Mexican cuisine has been popular for a long time, but my recent travels around our country have persuaded me that fish tacos are big now in a way they never were before.

Caribbean flavors jazz up this simple supper salad. We glaze the shrimp with a zesty rum-spiked marmalade, then toss them on a hot grill with tomatoes and corn before combining everything with a few more veggies. We serve the whole thing with grilled bread seasoned with garlic and orange for a bit of crunch and to aid in scooping up all the delicious bits.

Summertime is burger time. And it's so easy to throw a few beef patties on the grill. Not much is required in the way of embellishment, yet they have a big happiness return.

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 it comes to packing a picnic basket, sandwiches are almost always the stars of the menu. And why not? They are easy to eat with your hands, pack well and are versatile enough to keep everyone happy.

Is any ingredient more hardworking, yet humble, than the onion?

A punch to the gut. A smack to the head.

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.

Division II baseball state championship game

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

It doesn't matter how skilled — or not — your kids are in the kitchen. This easy, fruity mousse parfait is a great Mother's Day project they can help with.

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.

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?

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

Sometimes the best view isn't what you see through a window but what catches your eye underneath it.

Outlooks for the Divisions I and II softball state tournaments: