The best-tasting veggie burger I’ve ever met is falafel. A product of the Middle East, falafel are deep-fried fritters made from ground chickpeas or fava beans that are tucked into pita pockets and drizzled with tahini. They are delicious, hearty, inexpensive and relatively healthy.

If you’re just a casual swimmer, you probably don’t have to adjust your diet before jumping in. But that’s not the case with competitive swimmers, who must constantly watch what they eat and drink. You can learn a lot from swimmers’ consumption patterns — particularly if you’re an investor.

While Arizona is home to several upscale dining establishments that meet the most discriminating palates, the state is also home to several fun and kitschy places to nosh at as well. Whether diners are on a road trip or just seeking out the unusual, below are some suggestions for AAA One and Two Diamond restaurants known for their quirkiness as much as their food.

Whenever Esi Impraim’s mother made jollof — a rich, tomato-laced dish of meats, rice and sometimes seafood — the time it took to bubble away on the stove was always excruciating.

Does your outfit blend into the woodwork?

Pressure cookers never really did much for me. They seemed fussy — and scary! All those stories about explosions...

Up there with “Stoker” and “Like Someone in Love” as one of the best films to hit theaters this spring, “War Witch” is devastating, beautiful and truly not to be missed. An Oscar nominee for Best Foreign Language Film, this gut-wrenching tale of a child soldier has been reeling in the accolades: Best Actress awards for young star Rachel Mwanza at both the Berlin and Tribeca film festivals, along with a whopping 10 honors (including Best Picture) at this year’s Canadian Screen Awards.

For the first time since 2008, contribution limits have risen for one of the most popular retirement savings vehicles available: the IRA. This means you’ve got a greater opportunity to put more money away for your “golden years.”

Harmony Korine seems to want it both ways, all day, with "Spring Breakers," his super-stylized descent into a sunbaked hell where bikini-clad, gun-toting college babes serve as our guides.

The pilot had just given the all-clear for electronic devices, which left me free to rummage under the seat in front of me for my laptop. I was taking a moment to consider the barbarism that allows airline passengers to push their seats back into my head when the kindly older woman next to me inquired if I was on a business trip. I think the PowerPoint deck and the calculator I pulled out of my briefcase tipped her off.

In an uncertain economy, it’s natural for people to “tighten their belts” by cutting down on their spending. And yet by having too much cash on hand today, you could actually slow your progress toward your financial goals of tomorrow.

Just as students from Kyrene Altadeña Middle School got into the flow of packing boxes of food this week for the Feed My Starving Children organization, a song came blaring from the back of the warehouse that seemed almost divinely planned.

It seems that every culture has a probiotic food that has been made for centuries. The Koreans have Kimchi. The Japanese have Miso Soup and Kombucha. The Africans have Amasi and the list goes on and on. Our history and ancestors have fermented and preserved many types of foods. This actually benefited our health and well being. Meanwhile, in our generation we have gone away from these traditions and have added antibiotics to our bodies. These antibiotics can be found in both our medicine and our food. This has caused a great imbalance in the beneficial bacteria that belongs in our bodies. This imbalance has contributed to a wide variety of diseases. Today, we are seeing a great come back with both probiotic supplements and foods.

Squirrel is a young adult Border Collie mix. He was found as a stray dodging cars. Squirrel is a fun and active guy. He likes to go for walks, hiking, car rides … he’d like an active family. He’s been meeting lots of people and seems comfortable in those situations. Squirrel is neutered, up to date on vaccinations, and microchipped.

The best moment of my life, so far, happened more than 15 years ago at a hospital in Mesa. Like many “best” moments in our lives, it came after some of the worst.

The next Henry Cejudo was told he needs to find a different route out of his tough neighborhood. There could never be another Rulon Gardner, but nonetheless a similar story can no longer be written.

You’ve no doubt heard about the risks associated with investing. This investment carries this type of risk, while that investment carries another one. And it is certainly true that all investments do involve some form of risk. But what about not investing? Isn’t there some risk associated with that, too?

Based on Michael Morpurgo’s childrens book and popularized by Steven Spielberg’s feature film of the same name, “War Horse” follows the fate of a horse named Joey, who is sold into the British army and serves on both sides of the conflict during World War I.

Looking for a few simple ways to freshen up the go-to dish of the Super Bowl? We cobbled together a mighty tasty basic guacamole, then came up with four ways to turn basic into unbelievably good.

The day of the big game calls for big, stick-to-your-ribs grub.

I long ago fell in love with the clean, crisp, sweet taste of Meyer lemons. And recently, Mexican foods guru Rick Bayless reminded me why.

Chinese New Year is the sort of new year celebration I love.

A new report from the federal government shows that women in Arizona are much more likely to be paid on par with men than in most other states.

Alex Bambic has lived a charmed wrestling life.

As the new year begins, bringing new colors into our homes can help refresh and recalibrate our spirits. This spring, blues may be just the tonic we need.