[madameshawshank]

Found myself browsing our big dictionary this morn...a really truly book! for a change none of this online dictionary business...the joy of turning pages

Came across 'Catherine pear'...thought those two words looked lovely together..

A little research:

"For streaks of red were mingled there, Such as are on a Catherine pear"
--Sir John Suckling (1609-1642), "I Prithee Send Me Back

'n from soupsong.com:

Native to Europe and Asia, pears were first cultivated in prehistory, as evidenced in the remains of the lake dwellers. But the ancient Phoenicians, Jews, and pre-Christian Romans talked about them--and grew several improved sorts. Pliny, in the 1st century AD, lists some 41 varieties; Palladius (4th century Roman poet/agriculturalist), some 56. By the renaissance, the list was up to 209 (Grande Duke Cosimo III in Italy), although only some 60 were known in Britain in the mid 17th century.

'n oh the names of pears!

Bishop thumb, swan's egg, Winter swan's egg, Chaumontelle, citron de Charmers, Rousselet Enfant Prodigue, paternoster, and tombe de l'amateur..and so many many more.

I got to thinking ..a name and a food...umm?

the Joan cream methinks..or should that be the madameshawshank cream!...simply HAD to be dairy..

and your good self? your name and a food...
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"I've never accepted the external appearance of things as the whole truth. The world is much more elaborate than the nerves of our eye can tell us." - James Gleeson

[Griffin]

The Chocolat au Griffin methinks. A fabled confection involving dark intense chocolate infused with champagne and raspberries. The Honey Omelette I made by mistake could be the Fabulous Mistake.

Tho' Catherine Pear does sound like a woman in a novel. 'Catherine Pear Goes Bananas' perhaps? Or the 'Marvellous Adventures of Catherine Pear'.

I liked the somewhat unfortunate Tombe de l'amateur. Beginners luck didn't quite go to plan there.

Sir John Suckling of course was the inventor of the Roasted Suckling Pig. As indeed was the Earl of Sandwich the inventor of the sandwich and Michel De Baguette the inventor of the Baguette... possibly.
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Confusion comes fitted as standard.

[minty]

oh well, we have loads in French : I can think of the reine-claude (a plum ), the madeleine (little cake), the tarte Tatin , the Paris Brest (not after someone, but after a cycling race)...