There's nothing like a Crisp, Sweet Pear! - also Eating Locally and in Season...

Apples often hog the autumn/winter spotlight when it comes to seasonal fruit, but they don't upstage pears when it comes to taste or nutritional value. Delicate and elegant, their buttery soft flesh and slim stem makes it worth the extra effort to enjoy them when they're perfectly ripe.  Another reason why eating locally and in season is so much fun..  

Pears are a plan-ahead fruit. They don't ripen well on the tree — becoming mealy and brown at the core. Instead, pears are best picked when they're mature, but still under-ripe, and allowed to ripen at the market or in the home. Look for fruits with smooth skin and an intact stem.

Ripen them at home at room temperature in a plastic bag poked with holes or in a loosely closed brown paper bag. Refrigerate them once they're ripe. Some markets will sell ready-to-eat pears, but before you buy these, make sure they're carefully, individually wrapped and aren't stacked up more than two levels high. The pressure from the other fruits will likely bruise the flesh of a ripe pear. For the same reason, when you pack them up to take home from the market, make sure they're on top of the bag.

Happy Valentines with Shiitake's Most Popular Treats

For this coming special weekend, I have put together 2 of my readers favorite desserts for your weekend treat. Enjoy

Chocolate Pistachio Kiss Creamy, delicious, irresistible and wickedly rich chocolate dessert.  It is prepared with naturally raw and natural cocoa powder and pistachios. You might want to be good by doing some exercises before trying this treat! 

French Vanilla & Organic Honey Ice Cream This is a raw vegan version of the classic French Vanilla ice cream but without any dairy products.  It has a smooth creamy texture, nutty flavor and a not too sweet melt-in-the-mouth taste.  It is sure to please anyone’s taste buds.  Try it and you will never miss the dairy-containing French Vanilla ice cream again.

Enjoy
xx

Lemon Curd with Golden Sesame Seed Crust

I am finally catching up with the wintry warm desserts to satisfy my North American and European readers starting with Lemon Curd with Golden Sesame Seed Crust. This is a wickedly rich dessert with a variety of nuts, seeds, nut butter and honey.  It has a tangy nutty flavor with a creamy melt-in-the-mouth texture.  Though it does not take a lot of time to make it, it does take a little time to set.  But trust me, though, it is certainly worth the wait.

Cinnamon Pistachio Apple Tartlets

These tarts are really simple to make, 'really simple' to eat, so simple that you are allowed to taste every single ingredient, leaving you as light as a feather.

Pears “Poached” in Beetroot Juice

    
 With their elegant contoured shape, pears are an attractive dessert. Make a “poaching” liquid from beetroot juice, which lends the flesh of the fruit its deep ruby color, and add orange rind, vanilla bean, cinnamon stick, a whole clove, and a star anise for more aroma. After “poaching”, leave the pears in the liquid overnight (or for a few days), and the fruit will keep getting darker and fuller flavored. 

Refreshing Lemon Granita

Delicious and easy to make granita, prepared with mango, lemon and orange with a creamy texture.

Chocolate Pistachio Kiss - Bec au Chocolat et aux Pistches

 
Creamy, delicious, irresistible and wickedly rich chocolate dessert.  It is prepared with naturally raw and natural cocoa powder and pistachios. You might want to be good by doing some exercises before trying this treat!

French Vanilla & Organic Honey Ice Cream

 
 This is a raw vegan version of the classic French Vanilla ice cream but without any dairy products.  It has a smooth creamy texture, nutty flavor and a not too sweet melt-in-the-mouth taste.  It is sure to please anyone’s taste buds.  Try it and you will never miss the dairy-containing French Vanilla ice cream again.

 

Chocolate Mousse with Semi Frozen Raspberries

 
Smooth and creamy raw chocolate mousse served with semi-frozen raspberries is a perfect combination of raw chocolate and fresh, healthy raspberries and a perfect ending to any meal, or even when lounging around and looking for something refreshing but yet naughty.

 

Sticky Date Lovers with Upside Down Sugar Cane Whipped Cream

 
This exotic sounding Sticky Date Lovers with Upside Down Sugar Cane Whipped Cream Dessert tastes equally exotic and is a perfect choice to end a perfect, raw and healthy meal.  It has a rich and naturally sweet taste with a nutty flavor and melt-in-mouth texture.  With a rich taste and an exotic combination of nuts and flavors, this is sure to be a lovely finish to your meals.

Serves about 4 people

You Need

For Sticky Date Cake

• 12 Dried dates, seeds removed and soaked in ¼ cup coconut water
• 4 Tbsp walnuts, crushed
• 2 Tsp kudzu, diluted in 4 Tsp of pure water
• ¼ Cup blanched almonds, soaked
• 2 Tbsp of coconut butter

For Upside Down Whipped Cream

• 1 Tsp lime juice
• 1 Tsp lime zest
• ½ Cup cashew nuts
• 2 Tbsp of dried organic coconut, shredded
• 2 Tbsp of sugar cane or raw honey

For the Garnish

• 2 Oranges
• 2 Tbsp raw honey