Mmmm, empanadas. If they sound good to you, you might be pleased to learn about Republica Empanada, a new restaurant opening in downtown Mesa.

Restaurants in Phoenix come and go. Many hope to gain loyal customers, but few catch on quite like Beaver Choice.

PHILADELPHIA — In a city that has become renowned for its hip and innovative restaurant scene, a local tourist attraction is offering decidedly different fare: prison food.

My approach to food is pretty simple. I firmly believe that if you can eat it, you can grill it.

Prolific documentary-maker Alex Gibney delivers a gripping account of the wins and losses of hard-charging idealism on the front lines of the information wars in "We Steal Secrets: The Story of WikiLeaks." Exhaustively researched and balanced in its view of the controversial key player, the film slips in ahead of DreamWorks' dramatic take on the exploits of Julian Assange, "The Fifth Estate," which is currently shooting.

My family has been weaning itself from red meat for years. We still love it, but the portions and frequency are less than they used to be. Still, when I started planning a Father's Day menu for my husband and my dad, I thought it might be nice to bow to tradition by turning to the Batman and Robin of manly fare — steak and potatoes.

Casseroles have never really had much of a place in my culinary repertoire. It's a time thing mostly. I'd rather sear something off in a few minutes than stand around while it slowly bakes.

When salsa overtook ketchup as America's favorite condiment in the 1990s you had to know that "taco night" wasn't far behind.

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.

BOISE, Idaho — A dozen years after a customer revolt forced Monsanto to ditch its genetically engineered potato, an Idaho company aims to resurrect high-tech spuds.

When one Chandler teenager imagined her Sweet 16 birthday, she imagined spending it the same way she has spent many Sundays in the past seven years — with the homeless friends she served in the parking lot in downtown Phoenix.

Three simple ingredients — a marshmallow, a piece of chocolate and two graham crackers. The symbol of summer and campfire snacking.

If you haven't been by the patio at Monti's La Casa Vieja in Tempe for a while, it's changed.

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.