There is no need to buy pears that are already ripe. In fact, the riper the pear is to start out with, the more likely it is to have been bruised during shipping or by another shopper's overzealous squeezing. No matter how hard they seem at the store, pears will achieve delectable ripeness in a few days, if you allow them to sit in a shady spot at room temperature. If a pear is ready to eat, the flesh at the base of the stem will be just soft enough to give when you press it lightly with your thumb. Bosc and Seckel pears are better for cooking than the Comice, which falls into mush when exposed to heat.
Pears go well with anise, maple syrup, stilton and port.