Festive flavors impact and poached pears are perfect for the season! Poires au Vin are poached pears in red wine. On the stove, in a large pot, add a good red wine. Some prefer Pinot Noir wines or Cabernet Sauvignon wines. I prefer a deep red Cabernet Sauvignon with Bartlett pears. Prepare the liquid: Add 1/3 cup of sugar to every cup of wine. Add 2 – 3 cinnamon sticks and 1 lemon rind. Stir until dissolved. The amount of wine depends on how many pears; however, the wine should at least halfway cover the pears. The pears are to be rolled, very carefully with wooden spoons, to poach the pears if the liquid does not cover the pears. Select semi-ripe pears with the stems. Carefully, peel the pears leaving the stem in-tact. Gently, slice off the pear bottom so that the pear will sit steady in the pot and on the plate. Poach the pears for about 40 minutes until the wine has penetrated the fruit turning it deliciously red. As an option, I have placed 10 pears in a crockpot and cooked the pears for 8 hours. It was wowing impact to our guests at the beach with no culinary “babysitting” or having to roll the pears. A lovely sauce can be made from the remaining wine. Reduce the wine by heating, stir in a small amount of arrowroot to thicken and pour over the top of each pear. Serve the pears hot or cold with Mascarpone cheese, whipping cream or just topped with toasted almond slices. It is so December delicious! © Kelly McBride Loft