Everything's Coming Up Crumble

The irony's not lost on me that, no sooner do I post about body change borne of moderation, I am compelled to bake.

I just had to use up some gorgeous, peaking pears sitting in a bowl on my counter top. Sure, I could have sliced them into a salad but seriously, is that as fun as making pear pistachio crumble?!

I haven't capitalized the recipe name because it's not technically a recipe. It's the outcome of my style of cooking: great ingredients, good materials, a modicum of experience and a pragmatic nature.

To wit:

Here they are, pre-baking... So horrified to show you the world's most beat up cookie sheet. But it still works, so what's an environmentally friendly cook to do?

These tarts are simple. I had 3 pears (each one got its own tart ramekin), sliced them, added some citrus, vanilla extract, a smidge of corn starch (these things are wet!) and coated them with a crumble made of 60 g (ish) of butter, equal parts pistachio, flour and brown sugar (1/2 cup of each in this case). Man, I am so schizo when it comes to units of measurement... Then I put them in a medium hot oven (350 degrees) for 30 minutes. They're baking as I write, so they may need a bit more time.

I don't think we spend enough time - maybe I should just speak for myself? - reveling in beautiful things. The smell of vanilla, butter and pear on a bright November day is a gift. That I can see it, smell it, taste it...That I can create and share it... That I can afford the food and heat to make it... That I will enjoy this after a dinner of beef tenderloin, rice and roasted veggies... Wow. My life is awesome.

Yum: