STEAMED PEARS

Steps:

• 1. Cut tops off pears, about 1 inch down, and reserve as lids. Core each pear with a fruit corer to make a deep cavity, but do not cut clear through. 2. Fill cavities with honey and replace the tops. 3. Place pears upright in individual heatproof dishes. Steam until tender (see HOW-TO, _Steaming). (Depending on their size and ripeness, this will take anywhere from 15 to 30 minutes.) 4. Serve pears hot, in their steaming dishes. NOTE: This not only makes a simple and excellent dessert, but is soothing to the throat as well, and can be taken for coughs and colds. VARIATIONS: * For the pears, substitute apples. * In step 2, add with the honey, 1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon for each pear. Or omit the honey entirely and use 1 teaspoon cinnamon instead. * In step 2, stuff the pears with a mixture of chopped California dates and blanched walnut meats. (Allow about 1/4 cup of each for 4 pears.) Then spoon honey over each pear and steam as in step 3. * Halve and core the pears. Place each, cut-side down, on a heatproof platter and coat with the honey. Then sprinkle each half with 1/2 teaspoon preserved ginger candy, minced. Steam as in step 3. The Thousand Recipe Chinese Cookbook. ©1994 by Gloria Bley Miller.