This week, dessert comes first

I don't often write about food events, but this week I'm making an exception for something that is meaningful to me both personally and professionally.

May 3-9 is Boston Bakes for Breast Cancer, in which restaurants across Massachusetts offer a special dessert (that's the personal interest) to benefit cancer care and research at Dana-Farber (that's the professional one).

It's a huge amount of work to pull together; I've been following organizer Carol Sneider on Twitter for some time (@Boston_Bakes), watching as she works with restaurants and bakeries from across the state, bringing more of them on board. This year, more than 200 restos are involved. Here's the complete list.

Today, I got a sneak preview of what's in store, with a sample of an insanely good pineapple sundae cake from Mediterranean restaurant in Oak Bluffs on the Vineyard.



The top is a dense pineapple jelly, and underneath are layers of tropical trifle: meringue, cream, and fresh pineapple.



I wish I had photos of more desserts (because that would mean I'd eeted them all). Luckily, the Boston Bakes website has a slideshow. I'm particularly intrigued by Clink's baba au rhum (#12).

If you're planning to eat out at any point over the next week, it's okay to think about what you want for dessert first.