Poached Pears with Wine

With Mary Ann Esposito

Delicious dessert recipes are rarely this simple and this is from Mary Ann Esposito’s 5-ingredients Ciao Italia cookbook. This recipe actually includes poached pears, black peppercorns, vanilla, and wine.

According to Mary, “pears paired with cheese are good, but pears poached in white wine with peppercorns and the essence of vanilla bean are even better. They take minutes to prepare and you can serve them for breakfast, lunch or dessert.”

Where do her inspirations come from? In this case she explains; “I had this delicious poached pear dessert sitting at a table in the venerable Grand Hotel Timeo restaurant in Taormina, Sicily, looking out onto the bay of Naxos below with snow covered Mount Etna sleeping in the distance. The sky was steel blue and the sun was playing off the window beautifully, so much so that it enveloped me in a mesmerizing trance. Such a view and feeling could only be enhanced by this dish.”

Cooking tips: Poaching means that a liquid is simmering, so look for tiny bubbles visible in the pan. Large bubbles is an indication that the heat is too high.

In the video Mary Ann shows you how to slit and scrape the vanilla pods in order to extract the maximum flavor. Vanilla is actually the seedpod of an orchid plant.As the creator and host of the nationally televised PBS series, Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito™, Mary Ann has brought those values to millions of Americans. This year, the series celebrates its milestone 21st season, making it the longest running cooking series in television history. You can view Mary Ann's shows, get recipes and buy her books at her web site - www.ciaoitalia.com.

Ingredients

2 cups white wine, such as Pinot Grigio or Soave
1 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
One 4-inch piece of vanilla bean
1 tablespoon whole black peppercorns
4 ripe Anjou or Bartlett pears

Instructions

1. In a medium saucepan, combine the wine, sugar and salt. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce to a simmer, and cook until the sugar dissolves and a syrup forms.
2. Slit the vanilla bean lengthwise and using the tip of a small knife, scrape the seeds into the poaching syrup mixture. Ad the vanilla bean pod and the peppercorns. Stir well.
3. Remove the pear stems and cut the spears in half lengthwise; remove and discard the core and seeds. Cut each pear half into 1/4 inch-thick slices. Add the slices to the wine mixture. Increase the heat to low, and poach the pears for 5 minutes. Turn off the heat and allow the pears to cool to room temperature in the pan.

When ready to serve, remove the vanilla bean and transfer the pears and some of the poaching syrup to a decorative serving bowl, or serve in individual goblets.

Recipe courtesy of Mary Ann Esposito, Ciao Italia Five-Ingredient Favorites, 2010.

Authenticity, history, tradition.

Those three words define Mary Ann Esposito and the signature cooking style that has made her one of America's most loved television chefs.

As the creator and host of the nationally televised PBS series, Ciao Italia with Mary Ann Esposito™, Mary Ann has brought those values to millions of Americans. This year, the series celebrates its milestone 21st season, making it the longest running cooking series in television history.

For Mary Ann, the art of Italian cooking is a way of life. As a little girl growing up in Depew, New York, she watched her two Italian grandmothers create wonderful Italian dishes. Both nonnas, one Sicilian and one Neapolitan, were Italian natives and professional cooks.

This upbringing instilled in Mary Ann a deep appreciation for Italian food and culture. But it was a pivotal trip to Italy that made her ponder hosting a television program to share her love. Thus, Ciao Italia was born.

Through Ciao Italia and appearances on other television programs like The Today Show, Regis and Kelly, QVC, the Food Network, Discovery Channel, and FOX (…not to mention Martha Stewart Radio, RAI International, The Victory Garden, Simply Ming, and so many others!), she has been able to share the cooking lessons she learned as a child with audiences around the world.

Mary Ann has worked beside world-renowned chefs like Julia Child, Todd English, Daisy Martinez, Sara Moulton, Jacques Pepin, Martin Yan, and countless others who share the same passion for cooking.

Johnson and Wales University presented Mary Ann with their Distinguished Author Award. St. Anselm College bestowed an honorary doctorate for her dedication to teaching and preserving authentic Italian cuisine. Most recently, the Italian Trade Commission further distinguished Mary Ann by naming her a 2010 Hall of Fame honoree.

Mary Ann has also written 11 cookbooks. Her most recent, Ciao Italia~Five Ingredient Favorites, was released in September of 2009. A new book is currently in the works, and is expected to be released in the fall of 2011.

In addition, she hosts an annual trip to Italy. This year, travelers discovered the extraordinary cooking of Tuscany with Mary Ann as they traveled with her and experienced  hands-on cooking lessons in which she helped them prepare her favorite Tuscan recipes.

For event appearances or television sponsorships, contact Chris Esposito chris (at) doverstrategygroup.com.

For press inquiries, contact Mark Nevins mark (at) doverstrategygroup.com.