• 2 cups red wine
• 2 Tbs. cinnamon
• 1 Tbs. sugar
• 1/2 cup sliced dates
• 4-6 pears, peeled, cored, and sliced thin
• pinch salt
• drop or two of red food coloring

Boil the pears until they are tender but not too soft; drain well. In a separate pan heat together the wine, cinnamon, and sugar. Remove from heat, strain the mixture to remove the cinnamon (I recommend using a sieve or China cap lined with cheesecloth or paper towels), then return to the fire. When hot, add the dates, pears, salt, and food coloring. Bring to a boil, allow to cook together for several minutes, then remove from heat. Place pears and wine in a wooden dish and allow to cool slightly before serving.

Our modern pears, which can be purchased fresh from the grocery store, are softer & sweeter than the type available to the Medieval cook, and don't need to be boiled to soften before cutting; I also find cutting cooked, soft pears a little inconvenient. To "pare" (from the Latin parare - to prepare) means to either "pare" (remove outer skin) or "to prepare;" I have thus chosen "to prepare" my pears by slicing before boiling.

Composte is an Old French word meaning "stewed fruit."

Wardonys were a type of English pear common in the Middle Ages - feel free to substitute any slightly hard, not-too-sweet variety.

Sawnderys, or sandlewood, was used primarily by Medieval cooks as a red food dye. It can taste rather nasty if not used properly, and is only recommend for authenticity's sake. Red food coloring is much cheaper and easier to find.

A Boke of Gode Cookery
© 1999 James L. Matterer