Pear Cake with Salted Caramel

The days fly by. You couldn't ask for a more perfect New York fall. I watch the sun set at work most days, we have a panoramic view of the city from our office. It reminds me every day how beautiful life is, and if I had one desire, it would be the ability to slow it all down. It comes with the territory I suppose, time moves too fast in moments of content, and it trudges along slowly in moments you'd rather skip right through.

The markets have been bursting with apples, pears, and grapes lately. Picturesque fall. Last weekend, at every stall that carried them, there were huge swarms of honey bees all over the gorgeous and fragrant cartons of concord grapes. They were so damn happy. And for every bee present there was a person squealing about them, either in excitement or fear. It was truly a sight to behold. I decided to take another route from the bees, purchasing what may have been a few too many bartlett pears to make pear cake. It was a tasty decision.

Poached Seckel Pears

My mom used to make me a Chinese version of poached pears when I would get sick as a child. Well, it was actually more like pear soup. If I remember correctly, she would slice juicy asian pears into strips and cook them in some water and just a little sugar until the whole apartment smelled deliciously fragrant. I would eat the pears, drink the poaching liquid, and even though I don't think it made me physically better, I always felt better after.

The western version of poached pears is much sweeter, but I thought I would split the difference since I'm not a huge sugar fanatic. I also added a cinnamon stick since I love cinnamon, but it would be great with some vanilla bean seeds or a squeeze of lemon as well.

Savory Pear Tart with Blue Cheese & Pancetta

I really like the combination of sweet and salty. A lot. I love honey mustard, barbeque, sea salt caramel, and I even put a tablespoon or two of dark brown sugar in my chili. But I must say, my favorite combination of sweet and salty comes in the form of fruit and cheese. Apple and gruyere grilled cheese? Fig jam and brie on crackers? Strawberry and blue cheese salad? Come hither, my lovelies, and take your spot on my dinner plate.