6 tb Olive oil

1 c Onion, finely chopped

1/3 c Long grain rice

3/4 c Water

1/2 ts Salt

Black pepper, freshly ground 2 tb Pine nuts

2 tb Dried currants

40 ea Grape leaves, preserved

2 tb Cold water

Lemon wedges In a heavy 10″ to 12″ skillet, heat 3 tablespoons of the olive oil over a moderate heat until a light haze forms above it. Add the onions & cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are soft & transparent but not brown. Add the rice & stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the grains are coated with oil. Do not let them

brown. Pour in the water, add the salt & a few grindings of pepper & bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover tightly, & simmer for about 15 minutes, or until the rice is tender & has absorbed all the liquid. In a small skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of the remaining olive oil & in it cook the pine nuts until they are a delicate brown. Add them to the rice, then stir in the currants. In a large pot, bring 2 quarts of water to a boil over high heat. Drop in the grape leaves and immediately turn off the heat. Let the leaves soak for 1 minute, then drain them in a sieve and plunge them into a bowl or pan of cold water to cool them quickly. Gently separate the leaves and spread them, dull sides up, on paper towels to drain. Layer the bottom of a heavy 2 to 3 quart casserole with 10 of the leaves. Stuff each of the remaining 30 leaves with about 1 tablespoon of the rice mixture. Stack the stuffed leaves, side by side and seam sides down, in layers in the casserole and sprinkle them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil and the cold water. Place the casserole over high heat for 3 minutes, reduce the heat to low and simmer, tightly covered, for 50 minutes. Then uncover and cool to room temperature. To serve, arrange the stuffed grape leaves attractively on a platter or individual plates and garnish with lemon wedges.

10 Yellow bell peppers, cut

Lengthwise into thirds 10 Red bell peppers, cut

Lengthwise into thirds 1 c Plus

2 tb Olive oil

5 tb Fresh lemon juice

5 Garlic cloves, pressed

Salt and freshly Ground pepper 3 cn Albacore tuna packed in

Water, drained 1/2 c Chopped fresh parsley

5 tb Drained capers

Fresh parsley sprigs Imported black olives (such as Kalamata or Nicoise) Arrange pepper skin side up in broiler pan (in batches if necessary) and broil until blackened. Wrap in paper bag and let stand 10 minutes to steam. Peel and pat dry. Mix olive oil, lemon juice and garlic in large bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Add peppers and marinate at least 30 minutes. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before continuing.) Drain peppers, reserving marinade. Combine tuna, chopped parsley and capers in another bowl, breaking up tuna with a fork. Mix in enough reserved marinade to season to taste. Season with salt and pepper. Place 1 tablespoon tuna mixture on inside of each piece of pepper at one end. Roll up. Arrange seam side down on serving platter. Pour remaining marinade over rolls. (Can be prepared 6 hours ahead. Cover and refrigerate.) Garnish with parsley sprigs and olives before serving. 16 appetizer servings.

2 ea Mangoes, peeled & chopped

1 ea Scotch bonnet chili pepper

1 tb Rum, dark

1 ts Jamaican hot sauce

2 ea Garlic cloves, minced

1 tb Ginger, grated

1/4 c Coconut flakes

1/2 ts Coriander seeds, ground

1/4 ts Cumin, ground

1/2 c Coconut milk

1/4 c Lime juice, fresh

2 tb Cilantro leaves, chopped

Puree the mango, chili pepper, rum, and the hot sauce in a blender or food processor. Combine the mango puree with the garlic, ginger, coconut, coriander, and cumin in a heavy nonreactive pot and bring to a boil. reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove from the heat and cool. Stir in the coconut milk, lime juice, and cilantro.