Revolutionize place card holders while feeding your guests at the same time.

Pears are so distinct that the only word we have to describe their shape is "pyriform," which means, literally, "pear-shaped"! They've been cultivated for millennia -- there were pear tree groves in China 3000 years ago -- and there are thousands of varieties, many of them decorative or inedible. In the US, you'll find about 10 common varieties, among them Comice, Anjou, Bartlett, Seckel, and Bosc.

A lightly-spiced caramel to coat all of autumn's loveliest apples and pears.

A colorful meal this is not. But what it lacks in hue, it delivers in complexity and comfort.

Just because it's a weeknight doen't mean you can't play around a bit in the kitchen.