A flâneur is not the maker of flans. A flâneur is French for one who observes, idles, saunters, and loafs, preferably along a Parisian boulevard. Not me. I am a doer, and I am in perpetual motion, much to the disappointment of many around me. There are advantages to this. …

This is a really easy recipe for a scrummy chocolate tart and the addition of the pears offsets the richness of the dark chocolate. Better still, the whole dessert can be prepared the day before and kept in the fridge.