Peter Bilezikian, Irene's Birthday, and Asian Pears

Photo Credit: Karoun Charkoudian

So yesterday evening we were finally celebrating Irene's birthday.  Last minute. Belatedly. (Irene, Dennis, and Tatoul had cared for my father in the last years of his life and we were all there to celebrate Peter's life and to wish Irene a Happy Birthday!).  Karoun just happened to be in town attending a yoga conference - - and good thing too!
Having just returned from Lalaland, Marash Girl had very little in the way of ingredients; nonetheless, she did throw together a dinner of bulghur pilaf (do you want her secret recipe for this?) and tava, thanks to her trusty freezer.  But what to do for salad?  All we had in the way of fresh vegetables were a few tomatoes. It was Karoun who found the two round, firm Asian pears in the back of the fruit and vegetable drawer.  That was going to be our salad? Yes, she assured me, as she started cutting into small cubes the tomatoes and the unpeeled pears.  Tomatoes and pears?  For salad?  She added extra virgin olive oil and Baleine des salins du midi Sel de Mer Gros (Coarse Sea Salt Crystals).  Voila.  Her grandfather would have approved!  He always created from whatever he had around him.  Must be the genes . . . I know you won't believe this, but that was one of the most delicious salads we had ever tasted.  Who would have guessed?