Pears provide a sweet counterpoint to the cheese and prosciutto.
A perfect slice of chocolate layer cake is a stunning way to end a special-occasion dinner. Culinary labors of love such as this are easy with a timesaving trick or two. The icing for the cake, for example, can be made up three days ahead and refrigerated in a tightly covered container. Just before you are ready to finish off the cake, warm the icing to room temperature and beat until smooth. To create four layers from a two-layer cake, use a long, serrated knife to split each of the layers horizontally.