Dangerous Foods

Oh la la! I forgot to tell you about the most tremendous taste experience in Paris- my friend's sister's husband's dad's Christmas dessert! , FIREY HOT PEARS (It was certainly NOT Poire Belle Helene!) Anyway, I had to remember the taste, so I found a recipe on the Internet... I think you should add a little more chilli to this if you try! It is definately even more tongue tingling than the chilli chocolate ice cream in Vancouver's La Casa Gelato.

Chilli Poached Pears

Ingredients

• 720ml/24fl.oz. Red Wine (not too full bodied)
• 450g/1lb White Sugar
• 1 Red Chilli, halved and deseeded
• 5cm/2-inches fresh Root Ginger, sliced
• 3 Whole Star Anise
• 2 Cardamom Pods, cracked
• 1 Cinnamon Stick
• 4 Pears, peeled

Instructions

1. Place the wine, sugar, chilli, ginger, star anise, cardamom pods and cinnamon stick, in a saucepan, bring to the boil stirring then reduce the heat and simmer for 15 minutes.
2. Add the pears to the saucepan liquid and continue to simmer very gently 15 minutes.
3. Remove the saucepan from the heat, leave it to cool then refrigerate until ready to serve.
4. To serve - slice the pears in half and remove the cores. Very good served with a refreshing sorbet.