Even with a healthy appreciation for the arts and a career that puts me in close proximity to them — not to mention a cousin who’s an accomplished professional ballerina — I can’t say I clamor for a night at the ballet.

My trick to throwing a great party — and I love throwing a great party — is to keep my stress level as low as possible. Because an at-ease host makes for at-ease guests.

Mary Rose is raising money for bird conservation efforts, and she’s headed out on the open waters to do so. Rose will be rowing thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean next summer in the hope that she can be of help to the animal that she admires.

On a normal day, thirsty revelers easily drain two kegs of Guinness at Boston's Black Rose tavern. Come St. Patrick's Day — an official holiday in Bean Town — and they'll plow thorough 55 kegs.

Canapes may sound stuffy, but they actually are the ultimate in ease when it comes to party food. Plus, they look great and can be combined in endless ways to suit any taste.

It's easy to have romantic visions of the holidays - cozy fires, perfectly wrapped gifts, your house decorated like a magazine spread, all your friends gathered to celebrate, marveling at your culinary prowess.

For this Thanksgiving pie, we decided to see what would happen if we transformed that classic treat of autumn - the caramel apple - into a pie. The result was a crazy good no-bake apple pie.

Party food is supposed to be easy. You are, after all, having a party to have a good time, right?

Nine-year-old Mychiel Fair Jr. loves to count his Goldfish crackers out loud before popping them into his mouth. He feels around the top of his desk to make sure he hasn’t missed any, then picks up his little abacus with brightly colored beads and begins to count again.

Party food is supposed to be easy. You are, after all, having a party to have a good time, right?

Having a taste for "Butter" depends almost entirely on whether you find the comedy of condescension and ridicule a hoot or a very cheap form of amusement.

Check out more than 100 area businesses, sample some free grub, and win a door prize or two at this year’s installment of the annual East Valley Business Expo.

Brunchies (17 E. Boston St., Chandler [480] 899-5036). Brought to you by the folks behind Serrano’s Mexican restaurants, this downtown spot serves brunch until 2 p.m. daily. The tasty spread includes all the usual suspects — pancakes, eggs, fruit, sausage and home fries — along with a variety of soups, desserts and Mexican breakfast favorites. $

More than 100 companies doing business in the East Valley will be on hand at the annual East Valley Business Expo on Wednesday at the Mesa Convention Center.

The trouble with late summer's bounty of zucchini isn't in the volume of the vegetable itself. Rather, it is in the lack of creative recipes for using it.

The trouble with late summer’s bounty of zucchini isn’t in the volume of the vegetable itself. Rather, it is in the lack of creative recipes for using it.

If you've ever had a California roll, you've had nori.

If you’ve ever had a California roll, you’ve had nori.

Before Bobby Flay and Emeril Lagasse, before Gordon Ramsay and Rachael Ray, before Lidia Bastianich and Anthony Bourdain, there was Julia Child.

School often starts when kids still have summer on the brain. So these easy-to-make bars have summer in mind, too.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jack.