Currently I’m living in the financial district of the city. Despite the low rent prices, younger crowd, and proximity to Brooklyn, I’m not sold on the area. For one thing, nightlife ends at about 9 PM and anyone staying here would NEVER think that New York is “the city that never sleeps.”

That, and I don’t think that seeing armed guards fully suited in SWAT gear and loaded machine guns is “normal” for a Friday afternoon … or any afternoon for that matter. But that’s just my opinion.

In case you hadn’t learned from my Tretorn experience, I tend to worry … So the recent Iranian missile scare hasn’t really been helping my insomnia.

After lugging my two fruit tarts, knives, chef whites, LARGE recipe binder and miscellaneous items through Chinatown and onto the subway, I emerge steps away from my building. Rounding the corner I see my fellow SWAT team standing on a corner training a “newbie” Fidi police man.

“See, now you wouldn’t have to worry about that girl there with the pies,” the trained guard tells the recruit. Obviously they were keeping an eye out for suspicious characters. Which I’m thankful for … but guess, I’m not a threat … comical.

Way to be discreet boys, keep standing on the corner and watch me carry these pies. Maybe if some cute police man had helped … I’d be down a pie and up a drink date, but ya know, such is life.

That being said the two tarts that I was carrying were made from the same type of dough Pate Brisee. Simple to make … when using a food processor … but we used our hands the old fashion way. In complete sincerity, a GREAT experience.

The first tart, a fresh fruit tart, served its purpose my helping us perfect our knife skills. The second was a pear tart. This was my preferred tart. First off, because pears are in season, so not only does it FEEL like I should be eating it, and it’s also the freshest.

First we halved and poached the pears in white wine and vanilla bean until fork tender, sliced, arranged them on the almond compote and topped with sliced almonds. SO SIMPLE. I doubted it in fact, thought it was going to be ho-hum and nothing special, but boy was I wrong. The whole tart, crust, components, and toppings were FABULOUS. In the words of Rachel Zoe, “I dieeeee.”

I think those police men would have been happy if they’re taken me a little more seriously as a threat …