It may be true that I am, at this very moment, enjoying a delicious cocktail of 1.5 oz Applejack, .75 oz Carpano Antica sweet vermouth, 2 tsps of Sprague & Son's Grade B pure Vermont maple syrup, and a few dashes of chocolate bitters. And it may also be true that I am alternately trying this cocktail with two possible dessert pairings--Scharffen Berger dark chocolate (62% with cacao nibs) and Black and Blanco organic maple-dusted cardamom Sandcastles (cookies).
And, I suspect it is true that some of you are rolling your eyes while others of you are thinking, 'Yum! When will I be invited over for some of that deliciousness?"
But, it is most definitely true that I have entered into some kind of new gastronomic reality where food possibilities have evolved beyond the everyday ingredients I once relied upon. In fact, my Dad recently sent me a note that began with, "Chris, I decided to read your recent blogs and now I am hungry, but microwave popcorn and diet pop seem so pedestrian."
Sigh. Part of me feels like I should apologize for this.
Yes, sometimes I wish to return to the days when my food life was simpler.
Because once you're in, there's no going back.
Or, is there?
Today, I was at the foodiest event I've ever attended--an expo, book, and blog festival hosted by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. And there, for a moment, I found my way back to enjoying food in the simplest form possible. It was a bite of beauty--a wonderful, delectable moment ripe with purity.
Pear purity that is.
I had a bite of a perfectly ripe pear. And it was the first ripe pear I can remember having in quite some time.
After the sampling, Mrs. O launched an ode. She called the fruit elegant and versatile! It's friends with both sweet and savory, and so lovely in form! I've known her for more than 12 years, and I never knew she had such an adoration for pears!
If you have failed to appreciate how wonderful a pear can be, I suspect you aren't eating them at their best. We learned from USA Pears how to "check the neck for ripeness" to know when it's time to sink those choppers in. It turns out that pears are one of the few fruits that don't ripen on the tree. A pear is ready to eat when the neck yields to gentle pressure under your thumb. If they are still hard in the grocery store, you can buy them and let them ripen at room temperature in your kitchen.
I strongly suggest you try it out! And perhaps, you will want to pair your pear with a smear of Kerrygold Cashel Blue Irish Farmhouse Cheese and some homemade candied walnuts.
Also, don't forget a nice red to go with that...
See? I'm unstoppable.
But, that my friends, is the beauty of a pear. You can mix it with any variety of other flavors. You can eat it raw or use it in a simple or fancy recipe. You can even shake it up in a cocktail.
But you might just like to enjoy the pear... alone... in its elegant, ripe, delicious, naked form.
And, I suspect it is true that some of you are rolling your eyes while others of you are thinking, 'Yum! When will I be invited over for some of that deliciousness?"
But, it is most definitely true that I have entered into some kind of new gastronomic reality where food possibilities have evolved beyond the everyday ingredients I once relied upon. In fact, my Dad recently sent me a note that began with, "Chris, I decided to read your recent blogs and now I am hungry, but microwave popcorn and diet pop seem so pedestrian."
Sigh. Part of me feels like I should apologize for this.
Yes, sometimes I wish to return to the days when my food life was simpler.
Because once you're in, there's no going back.
Or, is there?
Today, I was at the foodiest event I've ever attended--an expo, book, and blog festival hosted by the International Association of Culinary Professionals. And there, for a moment, I found my way back to enjoying food in the simplest form possible. It was a bite of beauty--a wonderful, delectable moment ripe with purity.
I had a bite of a perfectly ripe pear. And it was the first ripe pear I can remember having in quite some time.
After the sampling, Mrs. O launched an ode. She called the fruit elegant and versatile! It's friends with both sweet and savory, and so lovely in form! I've known her for more than 12 years, and I never knew she had such an adoration for pears!
If you have failed to appreciate how wonderful a pear can be, I suspect you aren't eating them at their best. We learned from USA Pears how to "check the neck for ripeness" to know when it's time to sink those choppers in. It turns out that pears are one of the few fruits that don't ripen on the tree. A pear is ready to eat when the neck yields to gentle pressure under your thumb. If they are still hard in the grocery store, you can buy them and let them ripen at room temperature in your kitchen.
I strongly suggest you try it out! And perhaps, you will want to pair your pear with a smear of Kerrygold Cashel Blue Irish Farmhouse Cheese and some homemade candied walnuts.
Also, don't forget a nice red to go with that...
See? I'm unstoppable.
But, that my friends, is the beauty of a pear. You can mix it with any variety of other flavors. You can eat it raw or use it in a simple or fancy recipe. You can even shake it up in a cocktail.
But you might just like to enjoy the pear... alone... in its elegant, ripe, delicious, naked form.
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