For a while, virtually all I could get my young nephew to eat was berries, toast, dry noodles, cheddar cheese, goldfish and strawberry Nutri-Grain bars. No matter how I presented or tried to disguise my attempts to vary his diet, he would notice immediately and refuse to eat not only the unknown item, but anything else unfortunate enough to be on the same plate.

When I pressed the issue, through tears he would lift the item to his mouth and gag and sputter before it even touched his tongue. I didn’t have the heart to ever force him to continue.

Now he eats much more than he used to but still has a relatively limited (albeit balanced) diet. Food sensory issues are extremely common among autistic people. They are often repulsed by strong flavors or challenging textures and may have a set menu of safe foods they won’t deviate from, and this is generally normal for autistic people.

There is, however, a smaller percentage of autistic people who fixate on powerful flavors and exciting textures to satisfy their sensory-seeking needs. They crave spicy things, sour things, and all things pickled in brine. My niece is one of these. She enjoys novelty and revels in experimentation in the kitchen (which I encourage with selfish glee).

April is Autism Awareness Month. Through my time with my niece and nephew, and with guidance from my more educated colleagues at work, I have learned ways to help them communicate with the people in their lives so they can exit (when they choose to) the private worlds inside their minds. When they finally do break out and join us, and most do in their own time and way, they emerge with a unique outlook and glorious creativity to offer the rest of us.

Let’s celebrate minds of all kinds this month.

My nephew would certainly snub this dessert (I would prepare ice cream for him instead) but my niece would enjoy the soft and grainy texture and the crimson ombre stain on these poached pears.

Cranberry Poached Pears

Ingredients:

4 firm Bosc pears

32 ounces pure cranberry juice

½ cup sugar

1 cinnamon stick

1 star anise pod

Directions:

Select pears that are firm and free of bruises and blemishes. The poaching juice will enhance any irregularities or imperfections in the fruit, and this dish is mostly about presentation, so thoroughly inspect your fruit before you purchase.

Carefully peel the pears, being sure to leave the stem intact.

Combine all the liquid ingredients in a saucepan large enough for all four pears to comfortably sit inside without touching each other or the edges of the pan.

Heat the poaching juice until steaming, then gently lower the pears into the liquid. If there is not enough liquid to completely submerge the pears, add some water until they are.

Use a small plate or lid to weigh the pears down to keep them submerged.

Turn the heat to low and cook for 40 minutes. You never want the liquid to boil or even simmer. The liquid should be just hot enough to steam.

Remove the pears from the liquid very carefully and transfer to a container to refrigerate until chilled through.

Slice the pears in half and use a melon baller to remove the seeds.

Serve with vanilla ice cream and a squirt of lemon juice for brightness.

Photo by Tressa Dale/Peninsula Clarion These poached pears get their red tinge from a cranberry juice bath.