Today's recipes Simple Tomato Salad several very good tomatoes - 3 or more - sliced in half rounds approximately 1/4 inch thick 1 red onion - sliced paper thin in half rounds and separated basil - as much as you like - I use a good handfuls for 3 tomatoes olives - calamari or green (from jar is okay) avocado-thinly sliced garlic powder or garlic clove salt and pepper balsamic vinegar olive oil place all sliced tomatoes, onion, avocado, and olives in a serving platter. Make vinaigrette, to your taste,from remaining ingredients except the basil. Pour vinaigrette over mixture mix together and let sit about 10 or more minutes. This allows the avocado to blend a bit with the rest of the ingredients. Shred, slice, or cut the basil and toss in salad. All done. Game Hens with Honey, Vinegar and Spice I got this recipe from Bon appetite several years ago. This is reminiscent of Spain. It is quite simple to make but elegant. It calls for 8 cornish game hens but you do not need to make that many. 8 1 1/2 lb cornish hens 1/2 cup olive oil 1/2 cup Sherry wine vinegar 1/2 cup honey 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 1/2 tspn aniseed 3/4 tspn ground cinnamon salt and pepper Preheat oven to 400 F. Clean hens, dry them and if you like, but don't have to tie legs together (this is for appearance only). Put a rack in roasting pan place hens on it. Separately make the glaze by adding all the remaining ingredients in a pan and simmering for a few moments till it gets a bit syrupy due to the honey. Brush hens with glaze, salt and pepper the hens. The remaining glaze will be used for basting. Roast in oven till juices run clear and you can easily shake the drumstick. Baste every 10 minutes or so cook for about 55 minutes. done - serve food for thought - Although this recipe is for 8 the amount of glaze should be doubled. Any extra goes towards the basting. Even if you cut the recipe in half the glaze should not be cut in half. You are looking for a bronze color finish to the hens - the glaze gives you that because it has the honey. Also don't cut corners by substituting the spices or the vinegar. You can add to it but you should not take away it's essence. It is a Spain dish. Not something else. The Sherry vinegar and cumin are really what makes it work. with your fingers. speak to you soon. pi