Pear

Holt Collier led the hunting expedition when Theodore Roosevelt visited Mississippi in 1902. The story goes that the president was desirous of a black bear to add to his trophy collection and was in a hurry to do so. Roosevelt was stationed in a blind, and Holt led chase to the elusive black bear with a pack of forty dogs. The impatient president left the stand to have lunch. With the success of the hunt resting on his shoulders, Holt took the initiative, captured the bear with a lariat, and tied it to a willow tree by the Little Sunflower River in an effort to save his dogs from the bear and fulfill the president’s wishes. Moments later Roosevelt arrived on horseback and surveyed the scene. He declined to shoot a bear tied to a tree but was impressed by the bravery and abilities of Mr. Collier. The Washington Post editorial cartoonist Clifford Kennedy Berryman ran two drawings on the front page of the paper of a cute little cub that in no way resembled the ferocious bear captured single-handedly by Collier. The story became a national sensation and an enterprising Morris Michtom sewed up a small stuffed bear cub and nicknamed it the Teddy Bear, selling them for a buck and a half each. By the next year Mr. Michtom had founded the Ideal Toy Company and was selling thousands of Teddies a year. Today you can visit the first national refuge named for an African American, the 2,033-acre Holt Collier National Wildlife Refuge near Onward, Mississippi. Each fall when the pears are ripe, the honey is in, and the Great Delta Bear Affair festival rolls around I think of that November hunt and that amazing American, Holt Collier.

As they simmer, the pears send enticing wafts of fruit and vanilla through the air, a fitting invitation to a supremely elegant dessert. I’ve also served these at Thanksgiving with the main course in place of traditional cranberry sauce. The tea bag adds undertones that complement or highlight the fruit in the simmering liquid—fruity or floral, depending on what you use. Choose a fruit tea that you like—I use tropical green tea or passion fruit.

The classic Campari-based cocktail, the Negroni, is equal parts Campari, gin, and sweet vermouth. Starting with the classic formula but then deviating from it, I replace the piney flavor of gin with the naturally acidic apple and pear, boosted by the warmth of Calvados apple brandy. The orange bitters give the drink a dry finish so it’s not overly sweet.

In the scheme of desserts, panna cotta is not only one of the lightest, it’s thankfully also one of the easiest and fastest to prepare. The eggless custard sets with gelatin, but what really matters is the quantity used. If you have a heavy hand, then the result is more like cement Jell-O than melt-in-your-mouth. The infusion of the almonds adds a nutty-creamy flavor that’s satisfying without being cloying. Roasted pears set the whole thing off with a balance of texture and fruitiness.

Parsley is the star of this simple green salad. It’s not often that the herb, typically used as a garnish, shines as brightly as it does here, with a vibrant note that elevates the lettuce. The dressing is on the heavy side, so take care not to overdress the delicate lettuce. Leftover dressing will keep in the refrigerator for two days and is fantastic as a sandwich spread or a dip for chips.

These subtly spiced pears have an attractive crinkly look and are a lovely finish for an autumn meal. They keep nicely in the refrigerator for 4 or 5 days.

A perfect balance of flavors and textures, this salad is sure to become a favorite first course to enjoy while supper cooks. Replace the pecans with Sweet Spiced Nuts (page 261) for a special touch.

We used pears in this ice cream’wich, but many other fruits would work well, too, such as apples, figs, or peaches. Because the fruit is poached, it won’t harden in the same way that raw fruit does when it is frozen. And not to worry if you do not like rum: you can simply leave it out of the ice cream recipe, yielding a simple and tasty vanilla ice cream.

While we use a delicious aged Cheddar, this sandwich will be a success with other cheeses, too, as long as they have a big presence, such as a sharp Gouda (no subtle fontinas or mozzarellas); because the cheese is the star of the sandwich, it needs to stand up to the other flavors. Use just enough smoked ham to balance the cheese and poached pear. Use a very thin layer of mustard on the bread, right next to the cheese. The bread in this instance should be something nutty and fruity. The tartness of the dried cranberries in our bread is a great addition to the sandwich, so if you don’t have them in your bread, you could add them to the poaching liquid when you prepare the pears.

While I serve these pears with Semolina Pancakes (page 97), you could spoon them over any pancake and replace the traditional maple syrup accompaniment with this poaching liquid instead. Poached pears are also great in a simple trifle, with layers of ice cream and crisp cookies. Poaching is a long, gentle cooking process, so firm fruit is what you want. Choose pears of equal ripeness for poaching, and they will all be equally tender.

This pancake recipe dates back to Jean-Georges’s apprenticeship in Alsace. For me, the warm flavor of semolina combines well with the double whammy of pear in this dessert. Cumin brings out the rustic edge of all the ingredients. (See the photograph pages 92–93.)

Rich texture is abundant in this multiflavored, multilayered dessert. The pears are presented in three different forms—caramelized, as a creamy mousse, and as a tender gelée—and each opens differently on the palate.

Use a sweet, ripe (but not overripe) pear such as Bosc or Anjou; if it’s not ripe enough, the flavor won’t marry with the cheese. Taleggio is a mild, creamy Italian cheese; if you can’t find it, Brie is a perfectly fine substitute.

Crunchy pecans and a mildly tart dressing enhance juicy, sweet pears topped with tangy goat cheese.

Serve this brilliantly colored salad of mixed salad greens, blueberries, mandarin oranges, and pears with Grilled Sirloin with Honey-Mustard Marinade (page 176).

Keep a big can of pears in the pantry, and you can enjoy this simple, spicy crisp any time.