34 personal recipes

A treasured memory of Christmas at Great-Aunt Elizabeth's house was a cookie that I never learned to eat in moderation. Although my mother warned me not to say anything, one of the first things I would say upon arrival was, "I'm hungry" hoping that these cookies would appear. Much to my delight they usually did, and in fact, began also to appear at Easter, the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving and any other time we got together to celebrate.

Homemade orange sherbet with fresh orange juice, lemon juice, whipped cream, and beaten egg white. No ice cream maker needed, just an ice cube tray and a freezer.

Chocolate peanut butter cup cookies loaded with chopped Reese's, chocolate chips, and peanuts in a thick peanut butter dough. A triple-threat candy bar cookie.

Food for the Gods: a Filipino-style date and walnut pudding baked in a water bath with whipped egg whites for a light, souffled texture. Served cold with whipped cream.

Classic simple, quick and easy fish cakes. One cake per serving for appetizer or two cakes per person for a main dish.

Buttermilk biscuits in miniature form with a flaky butter crust and tender buttermilk crumb. A small-batch recipe perfect for two-person households or fancy hors d'oeuvres bases.

This chicken recipe is quick, easy, and yummy. The orange juice makes a tangy sauce that my family loves served over rice. Add a salad, and you have a healthy, quick meal. I allow one chicken breast per person.

Light fluffy and cheesy. A great party in "la bouche" (the mouth). Can be made ahead and popped in the oven when you're ready to bake them up fresh. The probability is that each person will have no problem consuming 4 per serving!

I used to live near Half Moon Bay and remember the Pumpkin Festival well. This recipe does a fitting tribute to the place and the fruits of the harvest. Yum...I'm smelling the loaves bake as I write... My personal preference is to decrease the oil and sugar slightly, but others will enjoy the richness and sweetness as is.

Along the coast of the Southern US eating Hoppin' John on New Year's Day is thought to bring a year filled with luck and prosperity. The beans symbolize coins or pennies. Sometimes a penny is added to the pot or can be left under the bowls of Hoppin' John. Greens such as Collards, chard or kale can be added and symbolize the color of money and are said to add to ones wealth in the new year. The day after New Year's Day the leftovers are called "Skippin' Jenny," and further demonstrates one's frugality. A common tradition in the south US is each person at the meal should leave three peas on their plate to ensure the New Year will be filled with Luck, Fortune and Romance. Another tradition holds that counting the number of peas in a serving predicts the amount of luck (or wealth) that will be collected over the next year.

Baked bananas and pancakes with quartered bananas, beer-batter pancakes, Calvados or Grand Marnier, orange juice, and molasses. A British-style pudding-dessert that's part crepe, part bananas Foster.

Retro molded tuna salad with black olives, hard-boiled eggs, toasted almonds, and a creamy lemon-spiked mayo-sour cream dressing set with gelatin. A stunning cold lunch or party centerpiece.

Individual chicken and vegetable casseroles with zucchini, tomato, olives, and basil baked under a chicken breast in personal-sized dishes. A light, low-calorie Mediterranean-style dinner for two.

Teno salmon is a Finnish method of poaching salmon steaks in water until dry, then finishing in butter. Simple, traditional, and lets the fish speak for itself.

Grilled pizzettes top crisp, smoky individual crusts with sauteed yellow squash, tomato, basil, and melty smoked mozzarella. Cooked right on the grill for a charred, summer-fresh personal pizza.

This is an elegant looking, although time consuming dish. You'll need an equal amount, (by weight), of the three vegetables, after trimming. Figure on four to six ounces per person.