Poached Pears with Cinnamon and Cardamom

Poached Pears

• In a large sauce pan or pot, add water, brown sugar, orange rinds, cinnamon sticks, cardamom pods and ginger. Let it come to a gentle simmer and stir to make sure the sugar is dissolved. Let it simmer for 5 minutes.
• In the meantime peel each pear from stem down and cut a thin slice from the bottom to help them sit upright. Then use a sharp knife to core the pears from the bottom to remove seeds and hard parts. This is optional but doing so makes it easier to eat and helps the flavors go into the pears even more. Cover each pear with some lemon juice to prevent browning.
• Add pears to the pot and let them simmer gently, occasionally turning them to ensure they are cooked evenly. Pears are ready when they are tender and easy to eat with a spoon or fork. You can check by gently poking them with a toothpick, it shouldn't be too firm and not too soft. We don't want them to be mushy. Timing will vary based on pear types and ripeness. I let them cook for about 30 minutes.
  
• Then turn off the heat, put the lid on and let them cool down in the pot, for about 1-2 hours.
• When ready to serve, mix ricotta, honey and cardamom together in a bowl. Place some onto the plate, place a poached pear on top and sprinkle with sliced almonds. Drizzle with more poaching liquid and honey, and sprinkle with some ground cinnamon, if desired. You can also use yogurt or a scoop of vanilla ice cream instead of ricotta cheese.
• You can store the leftovers in a air tight container with some of the syrup to prevent drying.