For Dessert

It was hard to justify doing anything to these cherries besides eating them out of hand, but it seemed even sillier not to make the dessert that inspired the whole trip in the first place.  Stupid’s more like it. 

So here it is:  2 cups of Port boiled down to a thick syrup (15 minutes or so).  Add the pitted cherries.  Let macerate for as long as you can stand it.  Spoon over the best ricotta you can find (Russo’s carries ricotta from Purity in Quincy and sometimes Gigi’s Mozzarella House in Everett).  A few generous cracks of black pepper made it 200% better, something I wish I had discovered before I snapped the photo.  Oh well. 

I loved this dessert, but I suspect that not everyone will.  You have to pick your crowd.  It tastes like actual cherries and wine, not cherry pie filling.  It comes nowhere near the sweetness level that most Americans have come to expect when cherries are on the menu.  Rather, it’s subtle in that beguiling way that leaves you wanting just a little bit more.  Just a little.

Comments

[Ali]

It sounds fab, as I personally loathe cherry pie filling --too sweet, cloying, sticky.

Sigh. I'll never find good ricotta up here unless I make it, but it looks divine.

[Ann]

I usually try to use my words but... OMG! WTF! That looks soooooo good! Must bookmark RIGHT NOW!

[Adele]

That sounds delicious. I think cherries may be on the agenda for this weekend's Haymarket trip.

[Kelly]

The last time I tried to cook with Port, my husband's head exploded ("You poured out a cup of port??!!"). It took forever to piece it back together.

I'll have to try this the next time the Yankees play on TV. He'll never know.

[Barry Foy]

Huge, disfiguring scratches on my computer screen from my crazed attempts to get to this dessert. And it so happens I've got an extra bottle of (inexpensive) port on hand. I'll try it this weekend.

[Lily VS]

That looks friggin' delicious to me right now. Seriously, I think that Food on the Food food always looks so much better than Calamity kitchen food.

I love fresh ricotta. I love cherries. And right now I have a raving dose of PMS and am too hot, bloated & lazy to make it myself, so uh, any chance you can Fed-Ex me a serving? Pretty please with a cherry on top... hahahahah

That would be great thanks ;)

PS: the next person who tells me ricotta is pronounced "reh-got" is going to get a slap in the burger.

[Mary]

Ok now that's how I like my fruit. Although I don't think I can find good ricotta out here. I bet it would be good on some vanilla ice cream.

[Tammy]

Mary: Damned straight.

Lily VS: Do you know how many pictures I have to take to get one good one? It's ridiculous. P.S. Unless you're right off the boat from Italy, ricotta should be pronounced "ricotta." P.P.S. We are so on the same cycle.

Barry: You won't be sorry.

Kelly: Good thinking. It would be hard for him to eat a dessert made with secret Port when his head is in little pieces.

Adele: Oh, Haymarket, is there anything you don't have?

Ann: Black pepper. Don't forget the black pepper.

Ali: I hear ricotta's not too hard to make. But have I ever bothered to try and make it? No.

[NurseJen]

My favorite Yummie was a dark chocolate bar I found a few months ago with cherries and cracked black pepper. Of course, I haven't found it again since then, and darned if I can't remember who made it...

[Hillary]

Cherries with port? Sounds amazing! But I'm like you, I like cherries all by themselves too!

[perry]

Hon... I just love this blog!

[Barbara]

Ooh, delicious! I'm a big fan of less-sweet desserts, too. And I'm just about to grab a bowl and pick the first fresh sour cherries from our little tree--now I know what to do with them!