Chocolate Earl Grey Panna Cotta + The Ancestral Table Review & Giveaway

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You could win one of these!

You could win one of these!

 

I’m the type of person who, if I’m visiting somewhere new will research all about the food culture of a place before I even get there and when I get there all I want to do is immerse myself in the food culture that place has to offer. I love watching cooking shows and collecting cookbooks, in my dream house I would have bookshelves mounted ceiling to floor on every wall in the house filled with cookbooks/books about food and have a French Country style kitchen with a modern twist… but anyway my point to all of this is that I’m a foodie at heart, and I know that term is used a lot and sometimes it can feel a bit… I don’t know… funny to use but I’ll take it. 

‘Foodie: A person who has an ardent or refined interest in food; a gourmet’ – The Free Dictionary.

That’s how it felt when I got my copy of ‘The Ancestral Table’ by Russ Crandall, the name and face behind the blog ‘The Domestic Man’. I felt like this book was written by a true foodie. I’m not sure if Russ would refer to himself as such but it’s one of the first words among others like, gourmet, cuisine, tradition, respect, culture and refined that came to my mind when going through the book. I think it was Sarah from ‘The Paleo Mom’ who referred to ‘The Ancestral Table’ as the Julia Child’s book of the paleo/ancestral movement and I couldn’t agree more (I’ve got Julia’s book sitting on my shelf too)!

There are a lot of paleo/primal/real foods books out there now and don’t get me wrong I LOVE that, it means that this message is getting across to the masses but what sets this book apart from the rest is the approach that Russ has taken with it. In ‘The Ancestral Table’ you will find traditional recipes from cultures all over the world such as Bibimbap from Korea, Congee from South Asia, Tostones from South America, Pesce al Sale from Italy and Chili Mussels, which are a very popular dish in Australia, with Asian and European influences (it was always a family favourite when we were out to eat, I remember eating bowls of Chili Mussels growing up in Australia… DELICIOUS!) among the 100+ recipes featured in the book. I love and respect the fact that Russ has kept the traditions of these recipes at heart and not only that but he shares with the reader, the history and cultural background of each dish so that you feel even more connected to the recipes.

Another major difference in ‘The Ancestral Table’ is the use of rice, potatoes and dairy in the recipes. Russ, follows what is known as ‘The Perfect Health Diet’ founded by Dr. Paul Jaminet and his wife Dr. Shou-Ching Shih Jaminet, which includes the use of rice, potatoes and dairy, which some ‘paleo’ people may not agree with. Having said that I personally include all three of these foods/food groups in my diet and don’t view them as ‘not paleo’. In the introduction of the book, Russ does a fantastic job of explaining why he chooses to include these foods in his recipes and why if you can tolerate them you should eat them guilt free! However, knowing that some people may not tolerate these foods or just may not want to include them in their diet, there is a section at the end of the book titled ‘Substitution Guide’ which lists appropriate substitutions for each recipe, e.g. using cauliflower rice in place of white rice.

Ok back to the recipes! When I first received the book and was looking through it I was mentally thinking in my head “Ok I want to make that one, that one and that one looks good too” and before I knew it I had more than half of the recipes marked for trying out! So of course I had to whittle it down, so I decided that for a week we (my husband and I) would eat one meal from the book, finishing off with a dessert on the final night. Some dishes I made included two recipes from the book.

So here’s what I made…

Sole Meunière with Mexican Rice

Sole Meunière and Mexican Rice

Roast Chicken

Roast Chicken with Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasted Root Vegetables

Roasted Root Vegetables

Cream of Mushroom Soup topped with Pão de Quiejo

Cream of Mushroom Soup with a Pão de Quiejo (Brazilian Cheese Bun)

Bowl of Hearty Stew

Hearty Stew

Plate of Colcannon with a sausage

Colcannon with sausage

Plate of Sweet Potato Poi and scrambled eggs

Sweet Potato Poi (served with scrambled eggs and nori for breakfast)

and finally…

Glass of chocolate earl grey panna cotta

Chocolate Earl Grey Panna Cotta

I have to say I really enjoyed all of these dishes, but the Sole Meunière, the Cream of Mushroom Soup with the Pão de Queijo and the Panna Cotta were my favourites! I should say here that I adapted the Chocolate Earl Grey Panna Cotta from the ‘Almond Panna Cotta’ in the book.

Russ shares in the desserts section (I’m waiting for mine and Joe’s birthday this year to make ‘The Birthday Cake’ from that section because WOW and if you saw the photo of the cake in the book you would want to have it for your birthday too!) a simple base recipe for Almond Panna Cotta which can be individualised in so many ways… and he has given me permission to share the recipe here with you today! I will also include notes on how to make the Chocolate Earl Grey version I made, which is super simple!

Chocolate Earl Grey Panna Cotta

Chocolate Ear Grey Panna Cotta

The base for this recipe comes from the ‘Almond Panna Cotta’ in ‘The Ancestral Table’

Ingredients:
  • 2 cups unsweetened almond milk.
  • 3 Tbsp honey.
  • 1 vanilla bean, split (or 1 tsp vanilla extract).
  • 2 Tbsp hot water.
  • 1 1/2 tsp gelatin powder.
Method:

In a saucepan, combine the almond milk, honey and vanilla bean (including the seeds).

Bring to a simmer on medium-low heat, stirring frequently to dissolve the honey.

Once simmering, remove from the heat and let sit for 5 minutes.

In a separate bowl, combine the hot water and gelatin, whisking with a fork until the gelatin dissolves. Pour into the almond milk mixture.

If you used a vanilla bean, strain and discard the bean and seeds.

Divide into 4 small bowls, glasses or jars and refrigerate until set, about 4 hours.

Serve with fresh fruit or berries or make my Chocolate Earl Grey version by steeping 1-2 good quality Earl Grey tea bags in the almond milk mixture as it is simmering on the stove (discard with the vanilla bean) and then topping with some grated good quality dark chocolate.

And now here’s YOUR chance to win your very own copy of ‘The Ancestral Table’ and the best part this giveaway is open INTERNATIONALLY! Just make sure to read the ‘Terms and Conditions’ below the widget for entry details and good luck!

How to enter

There a few ways to enter the giveaway. The more entries you submit the higher the chance of winning!

    • Join my mailing list (get my latests recipes and posts sent directly to your inbox with no spam, I promise!) by clicking here.
    • Fill out the rafflecopter widget below for extra entries.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Terms and Conditions

  • Giveaway is open globally and will end Friday, March 7th at 12am GMT.
  • Once a winner has been chosen, you will have 48 hours to claim your prize, if you do not respond in that time another winner will be chosen.

 

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Comments

  4. Carolsue says

    I’d like to win because I collect cookbooks and this looks like an extra special one! And healthy, too!

  9. angela says

    i made the panna cotta (with sweetened almond milk & no honey) and it was DELISH!!

  11. says

    Passionate about food and health, I adore cooking and would love to add some of these recipes to my repertoire they look amazing..

  12. says

    Passionate about food and health, I adore cooking and would love to add some of these recipes to my repertoire, they look amazing..

  19. MaGabLoTe says

    I want to win this book, because I read his site and I though his template idea makes a lot of sense to me. It also looks like there are several pretty good recipes. I’m starting to try Paleo since end of last year, when I did my first Whole30, and am trying to get ideas of recipes. Thanks

  21. Emma says

    This book looks amazing! Would love to win a copy of the book, then I could cook my way through the book on these cold winter days… What a way to bring in Spring!

  23. Teresa says

    Always interested in recipes using tea, made Matcha tea cookies today. Will be trying the Chocolate Earl Gray Panna Cotta next. Thanks ! Winning the book would be an added bonus. 🙂

  31. April says

    I love to cook and have a passion for healthy cooking. I’m trying to heal my chronic diseases through hollistic manners and this would be a wonderful resource. Thanks for the giveaway!

  32. Jennifer says

    I have been entering every giveaway for this book I can find, I want it so bad! Since switching to a paleo way of eating I have been making recipes from The Domestic Man blog and he has given me hope that eating healthy doesn’t have to mean sacrificing taste. He has really made the transition so much smoother for me and my family with his recipes, I would love to have them in book form in my kitchen!

  33. Courtney says

    Wow! Your pictures are fantastic! If the recipes taste even half as good as you make them look, then they will be amazing!

  35. Courtney Choe says

    This sounds like a wonderful cookbook. I follow AIP but my husband follows more of a primal diet. Thanks for the review and this giveaway.

  36. Tanya says

    I love how he gives the history behind what he makes. Seems like a great book to own!

  37. Elizabeth Lamontagne says

    I really want to win a copy of his book. It’s a great resource for those of us with autoimmune issues!

  50. Alessandra says

    I’m following Russ as @thefoodieteen, and I would love to win because the different approach to Paleo is so interesting and would inspire me a lot!

  63. says

    I have been a long-time fan of The Domestic Man and have been so excited ever since I learned he was doing a cookbook! I love that he shares recipes from so many different cuisines 🙂

  67. Sarah says

    I want to win a copy because I’ve been looking forward to its release for aaaaaages! But I’m just a poor, poor student so can’t afford it now… Waaaah :’( everything looks so so good though!!

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