Back in the early 1970's my parents lived in Santa Cruz, CA. They had a neighbor who would make a yeasted lemon bread for prosperity and good luck in the new year. My mom remembers it as being small round loaves that were sweet but not cake-y, with raisins and chopped nuts. At the time she did get the recipe, but in last 35 years, the scrap of paper on which the recipe was written has walked away.

She has an itch to make this bread again this year, but after much googling and flipping through cookbooks, we haven't been able to find anything that seems quite right. We know that this bread was traditional to whatever area of the world that this neighbor's family originally came from, but again, we don't know for sure. So, does this New Year's bread ring any bells for any of you out there? If so, we'd love to see your recipe! (Or, if you just have a really good recipe for a yeasted lemon bread with fruit and nuts, that would work too).

Dessert is unquestionably the bane of many people’s day. Many desserts are fattening, calorific and simply unhealthy. Portion sizes are huge and it is difficult to limit yourself to only a part of what you are served – especially if it all tastes so good. Lower fat desserts, baked goods in particular, have an equally bad reputation, as many people believe them to be rubbery, dry, dense and flavorless.

There are many desserts that are lower in fat or in calories that still taste great, though it is true that some baked goods will be changed for the worse without butter or sugar, so don’t just leave them out when you’re cooking. Sarah, the author of Baking 911 has tons of tips and well-tested recipes for low fat baking and desserts. Diet-Blog also has a few suggestions for easy and delicious desserts.

Don’t automatically assume that you can never eat crème brûlée again if you want to have a healthier lifestyle. You can still indulge sometimes, but make healthier choices with your everyday treats. Sorbets and gelato are good alternatives to ice cream. Try having low fat milk in your hot chocolate and top it with a marshmallow, not whipped cream.

If you had the baked brie appetizer and a deep dish pizza for dinner, you should probably skip dessert. But being healthy doesn’t mean that it dessert is never an option, nor does it mean that you can’t enjoy great flavors and delicious food.

Like many other cultures, Koreans have many food traditions associated with holidays. On New Year's Day, Koreans always gather with their families and enjoy a steaming hot, nourishing bowl of dduk gook, Korean rice dumpling soup. (I call them rice "dumplings," though it is more often called rice "cake," but I've just found "cake" to be a very misleading term.)

I haven't quite figured out why we eat dduk gook on the first of the year. I'm sure there is some symbolism, as noodles in Chinese New Year represent a long life ahead, etc. I've asked my mother, and even she doesn't know the real meaning behind the dduk gook on New Year's Day. She only knows that, as do I now, we simply eat dduk gook. We've done this every year since as far back as I have a memory.

Every restaurant in LA's Koreatown serves dduk gook, but it's very easy to make at home. And of course, every family has their own little taste variations that have been taught from grandmother to mother to daughter.

"Sae-hae-bohk mahn-hee bah-duh-sae-yo!" (Happy New Year!)

What do you cook for New Year's Eve? Is there a special food that you prepare to ring in the New Year? Do you eat black-eyed peas? Or ozoni? In my crazy, mixed-up family we always have two special dishes: cotechino con lenticchie e zampone (sausage with lentils and pig's foot) to honor my Italian heritage, and duk mandoo kook (rice cake and dumpling soup) as a nod to my Korean heritage. (Note: the recipe for the soup is similar to my mom's but not exactly the same. Just had to clear that up lest I have the wrath of a Korean-American mother upon me.)

The cotechino and lentils are not difficult to make.  The lentils are cooked and the sausage and pig's foot are sliced and served atop or along side. Lentils (like beans) signify wealth and good fortune. This is perhaps why beans are such a popular New Year's dish.