This simple vegan dessert is the pear-fect way to wrap up a dinner party
Sarala Terpstra is an American living in the south of France who creates vegan alternatives to favourite French dishes, such as poached pearsL.Kora/Shutterstock
In talking with friends and family, I’ve realized that many of us are intimidated by cooking and hosting.
But what we can learn from French cuisine is that focusing on dishes that look and feel special for our guests but won’t keep us in the kitchen the whole evening, will allow everyone to relax and enjoy the party.
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received is that if the host cannot relax, neither can the guests. So, while I was testing recipes for my cookbook, The Plant Soirée, I threw out any dishes that made me feel frazzled and overwhelmed.
Of course, we all have different levels of skills in the kitchen, and I cannot know exactly where you fall, but my hope is that you’ll find these recipes helpful – that you’ll fall back on them or draw inspiration from them.
The Plant Soirée was written for you if one or all of the following describes you:
1. You want to throw a French party
2. You want to accommodate different diets when hosting
3. You are vegan and interested in French cuisine
4. You just want to eat more plants
5. You are intimidated by French cooking
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All of the recipes are French or French-inspired and plant-based, and there are several gluten-free options. Almost all the recipes can be made ahead of time in under an hour and I did my best to avoid obscure ingredients that you’ll struggle to find.
1. Peel the pears, leaving their stems intact. Slice off the bottoms of the pears.
2. Bring the water, sugar and vanilla to a boil in a pot.
Add the peeled pears, on their side, cover, and simmer for 20 minutes, rotating occasionally.
While the pears simmer, chop the chocolate.
3. Remove the pears and set aside to cool.
4. Remove the lid from the sugar syrup and simmer until it reduces to about 1 cup.
5. Add the chopped dark chocolate and 2 tablespoons coconut cream (you can also add in a tablespoon of rum or brandy and a dash of cinnamon at this point, if you wish).
This recipe was featured in The Plant Soirée: Plant-based French-inspired Recipes for Entertaining (Vegan French Cooking) by Sarala Terpstra. Available from Amazon in Kindle, Paperback and Hardback.
