Pear

Fruit makes a great puree and a thirst-quenching smoothie, and is just plain fun to pick up for toddlers. You can always serve fruit raw, but the flavor intensifies if you bake it. This recipe applies to any firm fruit, such as apples and pears, and stone fruit, such as peaches, pears, plums and apricots. The can be frozen, although nutrients will be lost.

This deep-dish crumb-topped pie combines several winter fruits and confirms that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. The pears become soft, the apples remain slightly firm, the figs add texture and sweetness, and the tart cranberries pop in your mouth, making this rustic pie a sensory treat. Be sure to plan ahead, as this recipe calls for chilling the dough for one hour, chilling it again after you roll it out (this reduces shrinkage of the crust during baking), and then baking the pie for over an hour. It is an hours-long process, off and on, but it is worth every minute. Served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a glass of apple or pear brandy (preferably from Clear Creek Distillery), it is the perfect final touch to a dinner party.

Chocolate and pears make an excellent combination. Here, bittersweet chocolate and sweet pears meld together to form the perfect balance. For this recipe, you can either take a rustic approach and toss the pears haphazardly into the pan or opt for a more elegant look by arranging the pears in concentric circles. Look for a good dark chocolate, which is not the same as unsweetened chocolate. Also, there are two kinds of unsweetened cocoa on the market; be sure to use unsweetened Dutch-processed cocoa, not natural cocoa. When combined with baking soda, natural cocoa can impart a bitter taste to baked goods and cause them to rise too much.

What you find here and on page 96—aside from a striking striped presentation—is an equally beautiful expression of flavors. Because both beets and pears are at the height of their season, Lee has no desire, as he says, "to mess with them too much." He adds, "Nature trumps the ability of any chef." The ginger juice in the vinaigrette is inspired by Lee's Asian roots.

This spinach salad speaks to all the wonderful autumnal flavors of the Pacific Northwest. The new crop of bronzed Bosc pears is piled high at the farmers' market; the hazelnuts have been harvested, shelled, and bagged for sale; and the cranberries arrive from the Long Beach, Washington, coastal bogs. I buy sweetened dried cranberries from a local producer, but they are readily available at the grocery store (Ocean Spray is a good-quality packager), found alongside raisins and other dried fruits. This salad is a snap to assemble if you buy the packaged prewashed and trimmed baby spinach.

When thoughts turn to pie, why not pear? Bartletts, which are usually eaten out of hand, are also excellent baked. Brown sugar provides the butterscotch.

Brandi, our fearless juice bar manager, contributed to this recipe, and I love the name. It really does feel like sunshine in a glass and is a great way to start the day.

Core the fruit from the bottom so that the stems stay intact and the fruit looks whole on the platter.

We're taking the highway to French elegance with these stacked desserts. Unsweetened whipped cream is a wonderful foil for gooey caramelized pears and flaky puff pastry.

Adorable Seckel pears are on display in this showpiece, but the essence of pear permeates the entire tart. Musky, honeyed Bartletts are juiced into white wine, creating a poaching liquid for the Seckels. Doubly infused with pear, that syrup becomes the base for the poire William-spiked pastry cream and glaze.

Cranberries, pears, and apples form a sweetly irresistible autumn trinity beneath a crisp oat topping.

Though poaching pears in wine often results in a subtle, sophisticated dessert, it rarely looks as lovely as it tastes. Here, Grimes took inspiration from the saturated-red glassware that's ubiquitous in Parisian flea markets and from a dessert at Le Chateaubriand, which uses beet to give the pears a lush garnet hue. As far as its flavor goes, the beet doesn't lend anything more than a nice balance to the overall dish, but you'll probably want to poach pears this way from now on.

Editor's note: This recipe is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Chris Miller, executive chef at Como Shambhala Estate at Begawan Giri in Bali. This refreshing juice is pleasantly fruity but not overly sweet. It gets its bright green color, tons of antioxidants, and refreshing zing from parsley and spinach, but neither ingredient overwhelms the flavors of the pineapple, grapefruit, and carrots. Note that not all juicers produce the same amount of liquid. If your machine tends toward a lower output, consider buying extra ingredients. To avoid pesticides and other chemicals, use organic fruits and vegetables and be sure to wash everything thoroughly. Some juicers heat juice slightly, so it's a good idea to chill your ingredients before juicing them. This will allow you to drink the juice right away, when its flavors, colors, and nutrients are at their peak.

Fresh ginger and pear infuse a robust old-world favorite with newfound vibrancy.

Bartlett, Anjou, and Bosc are all great pears. Just be sure they are not overripe.

Grilled fruit is a newcomer to the traditional Mediterranean table. This dish was inspired by a friend and chef, Nena Ismirnoglou, and then adapted by me for the menu at Pylos, a Greek restaurant in Manhattan's East Village.

Eau-de-vie, or fruit brandy, an Alsatian specialty, is used to great effect in this dish, bringing out the subtle nuances in the pears. A custardy, brandied layer over the tender fruit, along with a nutty topping, gives this tart a complex yet homey air.

Looking for a fast weeknight dessert? Johnnycake—essentially a cross between a pancake and corn bread—isn't fancy, but it's delicious when made with delicate pears and maple syrup.

If you only have time for a dessert after the kids are in bed, try something elegant and expedient, like poached pears. This recipe works best with pink champagne.

The recipe below is part of a healthy and delicious spa menu developed exclusively for Epicurious by Ananda spa in India. Darjeeling tea and herbs, including star anise, cinnamon, and ginger, flavor the smoked duck breast, which is served with nutrient-packed pears, sweet potatoes, vegetables, and blueberries. If you are watching calories and cholesterol, take a small portion of duck and fill the rest of your plate with the veggies and fruit. If you are following an Ayurvedic diet, the experts at Ananda recommend this for vata and pitta doshas. Be sure to start this recipe one day ahead.

The gutsy contrast of assertive greens with juicy pears, slivers of Manchego, and toasted pumpkin seeds lets guests know right from the beginning that this meal will be full of personality.

Just as they do in sweet Chinese bubble tea, fat, chewy pearls of tapioca bring a certain levity to pears in a fragrant spiced-cider "broth." Satsuma segments add hits of sweetness to this chic, playful dessert.