Ran across this recipe in an article in the Chron about weird taste combinations and thought it worth passing on. (Never mind the comments.) BTW, this is one of the first recipes I entered using WordStar 7.0. When I ran the spell checker on it WS didn't recognize "quart" or "vinegar" as words!!!! Amazing. "Nam Yuey" I can understand, but "VINEGAR"? These are wonderful served over ice cream or with pound cake. Combine the water, wine, sugar, peppercorns, ginger, cinnamon, cloves, salt, red pepper and vinegar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil. Add the pears and reduce heat to a simmer. Cook for 10 minutes, until the pears are tender, turning every few minutes so they cook evenly. When the pears are uniformly tender, remove to a plate. Reduce the liquid in the pan by half. Strain into a bowl. Add the vanilla and return the pears to the liquid to cool. Serve at room temperature. Serves 4. San Francisco Chronicle, date unknown.