Most chefs have a tightly edited pantry, but Erin Eastland of Cube, a market-café in Los Angeles, is lucky: She gets to cook with the hundreds of Italian ingredients sold at the store. She and her staff have tastings to check out the goods and invent recipes to showcase them. This luxurious panna cotta is the result of one of those sessions. The key ingredient: Italian rose syrup, which provides a lovely, delicate floral flavor.

Published September 2007