Cornish Hen

Garlic mashed potatoes and green beans sprinkled with toasted almonds are perfect with this dish.

Poussin à la Confiture d'Oignons Cornish game hens are a delicious and more readily available substitute for the guinea hens that the chef at Restaurant Hiély-Lucullus uses to prepare this. (Have the butcher quarter the hens and remove their backbones.) When in season, peaches are caramelized and served with this dish at the restaurant.

The fragrant roasted birds are served with a pan sauce containing whole garlic cloves. Accompany the hens with a crusty garlic bread to mop up the sauce, and pour a light Chianti throughout the meal.

Wild rice and winter squash are perfect with this easy and elegant entrée.

Remove the skin from the game hens before roasting them to make this delicious main course lower in fat. Uncork a bottle of Chardonnay, and offer steamed yellow and green zucchini alongside.

An elegant main course that's ready in 40 minutes.

Mashed sweet potatoes and sautéed green beans make colorful companions. Key lime pie is a refreshing way to wrap up.

Sauté any remaining greens from the beets to serve on the side with the lentils with port-glazed shallots . A Moulin-à-Vent is the wine of choice; purchased cheesecake topped with cherries marinated in brandy and sugar is a scrumptious finale.

Sweet, sour, and meaty, this is summer food to eat with your hands.

Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Steamed broccoli and baked sweet potatoes are tasty accompaniments. Top slices of fruitcake with vanilla ice cream for dessert.

The following recipe is our version of gai yang, the grilled or roasted marinated chicken for which there are many variations in Thailand. Although gai yang is traditionally served with only a sweet chili garlic sauce for dipping, we were so taken with the complex flavor of the marinade that we decided to make extra and turn it into a second dipping sauce. Both sauces offered here are simple and delicious, but the Cornish hens can easily stand on their own.

Although most of the molasses imported by the Colonies in the seventeenth century was used to make rum, some found its way into the kitchen. Can be prepared in 45 minutes or less.

Marinate the game hens overnight. They're served with snow peas.

Serve with: Orzo tossed with fresh oregano and green onions, and buttered carrots.

These birds are one of many excellent grilling ideas from Steven Raichlen, author of The Barbecue! Bible (Workman, 1998) and How To Grill, in bookstores later this month.

This recipe can be prepared in 45 minutes or less. Begin with endive spears dressed with oil and vinegar. Orzo pilaf with cherry tomatoes is a nice accompaniment. For dessert, have rhubarb compote with crème fraîche.