POACHED PEARS

1 quart (1l) water
1 1/3 cup (265 g) sugar
4 Bosc pears; peeled, cored, and quartered

Additions: One cinnamon stick, 2 teaspoons whole cloves, black peppercorns or allspice berries, one lemon half, one split vanilla bean, 2-3 star anise, 6-8 fresh ginger slices

1. In a large saucepan, heat the water and sugar until warm and the sugar is dissolved. Add any of the additions that you wish.

2. Slide in the pears and cover with a round of parchment paper, with a small hole cut in the center.

3. Keep the liquid at a very low boil and simmer the pears until cooked through, 15 to 25 minutes, depending on the pears.

4. Remove from heat and let the pears cool in their liquid.

Optional: After poaching the pears, while the liquid is still warm, add approximately 1/2 cup (120 g) dried sour cherries, cranberries, raisins, or dried currants and let them plump.

Serving

Serve the pears warm or at room temperature. Accompany with perhaps a scoop of Vanilla ice cream and some dark chocolate sauce, a spoonful of crème fraîche, Milk chocolate & black pepper ice cream, fresh raspberries, or alongside a wedge of spice cake or gingerbread.

Storage

Store the pears in their liquid in the refrigerator, in a covered container, until ready to use. Remove the pears from the refrigerator a few hours prior to serving, and re-warm them gently in the liquid, if you wish. The pears will keep for up to 5 days.

Variations

In place of the water, you can add 2 cups (500 ml) water and 2 cups (500 ml) white wine (sweet or dry) or sparkling cider, or 3 cups (750 ml) red wine and 1 cup (250 ml) water

In place of the sugar, you can use 1 cup (320 g) honey or 1 1/4 cups (275 g) dark, unrefined sugar, such as turbinado or cassonade.

Tips on cutting and peeling

• Wash vegetables before peeling or cutting to preserve the water soluble vitamins.
• Peel vegetables as thinly as possible to preserve the minerals and vitamins.
• Soak potatoes and eggplant after cutting, to avoid discoloration.
• If you boil vegetables in water, do not throw the water, keep it to make gravies.
• To avoid browning of apples after cutting, apply a little lemon juice on the cut surface. The apples will stay and look fresh for a longer time.
• Keep coriander leaves in a muslin (cheese) cloth bag in the refrigerator. They will remain fresh for a longer time.
• Remove the stems of green chilies while storing them .This will help them to stay fresh for long.
• After peeling onions cut in half and soak in water for about 10 minutes before cutting to avoid crying.
• Soak almonds in a cup of boiling water for 10 minutes .The skin will peel off easily.
• Chopping vegetables can be done in different ways using a sharp knife and a wooden chopping board. Cutting on a marble slab will blunt your knives.
• Remove the outer leaves and husks from the corn (bhutta). Holding the corn upright with the flat end firmly in a board, take a sharp knife and run it down between the kernels and the cob to strip them away.
• Wrap the fruits and vegetables in newspaper before refrigerating to keep them fresh for long.
• Chopping dry fruits - Freeze them first for one hour & then dip the knife into hot water before cutting them.

Ingredients

•	Whole wheat flour (atta)	2 cups
•	Salt	to taste
•	Egg,boiled	4
•	Green chilli,chopped	2
•	Fresh coriander leaves,chopped	2 tablespoons
•	White pepper powder	1/4 teaspoon
•	Egg,whisked	6
•	Onion ,chopped	1 small
•	Oil	to shallow fry

MethodSieve whole-wheat flour with salt into a bowl, add sufficient water and knead to a soft dough. Cover with a muslin cloth and set aside. Grate boiled eggs into a bowl. Add half the coriander leaves, green chillies, salt and white pepper powder and mix. Divide the dough into eight portions. Roll out each portion into a roti as thin and as big as possible. Place some stuffing in the centre and fold in the four ends over each other to make a square packet. Roll it slightly. Heat a tawa, place the parantha over it. Add onions to the whisked eggs along with salt, remaining coriander leaves and mix well. Flip the parantha and drizzle some of the beaten egg over it. Drizzle some oil all round and fry till golden. Flip over, drizzle some of the beaten eggs and oil and fry till this sides too turns golden. serve hot.