumpkin Panna Cotta

I have been a bit slow this autumn to begin the pumpkin cooking, but I am happy to report that I am now racing to catch up. First, I present this stunning autumn dessert for a special meal: pumpkin panna cotta.

This is a ridiculously easy dessert if you have canned pumpkin on hand. And it is still very easy if you have to roast the pumpkin yourself. (Do it the day before to save your sanity.) My Hong Kong grocery store gets one delivery of canned pumpkin a year, always the week before American Thanksgiving. I squealed in the shop when I saw it last weekend! This year I have been wise and stocked up with seven big cans to take me through until next year's shipment. Prepare yourselves, readers, for pumpkin recipes to make anyone cry for non-root vegetables.

An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler

I have been looking forward this Kitchen Reader book for many months. I first heard about An Everlasting Meal by Tamar Adler when it was recommended by Micahel Ruhlman. (Ruhlman is a thoughtful food author who has also featured on the Kitchen Reader booklist.) Then I heard many others  praising An Everlasting Meal, saying it was akin to MKF Fisher's simple yet sublime writing. And it is clear from reading that Adler has indeed been very inspired by Fisher. In fact, the recent launch of this book included a Fisher-themed meal, which Adler organised and wrote about on her blog in a post called "Becoming".