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Florida trip a feast for palates, pupils

Last month I spent the better part of a week with fellow food writers and editors from around the United States.

We spent the week in St. Petersburg, Fla., splitting our time between the Poynter Institute for Media Studies, where we learned how to be better writers, editors and social media users, and the cities of Tampa Bay and St. Petersburg, where we toured and tasted selections from Locale Market, The Columbia, Bern's Steakhouse, Haven, Ulele and various other Florida fine dining spots.

One of the highlights of the week was Emeril's Taste of Florida at the St. Petersburg Museum of Fine Arts. Cooking Channel fans may be familiar with the television show with the same name. When I saw it listed on the agenda I was expecting a tasting menu featuring restaurants that had been profiled on the show, so I was beyond surprised when we were greeted by none other than Emeril Lagasse.

As Lagasse worked the room, we rubbed elbows and exchanged smiles (well, I like to think he was smiling at me), but I did not get to meet him. And that's OK. I did get a personalized, autographed copy of his just-released book Essential Emeril.

I also received a recipe book featuring some of the dishes of the evening, including my favorite, the dessert. Well, I say recipe, but it was really a jumbled, incomplete mess of ingredients listed in weights and measures that, if prepared as written, would have been an inedible waste of money and time.

This is the recipe I came up with using the provided information as a guide.

Key Lime Panna Cotta With Graham Cracker Sable

For the panna cotta:

1 vanilla bean

2 cups heavy cream

1 cup half-and-half

1/4 cup granulated sugar

Zest of 1 Key lime OR 1/2 regular lime

1 tablespoon fresh squeezed Key lime juice

1 1/2 teaspoons powdered gelatin

For the graham cracker sable:

1/4 cup butter

1/4 cup granulated sugar

2/3 cup finely crushed graham cracker crumbs

1 egg

1/2 cup MINUS 1 tablespoon cake flour

1/2 cup MINUS 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

Pinch salt

Meringue:

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup water

2 egg whites, at room temperature

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

For the panna cotta:

Cut the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Using the tip of the knife, scrape the seeds from each half of the bean.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the vanilla bean halves and seeds, cream, half-and-half, sugar and Key lime zest. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. Whisking constantly, add the lime juice and slowly sprinkle gelatin into hot mixture. Whisk until gelatin is dissolved. Strain mixture through a fine-mesh sieve.

Pour into 6 ramekins or small glasses. Refrigerate 6 hours to overnight.

For the sables:

In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream butter and sugar. Add the graham cracker crumbs, then slowly add the egg and mix well.

In a separate bowl, combine cake flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder and salt. With the mixer running, add the flour mixture to the graham cracker mixture and mix until well combined. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate several hours.

When ready to bake: Heat oven to 300 degrees. Roll dough 1/2-inch thick and cut into 6 pieces. Bake on a lightly greased baking sheet for 12 minutes or until golden brown.

For the meringue:

Heat broiler or have ready a kitchen torch.

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and water. Heat over high heat, swirling pan to dissolve sugar. Cook until sugar syrup registers 240 degrees on a thermometer.

Meanwhile, combine egg whites and cream of tartar in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Set mixer to medium speed and mix until soft peaks form (when lifted, the head of the mixer should form gentle peaks in the egg whites), about 2 minutes.

With the mixer running, carefully and slowly drizzle in hot sugar syrup. Increase speed to high and whip until glossy peaks form.

Spoon mixture into a pastry bag. Pipe onto graham cracker sables. (You will have meringue leftover.) Place sables under broiler until just golden, about 30 seconds, or brown using a kitchen torch.

Serve sables with panna cotta.

Makes 6 servings.

Recipe inspired by chef David Ramirez, executive pastry chef, Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, Fla.

Food on 10/07/2015

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