4    Firm pears

      3 tb Sugar

           - pref. Chinese rock sugar
    1/3 c  Water

      2    Pieces Chinese cinnamon bark

           -=OR=-  Cinnamon sticks
  PEEL THE PEARS and cut them in half. Remove the core and seeds. Combine the
  sugar and water in a small pot and boil it until the sugar has completely
  dissolved. Allow it to cool slightly. Put the pears, sugar-water and
  cinnamon together into a shallow bowl. Set up a steamer or put a rack into
  a wok or pan. Add about 2 inches of water and bring to a boil. Put the bowl
  of pears into the steamer or onto the rack, turn the heat down to a simmer
  and cover the wok or pot tightly with a lid. Slowly steam the pears for
  about 15-to-25 minutes, until they are tender. (The cooking time will
  depend on the ripeness of the pears.) When the pears are cooked, drain all
  the liquid and cinnamon stick or bark into a small saucepan and reduce the
  liquid to a syrup by boiling it fast. Remove and discard the cinnamon
  stick. Pour the syrup over the pears and serve at once. Or you can let the
  mixture cool, cover it with plastic wrap and refrigerate until you are
  ready to serve it.