Burgers and potato salad are traditional fare at Memorial Day picnics, but it's also fun to shake things up every now and again with an unexpected new flavor. And if the recipe for said dish is as easy as it is lip-smacking? So much the better for the cook, who would much rather be relaxing in the sunshine with guests than fretting over complicated details.

The trouble with spring is that we get eager to grill, but we can't always count on the weather to cooperate.

Pasta carbonara — richly cheesy, creamy and studded with crisped pancetta — is easily one of the most comforting of pasta dishes. The only trouble is, with the onset of warmer weather we tend to crave salads more than steaming bowls of pasta. So for this recipe, we decided to have it both ways.

At heart, a quesadilla is pretty much a Mexican grilled cheese. Take a tortilla, stuff it with something savory, add some cheese, fold it in half and toast it. It's also pretty delicious.

When the weather turns warm, I find myself craving the smell and taste of a great homemade burger off the grill.

Barbecue chicken is one of my favorite summertime dishes. I like every part of it — the tomato-based sauce (the spicier the better), the crispy skin, even the bones.

Whoever believes there's nothing new under the sun hasn't seen the plants being introduced for the 2013 gardening season.

The placemat is a favorite at many dinner tables: The often-whimsical plastic version catches the slip of spaghetti from a youngster's fork, while a nice cotton placemat elevates the dining experience just a little without having to set down a whole tablecloth.

Mom always said to eat your vegetables, so this Mother's Day serve her breakfast in bed inspired by a walk through the garden.

Ron Siegel is owner of Red, White & Brew, 6740 E. McDowell Road, Mesa, (480) 807-9393 or RWBAZ.com

A tapas-style meal made up of a variety of small, appetizer-like bites is something we tend to associate with evenings and cocktails. But we thought the same idea of small plates would lend itself perfectly to a Mother's Day brunch. So we came up with a variety of tapas ideas suitable for Mom's big day.

“Mesa judge Markel [Mark] Chiles was issued a citation for shoplifting recently. Will another judge give him the six months in jail and $2,500 fine just to set the punishment at a level others could receive? Watch for a slap on the wrist.”

“Mesa judge Markel [Mark] Chiles was issued a citation for shoplifting recently. Will another judge give him the six months in jail and $2,500 fine just to set the punishment at a level others could receive? Watch for a slap on the wrist.”

NAPA, Calif. — Love the lush and lovely Napa Valley but hate how expensive it can be? You're not the first. In the late 19th century, writer Robert Louis Stevenson moved his honeymoon to the rustic but free setting of an abandoned mining camp when the $10-a-week going rate for Calistoga hotels proved too much for his slender purse.

Time for a confession. As a child, I never once celebrated Mother's Day. My parents thought the holiday was nothing more than a cheesy excuse to sell greeting cards, and who was I to argue?

Not so long ago, there was a certain image associated with being vegetarian. It usually involved Birkenstocks, lentil loaf and an agenda.

Spain once again is home to the world's top restaurant.

Sweet and smoky and spicy are three flavors that work wonderfully together, and this recipe for roasted chicken thighs is a fast, easy and delicious way to make that point.

There are restaurants that slash prices on margaritas or invite a mariachi band for Cinco de Mayo - and then there are restaurants that go a little nuts.

Gilbert's Highland High School will graduate 715 students in its Class of 2013. The students have earned $10 million in scholarships.

A recent rise in the number of arrests for drug-related DUIs is related to the misuse of prescription drugs, officials say.

Wednesday, May 1 is Customer Appreciation Day at Joe’s Real BBQ in Gilbert. Anyone who shows up between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. and then from 4 p.m. through the rest of the evening — until they run out of food — will get a free BBQ sandwich made from pecan-smoked meats like chicken breast, pulled pork and beef brisket and pit ham; a free side, like sweet cut corn, potato salad, mac and cheese or BBQ pit beans; and a free drink.

No matter how unimpeachable whole-wheat pasta is in terms of nutritional cred, I've always found it off-putting.