Recipe: Marinated Summer Berries

Marinated Summer Berries
by Emily Luchetti
alt.cooking-chien/Bette/1999
Makes 6 servings

Emily Luchetti was the longtime pastry chef at San Francisco's Stars restaurant and Stars Caf . Her interpretations of classic American and European desserts have been praised by critics and home cooks alike. Many of her desserts call for the most flavorful fruits that she can find -- a great alternative to fattening, rich, sometimes cloying, sweets during the summer months.

This variation on her classic recipe can use either sparkling cider or
dry champagne. The cider is sweet enough that you probably won't need to add sugar. With the champagne, sweeten the berries to taste with a syrup made by boiling equal parts sugar and water until the sugar dissolves; pour over the fruit while still hot.

There's no need to mask the clean flavors of great berries with whipped cream or ice cream. If you want something creamy, serve the fruit over low-fat or nonfat frozen vanilla yogurt.

1 pint raspberries
1 pint blueberries
1 pint blackberries, olallieberries or boysenberries
4 cups sparkling cider or champagne

Place the berries in a medium bowl. Pour the cider or champagne over the berries and let stand for about an hour.