Dominic and the pears

Just in from swimming, sitting eating a leftover pear anise crisp from earlier in the week. And I think, "Peter, what should you write about?" The dessert was the answer: write about Dominic and the pears (and hope he never sees this or else he'll be cross and embarrassed).

This is Dominic (Gay Pride Chicago, 2005).Dominic is a terrific guy. Smart, funny, very good looking, universally adored as the former swim team president and occasional subsitute coach. He's a bit younger (late 20s). Grew up in the Chicago 'burbs.

Dominic, at age 25, had never eaten pears in his life.

Are pears not common in the US? I would have thought so. Somehow, though, Dominic had never tasted pear until coming for brunch a few years back. I knew of this gap in his culinary experience, so I served the pear anise crisp (a bastardization of Mark Miller's rhubarb anise crisp from the Coyote Cafe Cookbook). Dominic, I am happy to report survived.

It shouldn't have been a surprise to me that when we went for his first sushi experience a year or so later, I learned that he had made it to age 26 or so without ever having tasted soy sauce either.