A Harte Appetite: Maraschino — the ultimate cherry on top

Perhaps you’ve heard about the elderly man who took offense to his wife’s accusation that his memory was slipping. In his defense he retorted, “My memory is fine. I only forget little things — like February.”

Admittedly, as months go, February, which begins in a couple of days, is on the smaller side. Even in a leap year, when it gains an extra day, it’s still a day or two short of the other months.

Nonetheless, the month has its share of holidays. Some, like Groundhog Day and Presidents’ Day, are familiar. Others, like Robinson Crusoe Day and World Hippo Day, are a bit more obscure. But one February holiday stands out: Valentine’s Day. In fact, because Valentine’s Day occurs smack in the middle of February, some call those 28 days the Month of Love.

Showering your valentine with gifts for a month seems like a good idea to me. After all, there are plenty of ways to show your affection, such as flowers, candy, jewelry, a fancy dinner, and cherries.

Yes, cherries. The fruit is sacred to the Greek love goddess Aphrodite and in many cultures is considered a symbol of love. Moreover, these days, I’m told by those familiar with Beyoncé music videos, cherries are downright sexy.

Like most things, when it comes to cherries, some are better than others. To me the most sensuous cherry is the maraschino cherry, though not the neon red ones you find in a jar at the supermarket. They’re actually knock-offs of the real thing, developed by enterprising farmers in Oregon, one of the top cherry producing states in the country.

True or original maraschino cherries are nothing like those. Your first taste of one is likely to be epiphanic, like eating a slice of a French baguette when you’ve been living a life on Wonder Bread. The original maraschino cherry is still being made, as it has been for over a hundred years, in Italy by the Luxardo family. In fact, their story goes back a good two hundred years ago to the old capital of Dalmatia (now Croatia), Zara (now Zadar).

It is the home of the native marasca cherry tree. There, in the middle of the 19th century, Girolamo Luxardo moved with his wife Maria, who began developing a recipe for cherry liqueur using the dark local cherries. Ultimately, they opened a distillery and began making cherries candied in cherry syrup and the original maraschino cherry was born. Because of the ravages of World War II, the Luxardos moved to northern Italy, but not without a cutting from one of the cherry trees. Today they have 20,000 and are the only ones cultivating the “Luxardo” cherry from which they make the most prized maraschino cherries on the planet.

They can be used not just as the finishing touch on a classic sundae or in a Manhattan, but as a luxury addition to a pineapple upside down cake, an English trifle, a cherry pie, and even chocolate chip cookies. Not just the proverbial cherry on top, they are the top cherry.

Chocolate and Cherry Parfait

This recipe, adapted from one by chef and restaurateur Lidia Bastianich, belies its simplicity. Inspired by the frugal chocolate and bread sandwiches of Umbria, it turns day-old bread into an elegant dessert. Of course, authentic original maraschino cherries, such as Luxardo’s, are the ultimate cherry on top of this dessert.

• 8 ounces semisweet chocolate, divided

• 8 ounces day-old brioche or challah

• 1 cup double-strength hot cocoa

• 1 teaspoon vanilla

• 1-1/2 cups heavy cream

• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 cup maraschino cherries

• 1/3 cup sliced almonds, toasted

Cut bread into 1-inch pieces. Add vanilla to hot cocoa. Chop chocolate and melt. Combine half of melted chocolate with hot cocoa. Stir into bread to combine and allow bread to absorb sauce. Whip cream with sugar to soft peaks. Evenly distribute half of the soaked bread pieces among several serving glasses. Add a couple of dollops of whipped cream, drizzle with some of the remaining melted chocolate, scatter over a few cherries, and a splash or two of cherry syrup. Continue layering until glasses are full. Top with whipped cream and garnish with almonds. Serve immediately while chocolate is still warm.

Tom Harte’s book, “Stirring Words,” is available at local bookstores. A Harte Appetite airs Tuesdays at 7:42 a.m. and 5:18 pm on KRCU, 90.9 FM. Contact Tom at semissourian.com or at the Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699.