Cold poached pears make a light dessert any time of the year. I add star anise and some fresh gingerroot to the poaching liquid along with the usual cinnamon stick and lemon for a Chinese flavor. A good company dessert, the pears can be prepared a few days ahead. Leftover cooked pears can be served with Berry Sauce, plain or with a scoop of ice cream.

• 1 cup sugar
• 3 cups water
• a cup white wine
• Juice of 1 lemon
• 2 2-inch pieces of lemon zest
• 1 4-inch cinnamon stick
• 1 2 inch-piece gingerroot, sliced
• 2 star anise
• 6 firm pears preferably Anjou or Comice

1. Place the sugar, water, wine, lemon juice, lemon zest, cinnamon stick, ginger-root and star anise in a saucepan just large enough to hold all of the pears in a single layer.

2. Bring the liquid to a boil, stirring occasionally to dissolve the sugar, and cook for about 5 minutes to allow the spices to flavor the liquid.

3. Peel and core the pears. You can either leave them whole or cut them into halves. Carefully place the pears in the boiling liquid, adding more water, if necessary, to cover them. Return the liquid to a boil. Cover the pan and reduce the heat to tow. Simmer the pears gently until they are just tender, 10 to 20 minutes, depending on the ripeness of the pears.

4. Using a slotted spoon, remove the pears from the liquid and set aside. Increase the heat to high and boil to reduce the liquid to about 2 cups. Strain the sauce, discarding the solids. If serving hot, place the pears in individual serving dishes and spoon some sauce over each.

5. If serving cold, place the pears In a bowl, pour the sauce over them and refrigerate, covered. The pears will keep for 2 to 3 days in

From Susanna Foo Chinese Cuisine: The Fabulous Flavors and Innovative Recipes of North America's Finest Chinese Cook.
Chapters Publishing: Shelbourne, VT, 1995.