All-American Cherry Pie

4 cups Fresh tart cherries

1 1/3 cups Sugar

2 tablespoons Plus 2 teaspoons

- quick-cooking tapioca 2 tablespoons Kirsch -- optional

Pastry for 9" double-crust - pie shell -- unbaked 2 tablespoons Butter

450 degrees. Sort, rinse, stem and pit cherries. Mix cherries, sugar, tapioca and kirsch in large bowl; let stand for 1 minutes.2. Pour fruit into unbaked pie shell and dot with butter. Cover with top crust (slashed to allow steam to escape) or lattice pastry. Bake 10 minutes at 450 degrees. Then reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees and continue baking until golden brown, about 40 more minutes. Cool on wire rack.Nutrition information per serving: 501 calories; 22 g fat; 8 mg cholesterol; 496 mg sodium; 38 percent calories from fat. From the Chicago Tribune 7/1/93.