Pear Blue Cheese Yam Appetizers (Thanksgiving Recipe)

This recipe was heavily inspired by my childhood BFF Alexia's soon-to-be husband Olivier. While we were in Paris, my husband Lulu, baby Aria and I visited Alexia and Olivier, who also have a baby girl just a few months younger than Aria. Our meeting was so pleasant, as usual, and Olivier, who is an incredibly talented cook, treated us to a wonderful lunch tasting menu that day. One of the items was blini topped with pear and blue cheese. The dish was very well balanced and I told him at the time that I would make my own version and post it on Pham Fatale when I got back home. So Olivier, c’est pour toi (this is for you)!

Given that Thanksgiving is just around the corner, I decided to adapt the appetizer to use roasted yams instead of blinis. I thought the crunch and natural sweetness from the yam would marry wonderfully with the soft pears and pungent blue cheese, and it did! Additionally, I spread the yams with a thin layer of Anaheim pepper chutney and topped them with walnuts for more crunch.

Yesterday, after receiving several emails from friends notifying me that my first cookbook, "Haute Potato", is already "in stock" on Amazon and BarnesAndNoble.com, I contacted my publisher. Indeed, both are shipping my book early on pre-order, which is wonderful news if you're looking for potato dishes for Thanksgiving or Christmas. So if you're planning on cooking a lot of potato dishes for the holidays, consider "Haute Potato" for gourmet potato dish recipes. The official publication date is still December 18th, which is the date my book hits the shelves in bookstores. 

Tomorrow I’ll make some suggestions of recipes from my book that I think would be perfect for Thanksgiving. Stay tuned!

Here are some pics from our day with Alexia, Olivier and Alice. Aria was very whiny, as you can tell by the photos. And Lulu kept bugging Alexia about how little Alice resembled her. Good times!

Pear and Chocolate Lava Cake Recipe

Yesterday morning I picked a basketful of ripe pears from our garden. I think there are probably about 60 more pears I can gather by the end of the season. Everyday, I give my little baby Aria fresh fruit and vegetables, and at already 10 months old, she clearly adores pears. I made a lot of compote de poire ("pear sauce" in English) and after Aria finished her portion, I used the remainder and made chocolate lava cakes. The molten chocolate center paired with chilled pear sauce is absolutely fabulous.

If you're looking to impress guests with an elegant chocolate dessert, search no more. I served this dish last evening for our special guest, a monk who came to visit all the way from 'Đà Lạt, Vietnam. He assured me he had never tasted something so good!

Chocolate Pear Trifle with Mulberries

I really wanted to impress one of the guests who came for dinner last night, so I went a little over the top preparing dessert. This triple-flavored twist on the traditional trifle (try saying that three times in a row!) consists of Asian pear, mulberry mousse, dark chocolate mousse and a dark chocolate croquant. And yes, it's as delicious as it looks.

We picked very ripe Asian pears and mulberries from our garden to create this dish. Pears go wonderfully with chocolate, and you really can't go wrong with mulberries. This is definitely a dish you can have fun with though, so make substitutions depending on what ingredients you have available. As long as you put a little effort into the presentation, you'll end up with deliciously decadent, edible artwork.

Poached Pears in Chocolate Sauce

Miniature Forelle pears are poached in spiced syrup made of candied ginger and various other spices. Once softened, the pears are covered with chocolate sauce. 

I prepared the pears a day in advance and the chocolate sauce was made at the very last minute. It took me probably 5 minutes tops. Everyone was pleased, the cook included! The small size of this dessert makes it a perfect finish to a heavy meal. 

Pear Cider Recipe

I'm sure you've noticed, but it feels like Thanksgiving already. The girls have been enjoying pumpkin smoothie drinks at Jamba Juice, Lulu recently brought home a pumpkin pie from Marie Callender's and we just bought our first fresh cranberries of the season. With the weather getting colder, what could be more appropriate to the season than a hot cup of cider? But instead of making regular ol' apple cider, I added freshly-made pear juice as well.

I used Bartlett pears (with hints of red, they are much sweeter) which were slightly firm so they would easily pass through a juicer. If you prefer a more intense pear flavor, you could use very ripe, soft fruit but I wouldn't recommend using a juicer as it would get clogged easily. Instead, mix them until mushy in a regular blender, then pass the mixture through a large sieve. I didn't opt for this method as I find the texture a little grainy. You can add whatever spices you like, but I opted for the traditional combination of cinnamon, clove and ginger. It's an easy and very satisfying recipe for the weekend!