Pear

Caffelatte is what Italians of all ages have for breakfast at home. For small children it is a cupful of warm milk lightly stained with coffee, the ratio of coffee to milk increasing with one's years. It is often accompanied by some store-bought biscuits, but not in my assistant Nadia's family. She lives on her father's farm outside Venice with her husband and small boy, and for her son Tommaso she bakes wholesome cakes with fresh fruit. He has some with his caffeelatte and takes another piece to school to eat for merenda, recess. I was particularly taken with the cake Nadia makes when there is no more summer fruit on the farm. She uses pears and apples and always adds a banana she buys in town. The proportions of one fruit to another may vary, and indeed Nadia says they always do, but nothing much can go wrong or affect the cake's plainspoken, engagingly fresh taste.

For a light alternative to traditional Thanksgiving pies, tequila-poached pears (above) provide a southwestern twist. Popular in Mexico and Central and South America, prickly pear jelly is paired with raspberries for the sauce. Serve with the Lemon Bizcochitos and dessert wine, such as Muscat.

A French flourless nut cake, topped with poached pears, is lovely for Hanukkah.

Washington pears and California raisins complement each other deliciously. This is perfect with vanilla ice cream.

This recipe is an accompaniment for Pear Charlottes with Chamomile Crème Anglaise .

These can be served on a salad of baby greens. Toss the greens with tarragon vinaigrette and sprinkle with toasted hazelnuts.

The crusts for the tartlets are as simple as frozen puff pastry cut into small rounds.

What to drink: Fess Parker 2000 Late Harvest Muscat Canelli, Santa Barbara County, or another sweet dessert wine with orange and honey flavors.

An easy cake to make, this is lovely topped with spice-scented sautéed pears and sweetened cinnamon-spiced whipped cream.

Any extras are great cold for breakfast. As an alternative to the vanilla ice cream, top with sour cream or lowfat yogurt for a lighter interpretation.

The secret to the light and flaky crust is cream cheese. For an extra-special presentation, cut out decorative shapes from the dough scraps, and arrange them on the pie after glazing it; brush cutouts with glaze and bake.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Toss Italian greens like arugula and radicchio with a vinaigrette dressing and toasted walnuts for a fresh starter, and offer crunchy seeded breadsticks alongside this unusual risotto. Finish up with chocolate biscotti and espresso.

Nourishing muffins that are nice for a snack or a quick breakfast.

A cardamom- and orange-scented syrup is spooned over warm pears and scoops of vanilla ice cream in this lovely dessert. Refrigerate leftover poaching syrup to serve over ice cream later in the week.