Raspberry

It's easy to think of raspberries as the brazen redheads of the berry family. Vividly colored, loudly flavored, raspberries can literally overwhelm - especially if pureed, reduced and sweetened into the sort of sauce that likes hanging around too many bad desserts on restaurant menus. But Miss Raspberry has a virtuous side. The fresh-picked fruit, still warmed by the sun, has a pure intensity of flavor that needs no adulteration. Raspberries come in three main varieties - red, golden and black - according to The New Food Lover's Companion, but their flavors are not appreciably different.

Sheer, unadulterated luxury: That's raspberries and blackberries.asudfd Sweet, jewel-like globules bursting with flavor warm off the cane, they make fabulous jams, tarts, cobblers, muffins, salads and sauces. They're also rich in antioxidants. But they cost the moon. Usually sold by the half pint or even the gill (quarter pint), they often fetch as much as $5 for a handful. Yet they are relatively easy to grow here. "Everbearing raspberries, especially, are tailor-made for Maryland," says Susan Lynn, owner of Sand Hill Berries, a large berry producer in Mount Pleasant, Pa. "You can get two fruitings in a season."

STATE DAIRY farmers, tobacco growers and others struggling to pay their bills might want to switch to the production of raspberries or something even more exotic, ginseng, to boost the viability of their farms. That's the suggestion from two recent University of Maryland studies that conclude that the two high-value crops could take the place of other, less-profitable products and significantly boost farm sales. They may also help young people move into farming by offsetting the high cost of land.

Some 550 B-more folks arrived at the Renaissance Harborplace Hotel last weekend and immediately saw red. Maybe that's because they had come to the American Heart Association's Heart Ball, and red was the theme of the night. The color draped over tables, backdrops and even took the shape of big heart balloons scattered around the dance floor, but it also decorated many of the guests, starting with the evening's co-chairs. Greg Jarosinski sported a spiffy textured claret silk vest and tie with his tux, while wife Charlotte was a standout in ruby red. She wore a dishy layered chiffon strapless gown by Gilar.

Bonny Doon "Loves Me" kit with Framboise ($26). OK, this might be better called Shameless Marketing Gimmick of the Week. For Valentine's Day, Bonny Doon has packaged its delicious Framboise along with certain other tryst-worthy paraphernalia (massage oil, candle, milk chocolate) in a gift box. The Framboise is like an electric jolt of pure Washington state raspberry -- sweet but balanced by bracing acidity. It would make lovely kir royale, but it seems a shame to dilute it -- even with champagne.

Summer's fruit, raspberries and blackberries, are a healthful food choice. Not only are they low in fat and cholesterol and high in vitamin C, but a half-cup serving of raw berries has about the same fiber content as 3/4 cup of brown rice. Each raspberry or blackberry is a delicate cluster of 75 to 125 juicy drupelets, the individual fleshy lobes holding each seed of the berry. The color of raspberries should be medium to bright red; blackberries should be shiny and black. - Oregon Raspberry and Blackberry Commission

A Valentine's toast calls for something more than your everyday drink. Here's a suggestion: Invest in a bottle of Chambord, a black-raspberry liqueur known as the "liqueur royale" of France. Chambord is made from hand-picked black raspberries infused with cognac. Spices and other fruit - blackberry, currant and red raspberry - are added after the primary infusion. The result is a sweet, deep-purple liqueur that can be sipped alone with dessert, especially with a Valentine's Day favorite like dark chocolate.

The bartender's waiting. Your date's watching. Your brain's foggy. And you're faced with a burning question: What drink would I order if I knew anything about cocktails? That's where we come in. Starting this week in Live, "Talk to Me" will answer your questions on fashion, style, pop culture, etiquette, entertainment and all things hot -- or not. Looking for good date music/food/whatever? Wondering why Jennifer Lopez keeps switching husbands? Not sure you can pull off under-cleavage?

SO MANY TOPICS, so little space. What's a columnist to do? Devote as many paragraphs as possible to each. So here goes. Let's start off with some kudos. 1. To Earl El-Amin, who used Sept. 11 to continue the work that the Muslim American Society has been doing for years, long before the terrorist attacks took place. Forget what you've heard for the past year about Islam being "the enemy" or a religion that nurtures fanaticism. El-Amin handed out certificates of appreciation to Maj. Russell Shea, commander of the Baltimore Police Department's Southwestern District; the Rev. Damien Nalepa, who was representing Cardinal William H. Keeler; Capt.