Oh, I love pears. Here's an elegant way to use them. Slice them in about 1/4 inch slices, and brush w/ a little olive oil, and grill them until they get those great grill marks on them( sometimes I do it on the outdoor grill, and sometimes right on the stove on the ridged grill, or sometimes quickly on my GF electric grill) Then cool and use to garnish a salad that also has toasted walnuts, bibb lettuce, crumbled blue cheese , and a fresh made vinagrette made with fresh grated ginger, olive oil, a fruit vinegar, and the other usual stuff--garlic, dijon mustard, salt, fresh ground pepper, pinch of sugar.