Sometimes the story behind a given dish is complicated. This is one of those recipes, though the recipe is is easy as can be. I'm particularly proud of it because it's rather original and I got a number of compliments on it and even a couple of requests for the recipe. It's spicy fennel flavored Italian sausages roasted with vinegar-marinated pears and onions. The resulting dish has spicy, savory and sweet flavors and can be made for as many or as few people as you like. It's a perfect dish for Fall.

It represents my favorite type of recipe because it takes very little time, few ingredients and techniques but yields something absolutely delicious. I think you could call it foolproof. It can also be varied pretty easily--add other fruit, seasonings, vegetables, or different kinds of sausages. Here are the steps that lead to the recipe:

1. My initial motivation was to make something savory with pears. My mom has a pear tree that went a little crazy this year so I had quite a few pears to use. In Marin County this is not an unusual occurrence.

2. I had a food blogger potluck to attend and I wanted something that would feed a crowd.

3. It was "Eat Local Challenge Month" and I feared the wrath of those who would question the provenance of my offering. The last thing I needed was a blog post blaming me for ruining their day!

4. What could I do to make pears, savory? Vinegar! I have made this recipe twice and it works with port wine vinegar or balsamic vinegar. I think you need something rich and dark, don't use supermarket red wine vinegar. Actually avoid supermarket red wine vinegar in general, it's terrible.

5. I wanted everything in the dish to be roasted, but not too saucy. My biggest innovation was to marinate the pears and onions in vinegar, but to roast them on a baking sheet.

6. Success! This recipe worked well the very first go, perhaps because it builds on the success of other recipes. Looking back I can say it was somewhat influenced by Mark Bittman's Sausages and Grapes recipe and also by a Grilled Chicken Sausage and Red Pear Skewer recipe.

Note: I used Fra'Mani Fully Cooked Spicy Italian Sausage I got from Costco. They are completely cooked and very good. If you wanted to use a raw sausage I would cut it into chunks and roast it for 10-15 minutes before adding the fruit.

Roasted Sausages and Pears
for 2 people:

Ingredients

2 fully cooked Italian sausages (but I bet it would be good with Kielbasa too)
2 firm pears, peeled and cored
1/4 cup balsamic or port wine vinegar (you really just need enough to make sure everything is mostly submersed)
1 small onion, optional

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Cut each pear into 4 - 6 chunks. Place in a very small bowl or plastic bag and add the vinegar to marinate. Allow to marinate at room temperature for about 15 minutes. If you are using an onion, cut it into smaller chunks and break them up into individual pieces and add them to the marinade.

Cut the sausages into 4 - 5 pieces each. Line a baking sheet, preferably rimmed, with aluminum foil and place the pears and onions on the pan. Dunk the sausages into the vinegar to coat them, then place them randomly on the pan as well. Bake for 15 minutes or until pears are soft and sausages are beginning to get crusty.

Serve with a baguette and a spinach salad.

Enjoy!

I don't think it's possible to go to New York and not have wonderful culinary experiences. It's just that kind of town. When something terrible happens, you can keep your "brown paper packages tied up with string" I will simply call to mind my dream dessert experience at ChikaLicious in the East Village.

I wrote about it years ago, because as someone who is terribly indecisive, the idea of a multi-course dessert menu sounded like a lot of fun. And I love the idea of a dessert only restaurant. Yes, a restaurant. It's much more than a cafe, it's fine service, pretty china, a lovely and relaxing ambiance and heavenly, perfectly balanced and proportioned desserts. It's also intimate, they can accommodate four guests per party, max.

The menu offers plenty of "a la carte" options, but I recommend the three course menu, with or without wine. These days with fine plated desserts hovering around $10, the prix fixe price of $12 feels like a bargain. Everyone who comes in seems to prefer sitting at the bar to watch everything being made, but I liked my little table for two and the unrushed service. The refreshing amuse was lemon sorbet in a white chocolate mousse. Cool, clean flavors reminded me of a most sophisticated lemon flavored orangesicle. Just lovely.


Next my "main course" a recommendation of the owner was the quince steamed pudding in a creme anglaise and Asian pear salad. This was the lightest fluffiest steamed pudding I ever ate, not stodgy or heavy or wet.


Portions are just right. The menu ends with coconut covered marshmallows, truffles and shortbread topped with lemon curd and a single pistachio.

The delicate shortbread was so good I picked up a package to take home. ChikaLicious thank you for being are everything I imagined you'd be!

ChikaLicious Dessert Bar
203 E 10th St
New York, NY
212-995-9511
Daily 3pm to 10:45pm

Last year in the steamy Fairchild Tropical Botanic Garden of South Florida I tasted about 15 different types of mangoes. I discovered that some are sweet, while others are tangy and refreshing. Some have subtle floral aromas, others have hints of citrus, spice, even nuts as well as tropical fruit. The world of mangoes is luscious and delicious to explore and I was one enthusiastic taster!

While most mangoes in the US are grown in Florida, there are some grown in California like the organically grown Keitt. It's in season and in stores until the end of October and you don't want to miss it. The Keitt is one of my favorite mangoes, it's green on the outside and very large with a particularly thin seed. While more expensive than some mangoes, I think they are still a good value because they yield a ton of fruit. I recently had one that was almost 2 pounds and yielded several cups of diced fruit, 2 or 3 times as much fruit as a typical mango.

The delectable Keitt has no fiber, a buttery juicy texture, vanilla aroma and a delicate peachy flavor. If there was ever a melt-in-your-mouth mango, the Keitt is it. One serving provides over 75% of your daily requirement of Vitamin C and 25% of Vitamin A. Pick Keitt mangoes that are still a bit firm with no soft spots. The fruit is delicious on it's own, but even better on top of pancakes, crepes, in fruit salad or salsa. More tips on using mangoes, here.