Poached pears

• 3 cups red wine - Cabernet, Merlot, Zinfandel
• Juice of 2 lemons
  
• 1 cup sugar
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 8 cloves
• 6 pears, ripe yet firm. Bosc or Conference are preferred, Winter Nellis work well too, or Seckell for a cute smaller change of pace. Anjou is only a last resort. Avoid soft pears like Bartlett and Comice.

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Combine the wine, lemon juice, sugar, cinnamon sticks and cloves in a heavy saucepan. Bring to a boil.

Peel the pears, leaving the stems intact. Take a small slice off the bottom of each pear, so they will stand level. Add the pears to the wine mixture and simmer for 15 minutes. Alternatively, half and core pears, simmer halves for 10-12 minutes or until soft.

Remove from pan and chill. Turn up the heat and reduce the sauce until 1/4 cup remains, set aside to chill. Just before serving, pour a pool of [recipe=79]crème anglaise[/recipe] onto a plate, top with a pear and drizzle with wine syrup. Garnish with fresh whipped cream, a cinnamon stick and a sprig of mint.

Variation: Add 1 c. pulp-free orange juice to the liquid when simmering.