Cheese with pears. Pears with cheese. Either way, it’s a wonderful pairing. Or pearing. Serve honey-roasted pears with ricotta cream or Gorgonzola dolce. Add sliced red pears to a salad with crumbled Roquefort and toasted walnuts. Sometimes I’ll poach pears in a light Port syrup and then steep them overnight so they soak up the deep ruby color. Pair with any blue cheese you love and you have a gorgeous dessert. And then there’s the easiest finale ever: blue cheese, ripe pears and sweet wine. Hard to top that.
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Butter boards had their 15 minutes. Now, meet the ricotta board—which, naturally, I vastly prefer. Channel your inner artist and make a masterpiece with whipped ricotta and the toppings you like. (I have some suggestions.) I love how creamy ricotta becomes in a food processor, making a luscious canvas for toasted pistachios, briny olives, tapenade, pesto, prosciutto or whatever strikes your fancy. Add little knives for spreading and bread or crackers to spread it on.
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