The art of the summer cocktail is something I take most seriously.

Eddie Castillo said that the South American culture has the empanada, the British have the pasty, and he and his business partner Mike Caliendo are giving Arizona the hand pie.

If your goal is to lose weight, look and feel your best and live a healthy, vibrant life, be aware of the damaging additives and synthetic chemicals in the foods you buy and eat. Seventy-five percent of the average American diet is from processed and packaged foods, which equates to approximately 10 pounds of additives eaten annually.

Have a long list of home improvement projects? Don’t know where to start?

If you’ve never seen an ostrich race, it’s a good reason to head to Tumbleweed Park March 8-10. If you have seen an ostrich race, it’s probably a good idea to go down there and see another one to make sure it wasn’t some odd, exhilarating dream.

Sure, you know to wear green on St. Patrick’s Day, but how well-versed are you in the history and culture of Ireland?

Butterflies should get a lot easier to spot starting this Spring in Scottsdale.

On Sunday, Feb. 24, first responders — which include law enforcement officers, firefighters and EMTs — will be treated to a free meal at Famous Dave’s BBQ.

If you can make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and fry an egg, you already have all the skills needed to make this incredible Christmas morning stuffed French toast.

Red may be the color of the season — what with Santa’s suit and Rudolph’s shiny nose — but what if you’re dreaming of a white wine Christmas?

Everyone knows — or at least every Jew knows — the story of Hanukkah’s origins, the story of how just a tiny amount of oil miraculously burned for eight days. And they know that, in the spirit of that story, Hanukkah is celebrated in part by eating foods fried in oil, such as latkes and doughnuts.

Siobhan Silks

You don’t have to drive to northern Arizona for New England-esque fall color worth photographing. A pocket of it exists just 50 miles away, at Boyce Thompson Arboretum in Superior.

It’s no secret that liquor is a simple solution to holiday gift-giving. You don’t see a lot of people lining up Dec. 26 to return bottles of 12-year-old Scotch. And what better way to embrace the spirit of giving than by giving a spirit?

The key to a great food experience around the holidays is extending it as long as possible.

It’s not enough for Halloween drinks to be delicious. They also have to be creepy.

When Rosh Hashanah — the Jewish new year — rolls around, sugar, and specifically honey, often is on the menu. It’s a kind of edible prayer, a hopeful way of attracting sweet things to one’s life in the year to come.

One of the great delights of autumn is the abundance of fresh, ripe, local and delicious apples. Of course, they’re available year-round these days, but they’re at their best right now, not least because there are more varieties to choose from in the fall, especially if you take advantage of your neighborhood farmers market or visit one of those pick-your-own orchards.

The Ahwatukee Foothills Chamber of Commerce hosted a Back to Business event on Aug. 24, marking the end of summer season and a return to business at hand.

No fruit says fall like apples. Baked into pies, pureed into sauces, sauteed with meats and stews both savory and sweet, it is one of our most comforting and versatile fruits. But which apple to use for what?

You may now chug with the bride.