Pears poached in wine with mascarpone cream

Like many Iranians before me, I have been raised with the idea that certain foods are ‘cold’ and ‘moist’, and need to be accompanied by ‘warm’ and ‘dry’ foods, and vice versa. For example, we wouldn’t serve fish with yoghurt on the side – indispensable as yoghurt is on the Iranian table — because they are both ‘cold’. This is also why we add the ‘dry’ and ‘warm’ mint and walnuts to the ‘cold’ and ‘moist’ yoghurt and cucumber dip, mast-o khiar — and