LEEDS – When Tina Nickey was a child, her mother taught her to cook. “The first thing I made was probably cookies,” she recalled. And the tradition is continuing. “My oldest and youngest kids are both interested in baking right now,” she said.

These days, Nickey enjoys cooking a wide range of foods and adding her own touch to each. “I like to try new recipes and spice them up with my own ideas,” she said. “I also especially like vegetable dishes.”

Fortunately, her cooking does not go unappreciated, as she likes to entertain. “I love to spend time with friends and family,” said Nickey, who draws much of her inspiration from television cooking shows and cuisine magazines. Her favorite magazine is “Cooking Light,” and she enjoys trying out the suggested recipes. Her favorite cookbooks are ones that contain a compilation of recipes sent in by other cooks.

Nickey said she would like to tackle more advanced cooking, such as soufflés. Asked if she has a favorite type of cooking, she replied, “I like Italian-style.”

Nickey has been a nurse for five years. When she isn’t working or cooking, she enjoys gardening, preferring to plant mostly flowers over vegetables. She also spends time making crafts. “I think one interesting thing I like to do is make my own Christmas gifts to share with everyone,” she said.

Crab cakes

Ingredients:

1 pound crab meat (canned or fresh)

1 cup seasoned bread crumbs

1 large egg

¼ cup mayonnaise

½ teaspoon salt

¼ teaspoon pepper

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 teaspoon dry mustard

Vegetable oil for frying

Method:

Remove cartilage from crabmeat. In a bowl, mix bread crumbs, egg, mayonnaise and seasonings. Add crab meat and mix gently. If mixture appears to be too dry, add a little more mayonnaise. Cook cakes in a frying pan in just enough oil to prevent sticking, until they are brown, about 5 minutes each side.

Fruit pizza

Ingredients:

1 package instant sugar cookie mix

8 ounces cream cheese

½ cup powdered sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup pineapple juice

Fresh fruit of choice (Nickey prefers strawberries, blueberries and kiwi)

Method:

Make sugar cookie mix, according to package directions. Press onto ungreased pizza pan to make one large cookie (it is easy to do if you place wax paper over dough when pressing onto pan). Bake cookie until light golden brown, about 10 minutes. Let cool. In a bowl, blend cream cheese and powdered sugar; spread over cooled crust. Apply fresh fruit over cream cheese mixture. Thicken pineapple juice with cornstarch, on the stove at low heat, for a few minutes. Pour over fruit and crust, making sure all fruit is covered. Chill.

Tuna pasta salad

Ingredients:

1 tub (1 cup) store-bought pesto

Juice of one lemon

2 6-ounce cans water-packed tuna

4 scallions, cut into thin strips

1 jar whole, roasted red pepper, cut into small pieces

Handful of grape tomatoes

½ pound of medium shell pasta, cooked and rinsed with cool water

Salt and pepper to taste

Method:

Place pesto in large bowl and stir in lemon juice. Add tuna and flake with fork. Add scallions, roasted red pepper, tomatoes and pasta; toss to coat evenly. Season with salt and pepper.