recent posts with excerpt and category

Hi,
I’m looking for a plugin in that allows me to show recent posts within a certain category with an excerpt.
OR–
How can I edit this code to a specific category and to include an excerpt?

Thanks!

<h2>Recent Posts</h2>
<?php
query_posts('showposts=6&order=date&orderby=DESC');
if (have_posts()) :
?>
<ul>
<?php while (have_posts()) : the_post(); ?>
<li><a href="<?php the_permalink(); ?>"><?php the_title(); ?></a></li>
<?php endwhile; ?>
</ul>
<?php endif; ?>