Cherry Picking

Not only have cherry blossoms arrived in Washington DC, they have made their way to iniam, in form of a silk dress byBeth Bowley. The dress (pictured on the left), is a sublime cherry red silk and a very flattering neckline - not too low, not too high. neck. Also in the box was a strappy silk dress (not pictured) in a zig zag pattern (well, more like a lightening bolt pattern) in a light green, pink, and cherry. To top it off (like a cherry - no pun intended), a cherry red cotton cardigan which can cover your shoulders for the still cooler parts of the day.

Which, by the way, makes me hungry. Here is a recipe from one of my favorite cooks, Alton Browne (courtesy Food Network)

Stacked Puff Pastry with Cherries

2 sheets puff pastry, thawed
1 egg beaten with 2 tablespoons water
1 can pie cherries, drained
1/2 cup bread or cake crumbsPreheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Cut 4 "walls" of puff pastry by cutting approximately 1-inch wide strips along each side of a sheet of puff pastry. Set "walls" aside. Poke the remaining "floor" of puff pastry with a fork to provide an escape for steam.

Lightly apply the egg wash just inside the cut edges of the "floor". Stack "wall" pieces on top of "floor" piece placing the cut edge of the "walls" on the outside edge. Dab ends of "walls" with egg wash and fold long pieces over to form a square.

Cut a 7 by 7-inch square out of the second sheet of puff pastry. Fold it in half and cut vents for steam along the fold.

Shake bread or cake crumbs on drained cherries and let sit for 10 minutes. Spoon cherry mixture onto pastry "floor", using more than you may think necessary to compensate for the pastry puffing. Apply egg wash on "walls" avoiding the very edge.

Lay vented "top" piece on top. Brush with egg wash.

Bake in oven for 30 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees F and bake for another 30 minutes.