Treat to eyes...tickle to tongue....

It’s like dream come true…..Being a fan of cookery shows…I never miss a chance to see the wonderful chefs preparing yummy delicacies on TV. When some days back Suman from The SCS Group sent an invitation to experience a meal made in heaven in a surrounding fit for a king….a live cooking demo of USA Pears delicacies by Chef Vicky Ratnani….I just could not believe my eyes…..I was over whelmed by the invitation and made my mind to attend this event.

Gone are the days when fruits are just eaten raw or sliced into salads or cubed into custards….with innovative chefs running there mind to pipe out new recipes…fruits are getting a whole new makeover these days. Chef Ratnani who describes his cuisine as ‘modern global’ and who always aim to ‘redefine the local’. He calls it, ‘A deconstruction of classic food followed by a reconstruction of those same ingredients, but in a contemporary style’.

Chef Ratnani showing us in detail how to roll a spring roll.

Coming to USA Pears, there are 8 gorgeous varieties of these Pretty Pears available in market, namely:

1. BARTLETT – Excellent fresh eating pear, but holds shape and flavour in cooking process.
2. RED BARLETT – They offer a brilliant, appetizing colour touch when used fresh in salads or fresh fruit desserts.
3. ANJOU – A salad pear, best when eaten fresh. Have abundant juice when ripe, and a sweet mellow flavour.
4. RED ANJOU & OTHER RED PEARS – A salad pear. Shows no colour change in ripening.
5. BOSC – Excellent in baking, poaching, broiling or microwave recipes. Also a good choice for salads and fresh out-of-hand eating.
6. COMICE – One of the sweetest and juiciest of all pears. A dessert pear, very flavourful, fresh, in salads, an excellent accomplishment with cheese.
7. FORELLE – A small pear variety, ripening to yellow, with brilliant red blush or freckling. Excellent snack or lunch box pear, sweet with abundant juice, and a crisp texture even when ripe.
8. SECKEL – Tiny pears with ultra-sweet flavour. Good for pickling or a school lunch box snack for small appetites.

TIPS & TECHNIQUES TO RIPEN USA PEARS:

• If pears are firm or unripe when you purchase them, leave them in a bowl or a paper bag for a few days at room temperature.
• Most varieties do not change colour as they ripen, but will yield to gentle pressure at the stem end.
• Refrigerate ripened pears to slow further ripening, or eat at once.
• Ripened pears are sweeter and juicer, with full flavour.

The best way to judge ripeness of USA Pears is to ‘Check the Neck’, apply gentle pressure to the neck of the pear with your thumb. If it yields to pressure, it’s ripe. Easy, isn’t it?

NUTRITION & FACTS:

Pears have been recognized as one of the 20 most popular fruits by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and it’s no wonder why! They are an excellent source of fiber and a good source of vitamin C for only 100 calories per serving. There are nutrition degrees online that will help you read and understand these kind of labels better. And, they’re sodium free, fat free, and cholesterol free. That’s a lot of nutrition in one sweet and juicy package!

Now coming to the more yum part of the post….Live Cooking Demo of USA Pear’s by Chef Vicky Ratnani…..

That's Deepa holding the delectable platter for me.

First one to hit the menu was a delectable ‘Vicky Goes Veg’ style Shitake Mushroom and USA Pear Spring Roll. Simple filling with luscious dips to accomplish with….

Next one to hit the tables was a ‘Gourmet Central’ style Stir Fried USA Pears with Bok Choy and Water Chestnuts. Extremely simple and very palatable recipe.

Last one is Chef Ratnani’s ‘Do It Sweet!’ style a tempting and sumptuous Payassam (Creamy milk & rice based Dessert) with USA Pears, Tempura and Elaichi Sugar.

That's Sweatha holding Payassam for me to click.

TO END WITH….luxurious UB city Mall….in which the restaurant The Tasty Tangles has given the perfect setting with it’s warm ambience and cosy atmosphere along with Chef Ratnani dishing out gorgeous and wonderful recipes….in the company of food lovers and fellow bloggers…an perfect evening…mesmerizing moments…..Thank you to SCS-Group for giving me this wonderful time.

That's Deepa again holding a bag of Pears for me to click....

Finally to relish on more….SCS-Group has packed these pretty Pears with a cute little Pear shaped teddy inside these lovely paper bags….That’s so sweet nah….. :-)

It's Chef posing with his delectable recipe for the media present there...

Whole Black and White pictures in the post are going to participate in B&W Wednesday - A Weekly Culinary Photo Event by Susan of The Well-Seasoned Cook.