You can't miss the sight of those white-flowered trees each spring - or their unpleasant smell either. Here's why they seem to be everywhere.

I think it’s important to make this with good-quality apples and blue cheese ... Core your apples and slice them into matchsticks. Core the pears, slice into eighths and if they’re a little underripe, ...

They are often poached with wine and spices. Cooked puréed pears are good in ice creams, fools and soufflés.