So, what about pears?
August 31st, 2007
It will soon be autumn and the ubiquitous pear will be even more ever-present in Umbria. Everybody will be making pear ravioli, pear tarts, pear jams and pear things I cannot imagine.
I hate pears. I never know if I’ve cooked pear things well because I don’t like them so everything I make is nasty to me. Pears are filled with little hairs. Eating them is to me akin to licking out the bathroom sink after your guy shaves. Now that you have that image engraved on your brain, maybe you don’t feel so hot about pears, either. If it weren’t for all the pear farmers who would go broke, I’d happily spread my hatred and ruin the huge international pear market, or as I see it the huge international conspiracy to make humans eat hairs.
I do like Japanese apple pears because they are not hairy or soft, but crunchy like apples. I can easily settle for an apple, however. I don’t know whether one can buy these up and keep them for the inevitable day when someone insists you make a pear thing. Can you? I saw them this week.
Entry Filed under: Food, Italy, kitchen stuff, dessert, fruit
8 Comments Add your own
1. Snowpea | September 1st, 2007 at 1:46 am
Maybe it’s because the pears you get have not been properly ripened, or that you’ve not tried the right kind? I like the tiny seckel pears and most others, as long as they are PERFECTLY RIPE, creamy and fragrant. On the other hand, Peter likes them ROCK HARD.
And you cannot eat them, why not just infuse some alcohol with pears instead. Poire William is not hairy, methinks.
2. Mary | September 1st, 2007 at 3:55 pm
The texture of pears turns me off too, but I like the taste, so I stick to pear juice. I always described them as kind of sandy. To be honest, I think I prefer that to the hair analogy. :)
3. sognatrice | September 1st, 2007 at 4:48 pm
I don’t like the mushy, sandy (good description Mary!) pear either, but when they’re crisp and barely ripe, that’s when I love them…with gorgonzola :)
4. admin | September 2nd, 2007 at 9:13 am
Y’all are letting me down! I need to know if I can use pears I do like so I can bear to taste the things I will need to cook for others. If I have to make pear ravioli, liquor won’t do, under ripe pears may not, either, and I can’t ever like the filling made out of hairy pears.
When I am famous I am going say it’s apples all the way, but for now I kind of have to go with the flow, see?
I am off today for a distant cheffing job, so see you on Monday.
5. sognatrice | September 2nd, 2007 at 9:42 am
I think you need to surround yourself with fellow pear-haters; ooh, or tell those who insist on pear things that you\’re allergic!
6. Norah | September 2nd, 2007 at 4:13 pm
Hey Jude, you naughty girl, I LOVE pears! Granted, it’s a visual thing, the taste is bland. Bosc are fave (someone asked me if I was eating potato slices once; they are grainy): used them in the “fruit in a corner” color exercise in art class once. Umber to ochre to cadmium yellow to dirty lime green.
Great site, Jane told me about it. What willl the weather be like in October? rainy +/or cold? sunny/clear?
Yes, some of the best food I ever ate was at your table, remember those fiddlehead ferns from Maine?
ML ,N
7. admin | September 3rd, 2007 at 8:19 pm
You were here with me in October oe year, remember? Sunny and hot one day, the next rain so hard at Gubbio it broke the umbrella. Who knows what will be? Not I and not the weatherman, either. I have umbrellas. Bring a sweater.
8. MissJoe | September 4th, 2007 at 2:08 am
I\\\’m with you, Kid; I dislike pears too. However, I had a cook who could make one love anything, pears included. Best I can recall here is her method. Half unpeeled pear lengthwise, thoroughly core, fill cavity with molasses (or brown sugar) cinnamon, nutmeg, and top with butter. Bake. The skin catches the juice. Come to think of it, maybe the house smelled so good I never realized it was just pears. Mary also made heavenly cantaloupe pie.
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