I have become a great fan of pears. I don't recall ever having eaten a pear before September of this year--I mean, I'm sure I have, I just don't remember the experience. Pears are so luscious. They have that earthy taste of the apple, but the mushyness of a peach, and there's barely any core to deal with. And those colors!

When I was little, my semi-Bohemian aunt went out with a man who wrote a book about apples. It's out of print now, but you can still buy it used.