If granted three wishes, most folks, we’re betting, would opt for a personal chef, preferably one with nutritional know-how.

There’s no genie in sight, but you can check out the local Most Delightful Foods product line, the brainchild of Marlene Most, a registered dietitian, former director of Pennington Biomedical Research Center’s metabolic kitchen, and a former LSU professor with a Ph.D. in physiology.

It all started with an Easy Bake Oven, says Most, which helped her discover a love of cooking at a very young age. The rest of her childhood was spent in the kitchen, and she won a cooking championship at the Colorado State Fair at age 17 with preparation of a full French meal.

Most Delightful Foods began with Animae fruit and nut snack mixes and now includes a line of cheese and dip spreads.

Here, a few more fun facts about the company founder:

Miles your product travels to our store: 6

Favorite Food: shrimp, fried, scampi or on cheese grits

Favorite chef/food mentor: My mother. I spent many hours in the kitchen with her during the summers preserving the bounty from my dad’s garden and during the holidays baking dozens of cookies.

Favorite Louisiana dish: It’s difficult to pick just one!

Favorite kitchen tool: A mixing spoon. Can you imagine cooking or baking without one?

Favorite seasoning: Taste the Seasons Cajun Trinity mix!

Favorite day of the week: Sunday. It’s a good day for reflection and then for planning the upcoming week.

Favorite form of Social Media: Facebook

Favorite holiday: Probably Christmas. I have so man fond memories of baking with my mother, and I’ve shared that tradition with my own son.

Favorite season: I love spring with the blooming flowers.

Biggest obstacle to starting a small business: Capital. The investment is huge when you consider costs beyond the product… commercial kitchen costs, permits, insurance, website and branding, packaging and so on.

Motto/words to live by: “There is destiny which makes us brothers; none goes his way alone. All that we send into the lives of others comes back into our own.”

Why local is better: There is much pride and joy in supporting our neighbors!