Gwyneth Paltrow

This fish is topped with cilantro, but it's also great with pickled ginger.

Based on my grandmother's very old recipe, these cookies are a slightly softer version of my granddad Danner's favorite peanut butter cookies. These were his favorite things on earth and my grandmother always made them for him. He passed away when I was seven, but I can still remember him with his thick shock of white hair eating these cookies with a glass of milk.

Again, easy peasy. Not only can this be made while the pasta is cooking, you have plenty of time to make a lovely salad and assemble a cheese plate for after dinner. Parmesan, lemon, and basil are a threesome made in heaven. The cheesy lemon basil flavors are also very kid friendly.

When I was a single gal in NYC and my parents lived in Westchester, we used to meet almost halfway for dinner at Gus's in Harrison, new york. It is a great bar serving delicious seafood and their salad was my favorite—red wine vinaigrette with big hunks of blue cheese. We were always a blue cheese—loving family and my version, with a creamy base (can't compete with Gus!), is fantastic on a wedge of iceberg lettuce or as a dip. It lasts for a good week in the fridge as well.

This grilled halibut recipe is the perfect quick weeknight meal. The easy fresh salsa complements pretty much any white fish.