Dandelions and ginger and pears, oh my! Going gourmand

On my recent weakly trip to my favorite Peking duck restaurant - weakly, as I don't possess the self-discipline to patronize the place just once a week - I finally gave in and chose the recommended beverage from the back of the menu.

I am speaking, of course, about pear juice. In the West, pears seldom find themselves in concentrated states, and that's not because we lack focus. Other than strained pears and juices using the curvaceous fruit - other than in ready-made drinks for toddlers - pears are usually consumed fresh in the Occident. They even have trouble making it into pies, or cut up and served with vanilla ice cream, usually losing out to sweeter cousins like peaches or berries.

That being said, after putting pear juice on my months-long-in-the-making tab, I sat back to take in the stunning spectacle of table-side carving, which would surely be uncomfortable for the duck if it were still animate.