Making a silk purse out of a sow's ear

My timing on this post is a bit funny as this topic is suddenly all over my favorite food blogs, but you will have to trust me when I say that I have been making poached pears regularly over the past couple of months. Usually I do this when I am seduced into buying an undrinkable wine by a serious markdown. (When will I learn?) Rather than pouring it down the drain I use it as the base of poaching liquid for semi-ripe pears. These pears are delicious with yogurt, oatmeal, granola, whipped cream or creame fraiche, or, as I often do, eaten on their own over the kitchen sink. I tried to class it up a bit this time by making a cardamom panna cotta to serve alongside. I usually think of panna cotta as summery because it is cool and deceptively light, but the addition of cardamom brings in a warm fall/winter flavor. The tiny bit of crunch in the pears is a nice foil for the silky texture of the panna cotta. So, thanks for the inspiration, icky wine! I know what I am making next time I need a simple and pretty dessert. Now, if only I had dinner guests tonight...

Blushing Poached Pears

1 750 ml bottle red wine

1/2 c. sugar

juice and zest of one orange

2 star anise

4 cinnamon sticks, broken

1 t. whole cloves

1 T. whole allspice

4 pears (I prefer Bosc pears for this)

Peel, stem, and halve the pears. Using a spoon or a melon baller, remove seeds and soft core from halves. Set aside. Combine all ingredients but pears in a large pot. Heat to dissolve sugar. Add pears to pot and add water to cover. Bring pot to a boil, then reduce heat to a low simmer and cover most of the way with lid. Cook pears over low heat until fork tender, about 40 minutes. Remove to a container with enough poaching liquid to cover and chill.

Vanilla Cardamom Panna Cotta

Adapted from Dessert Fourplay by Johnny Iuzzini

2 c. heavy cream

1/4 c. sugar

1 T. cardamom seeds

1 t. powdered gelatin (usually 1 envelope)

3 T. cold water

1 T. vanilla

Heat cream and cardamom seeds in a saucepan until almost boiling. Remove from heat and allow to steep for 30 minutes. While cream in steeping, place gelatin and water in a medium bowl and allow to soften. Strain cream to remove solids and return to saucepan with sugar. Bring cream mixture back to almost boiling, then pour over gelatin, whisking to dissolve. Whisk in vanilla. Pour mixture into lightly oiled muffin cups. (This is the only time I like my silicone muffin cups! Makes unmolding a cinch.) You can also pour directly into serving glasses or bowls if you do not want a molded panna cotta. Chill overnight or until ready to serve.

*To unmold, run a hot knife around the edges of the panna cotta and invert. If they are stuck, apply a towel wrung with hot water to bottom of pan for a moment or two to loosen.