Makes 4 servings

This is an easy, yet elegant dessert you can make whenever you really feel like putting on the dog.

1 cup sugar

1 cup water

1 cup red wine (Burgundy type)

A piece of lemon peel

A 1 to 2 inch piece of cinnamon

A thin slice of fresh ginger root

4 perfect pears

Peel the pears, leaving the stem on.  Insert an apple corer in the bottom end of each pear and carefully remove the core.  Place the pears in a bowl of cold water with a bit of lemon juice in it.  This will prevent them from turning brown while you make the poaching liquid. 

Combine the first six ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil.  Bring to a boil and then reduce to a simmer.  Gently place the pears in this syrup, cover and poach for five to ten minutes, or until a pear may easily be pierced with a slim bamboo skewer.  Allow the pears to cool in the poaching liquid, then cover and chill.