It's early days, but the future looks bleak. We are outnumbered, outgunned and surrounded. And our opponents' desire is to crush us so badly that we aren't even a memory. They may, if we give in to despair.

But we needn't do that!

Did King Leonidas despair when faced with an overwhelming Persian army? No. He sacrificed a small number of valiant men to do two things: delay the inevitable clash of his main army and the Persians' until a time and place of his choosing, and impress on the Persians an image of Greek soldiers as fearsome adversaries. And he won the war.

When the Battle of the Bulge hinged on the defense of the crossroads town of Bastogne, did General McAuliffe, surrounded and outnumbered 5 to 1, consider accepting the opportunity of an honorable surrender to General von Lüttwitz? Nuts to that! Instead, he made creative use of the forces at his disposal, he innovated on the fly. And he held Bastogne until reinforcements arrived.

We must learn from examples like these. We cannot defeat our adversaries by brute force, but there are already cracks in their charade of comity. We have to be creative, careful, nimble, patient and smart. We can't win by direct confrontation -- we have to out-think them. We have to use our brains.

And what food has a reputation as "Brain Food?" What can we use to feed our head? There's only one answer: Fish that swim, of course! (makes hand motion)

This is another dead simple recipe that packs a lot of flavor into a quick meal made with only a few ingredients. Today, we make:

Seared Salmon With Balsamic Glaze

Fish that USED TO swim. (makes hand motion)

Drinkage: One or two - ok, THREE! glasses of wine. It's a simple recipe, but you don't wanna overcook the fish (that swims (makes hand motion)).

Time: 5 minutes prep, 15(ish) minutes cooking: 20 minutes total

Difficulty: 2/10

Serves 4.

WHAT YOU NEED!

Ingredientses. Not many this week!

• 1⁄4 cup balsamic vinegar
• 1⁄4 cup water
• 1 1⁄2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar, packed plus
• 1 teaspoon brown sugar, packed
• 4 salmon fillets, skin on (center cut)
• Seasoning Salt or salt & freshly ground black pepper
• 2 teaspoons olive oil

Measuring cup & spoons: skillet: metal or silicone spatula: baking dish large enough to comfortably fit the fillets, lined with foil

WHAT TO DO WITH WHAT YOU NEED!

• Place foil lined baking dish in oven. Preheat to 125 - 150 (f).
• Pat salmon dry and season with salt and pepper.
• Stir together balsamic vinegar, water, lemon juice, and brown sugar in a small bowl.
• Heat oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium high heat, not smoking. Increase heat to high, add salmon skin side up, and sear until well browned, about 4 minutes.
• Turn fish over and sear until just cooked through, 3 to 4 minutes more.
• Transfer salmon to baking dish and cover loosely with foil. Return to oven & turn it off.
• Carefully add vinegar mixture to skillet (liquid will bubble vigorously and steam).
• Simmer, stirring, until thickened and reduced to about 1/3 cup, about 2 minutes.
• Remove salmon from oven, plate
• Spoon glaze over salmon.
• If desired, garnish with sliced lemon and parsley

Serve with another glass of wine. Enjoy the sweet, savory glaze and the smooth, flaky salmon, as you consider your opponents' strengths, and how to turn them into weaknesses.