Title: Poached pears with marscapone and espresso sauce
 Categories: 
      Yield: 4 Servings
 
      3 c  Water
    1/2 c  White wine
    1/2 c  Good Port wine
      4 tb Sugar
      1    Cinnamon stick
      2    To 3 whole cloves
      4    Firm Bartlett pears
      1 c  Italian marscapone cheese,
           Or other fresh, sweet, cow's
           Milk cheese
      2 tb Clover honey
    1/4 ts Vanilla
    1/2 ts Ground cinnamon
    1/4 ts Ground nutmeg
      2 tb Poppy seeds for garnish
      2 tb Dried cherries
 
  Bring the water, wines, sugar, and spices to a boil in a pot just
  large enough to hold the pears. Lower the heat and simmer for 5
  minutes. While the poaching liquid is cooking, peel but do not core
  the pears (use a vegetable peeler for the neatest job with the least
  waste).
  
  Poach the pears, uncovered, for 20 minutes, or until they are just
  tender to the tip of a knife. Remove from the heat and cool the pears
  in the liquid for another 20 minutes. You can then refrigerate them
  (still in the liquid) for later use.
  
  In a stainless steel bowl, combine the marscapone, honey, vanilla,
  cinnamon, and nutmeg and whisk to form a smooth creamy filling. Place
  the cheese filling into a clean pastry bag fitted with a star tip.
  
  Remove the pears from the liquid, drain and dry them. Cut the pears
  in half lengthwise, and remove the core with a teaspoon, making a
  neat opening for the marscapone filling. Slice a sliver off the round
  side of the pear to steady it on the plate.
  
  Pipe a neat star-shaped dollop into the pear, place it in a serving
  dish, pour some espresso sauce around it and garnish with poppy seeds
  and dried cherries.
  
  Yield: 4 full and 8 small portions.