About Brittany

Hi! I’m Brittany Wilmes, program coordinator at Pear Bureau Northwest. As half of the Communications and PR department at the Pear Bureau, I write about pear pop culture for The Pear Dish—sharing everything pear, from fresh recipes to community involvement to fun décor ideas. Have an article or idea to share? Feel free to email me! In addition to blogging, I’m busy sharing the pear love on behalf of the Pear Bureau Northwest…and eating USA Pears!

Cheers to Wine and Pears

Last weekend, some of us here at Pear HQ drove out to the lovely valley of Hood River to sample pears at the Columbia Gorge Wine & Pear Fest. As you and I both know, pears and wine are BFFs. They’re meant for each other from the start: they even grow in the same area and climate. We sampled Green and Red Anjou pears to eager attendees, teaching them how to “Check the Neck” for ripeness so that they can enjoy pears at their sweet and juicy peak at home. Whether they were drinking Pinot Gris or a red blend, hard cider or Syrah, wine aficionados agreed that pears and grapes are a match made in heaven. (Which is what some visitors call Hood River, not incidentally.) Some of our pear growers joined us to sing the praises of their favorite Continue reading

Pear Excellence 2013

This year’s Pear Excellence Culinary Student Competition was another pear-fect success, with talented culinary students from across Canada showing off their flair with the pear for a panel of esteemed judges. Held in Toronto in April, the contest celebrated its sixth year. Culinary students Diego Beltran, Rebekah Roberts, Allegra Jimenez, Connie McKibbon, and Aaron Lackie faced off for the National Grand Prize, showcasing pears in dishes savory and sweet, from gluten-free chocolate chai cake to grilled flatbread. The judges chose Allegra’s “Pearfect Pearing” dish for the grand prize. The dish paired a savory cheesecake with poached Bosc pears, pear chips, and a candied beet salad for a plate the judges said was innovative, well-executed, and an exceptional blending of flavors. All the regional finalists were applauded for their creativity and execution. Their dishes truly put USA Pears on a pedestal: Continue reading

Happy Mother’s Day with USA Pears

It’s time to honor Mom this weekend (although I should already be doing that every day, she tells me), and I have some fresh gift ideas: Edible Arrangements! Now Featuring Pears! (Although adorably tiny Seckels aren’t in season right now, you could add a small Green Anjou or two – or create your own custom bouquet from scratch!) If you can’t find small pears (or don’t want to make a gargantuan arrangement to accommodate the regular-sized ones), here’s an alternative: chocolate-dipped fruit, including artfully dipped pear slices to eliminate browning worries. And a third, lovely idea: a table centerpiece for your Mother’s Day brunch. More decor ideas here. Cheers to Moms everywhere! Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

Chilled Lime-Scented Pear Soup

I unearthed an old cookbook from my shelves while doing some recent spring cleaning, and among the dated photos and unoriginal cheese-nut-pear salads, I found an interesting recipe that I think will be just perfect for the warmer months to come. (Pop quiz: Can you guess when this was published? I was off by two decades—the fussy food styling threw me.) This chilled soup blends pears with spices and lime juice for a refreshing summer starter. Chilled Lime-Scented Pear Soup The delicate essence of pears, accented by a whisper of fresh lime juice, is unmistakable in this silky smooth soup. For a refreshing hot-weather lunch, serve the soup in chilled bowls accompanied by a mixed green salad and bread sticks. Ingredients 1 cup dry white wine 1 cup dry vermouth 1 cup apple-pear juice 5 small ripe pears (preferably Taylor’s Continue reading

Little Green Pouch: Pear and Kid Approved!

I love pears for lots of reasons, but I’m especially fond of their widespread appeal. It’s fun to be able to strike up a conversation with almost anyone about pears—my grandpa, a kindergartner, the cashier at my grocery store. They’re just so lovable! Pears are especially kid-friendly. They’re a hypoallergenic food, and with their soft texture, they’re easily pureed into sauce, smoothies, and soups. I recently received a complimentary pack of Little Green Pouches, a reusable food pouch like those you’ve seen popping up at Starbucks and grocery stores near you. This ingenious little food pouch is the perfect vehicle for pureed pears. I sent the pack to my sister, Aubrey, who offered to test the Little Green Pouch with her sidekick and babysitting charge Ellie. Ellie, 2, was an instant fan of the combo. Here’s Aubrey’s report: Aubrey: “Ellie, what do you think Continue reading

Double Delight Pear Waffles

‪Double Delight Pear Waffles with Warm Marmalade Maple Pears The Bite reader (and pear enthusiast) Merry Graham sent us her recipe for pear waffles, and we knew we had to share it! Not only are these waffles fluffy and crisp and sweet, they’re also beautiful. Impress your next houseguests—or your sleepy family—with this brunch dish. Ingredients 1 ¾ cup unbleached flour 1 ½ teaspoon baking powder 1 teaspoon baking soda ½ teaspoon salt ½ teaspoon fresh grated nutmeg 1 ¾ cups buttermilk ½ cup unsalted melted butter ¼ cup granulated sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 3 large eggs, separated ½ cup chopped peeled pear 3 pears, peeled and sliced ½ cup pure maple syrup ¼ cup orange marmalade Directions Preheat waffle iron on medium high heat. Preheat oven to 200 degrees. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking powder, soda, Continue reading

Michelangelo’s Pears

  A few weeks ago, while driving through the Columbia Gorge on a rainy, dark evening, I turned the radio dial to NPR in hopes that I would be soothed by the programming. The Columbia Gorge (home to one of our pear growing regions) is beautiful, but that stretch of I-84 is winding and narrow, pocked with rain-filled tire ruts and shared by streaming, slow-moving semis. At the time, I was white-knuckling the steering wheel, trying to feel less tense about the constant mist impeding my already reduced vision at dusk, when I felt myself perk up at a mention of pears. The program was Travel with Rick Steves, and Rick’s guest Fred Plotkin was talking about the simple pleasures of food in Italy. Fred is the author of “Italy for the Gourmet Traveler.” He is currently writing a book Continue reading

Pear Salsa

The sun is shining! Portlanders are rejoicing—we’re feeling Spring in our step, an extra twinkle in our eye as we wake up after the sun and leave work while it’s still in the sky. But that’s today. It could change tomorrow. And back before this long-lost friend came out from the clouds, back when it was still gray and drizzly, I threw together this pear salsa from Mark Bittman to spice up my meals. It was delicious with tortilla chips and with shredded chicken. It’s incredibly versatile, in fact; I’m sure it would be delicious with other fruit (maybe added halved grapes or diced mango) or used in other savory dishes (atop fajitas or avocado halves). I also loved that it called for unripe pears, because a). they were much easier to uniformly dice for photography purposes, and b). I Continue reading

Korean Short Rib Roundup

I know what you’re thinking. It’s winter, and it’s cold and gray, and I just want some comfort food. Some hearty, umami-packed, meaty comfort food. And you’re right. But I haven’t gone off the deep end, either…there are still pears involved here.  I’ve gathered up three tasty-looking Korean short rib recipes, all featuring a different cooking method: grilled, braised, and slow cooked. Pick a pear (Bosc, Asian, whatever variety you can get your hands on). Grate it up. It’s time to get your meat on! Nom Nom Paleo’s Slow Cooker Korean Grass Fed Short Ribs Blue Kitchen’s Korean Oven-Braised Short Ribs Tartine and Apron Strings’s Galbi (Korean BBQ Beef Short Ribs) Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn

Pear Love

One of our pear growers, Jeff McNerney, sent us these adorable pictures of his nephew this week. He is such a doll…I couldn’t resist sharing! Jeff says, “Here’s our nephew Kellen Goss eating an Anjou last week. My wife Cassandra baby sits him on Fridays and he always prefers the pears over his vegetables. The only problem is his mom always changes more diapers after he’s been visiting his pear farmer uncle’s place!”   Stay tuned for more kid-friendly fare in the coming weeks! And if you haven’t already, check out our brand-new kids website, Pear World! How do the kids in your life enjoy pears? Facebook Twitter Google+ Pinterest LinkedIn