Thursday, April 13, 2006

Pears

My mom is not a cook. I'm not sure where I got it, because that woman will only make things that involve the words "instant" and "ready-made." *holds vomit in* Anyway, that being said, before I left the house in 1994, I had only ever tasted canned pears. So there's absolutely no mystery why I thought I didn't like them.

I have since then discovered that I LOVE pears. My favorite is the sweet and juicy Green Anjou, but I also like Red Bartletts, super crisp Seckels, and dense, flavorful Boscs. Boscs have a shorter shelf life than an Anjou, but when they're good, they're good. My all-time favorite way to eat a pear is simply raw, with a hunk of good cheese and a glass of crisp white wine. Seen below, my mid-morning snack of a good Bosc and some fresh Edam:



OK, so I forewent the wine, as it's 9:30am. *weg*

I have a really good self-developed dessert made with pears, and Chanelle has inspired me to post if for you here:

ingredients:
4 large pears of your favorite variety, or whatever is in season
4 T brown sugar
1/4 C walnuts, toasted and chopped
1/4 C gorgonzola (or your favorite bleu) cheese, crumbled
about 4-6 oz. good port

directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. It's easiest if you have a corer, but you can do it yourself with a long, thin, sturdy knife. Remove each core while keeping the pear intact (including the bottom). Nestle the pears in a square baking dish so they fit snugly and don't fall over. I use an 8x8 Pyrex which works if you have fairly big pears. If not, put them in indivual ramekins in the dish. Stuff each core cavity with thin layers of brown sugar, gorgonzola, and toasted walnuts. Fill up the cavity with port. Bake about 20 minutes or so, until the pears collapse in on themselves. Serve immediately.

Sorry there are no pictures, but this is an incredibly rich and beautiful dessert, and is actually very healthy! It's full of vitamins A and C, fiber, and calcium. Enjoy!

4 comments:

krysten said...

although i love canned pears with (ready yourself) mayonnaise and shredded cheddar on top.

BAH-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!

thats for all the fish posts.

iamchanelle said...

gaaaaaaaack, krysten!!! REALLY???!!!

and you don't like gorgonzola cheese...

your dessert sounds awesome, jamie! can't wait to try it!!!

krysten said...

i dont like things that taste like MOLD, ok? why is that so unusual?! it seems like something to LIVE by, to me...

i'm just saying...

Deetsa said...

Mmmmm.... pears and cheese. A slightly unripe, crispy pear goes well with goats cheese. I horrified my future father-in-law and my fiance by eating chevre with apples or pears when I was in France. "How British" they said with a curl of the lip. What do they know, eh? I plan to do it again to them this summer LOL