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• Dishes as delectable as lavish spa fare

2 cups water
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 one-inch piece vanilla bean
6 fresh pears

SAUCE:
6 tablespoons sugar
1/4 cup water
1 pint blackberries (fresh or frozen)
1/2 teaspoon lemon juice (optional)
6 mint leaves
6 fresh strawberries

To poach pears: Combine water and sugar in saucepan and bring to a boil, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Add vanilla bean and lower heat, simmering for about 5 minutes. In the meantime, peel, halve and core pears. Place pears in the saucepan with the syrup, and simmer until tender. Poach half the pears at a time if necessary, turning them to poach on both sides. Transfer pears to a bowl. Cool, cover and chill.

To make coulis: Puree blackberries in food mill, processor or blender. To remove seeds, strain through a medium sieve directly into a saucepan containing the sugar, water and lemon juice. Adjust sweetness to your particular taste. Heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Cover and chill.

To serve: Place 2-3 pear halves on each dessert plate and spoon berry sauce over pears to cover completely. Garnish with fresh strawberries and mint leaves.

Nutritional Data: Per serving: 263 calories; 1g fat; 1g protein; 65g carbohydrate; 5g dietary fiber; 0mg cholesterol; 3mg sodium. Exchanges: 1 1/2 fruit; 2 1/2 other carbohydrates.