When it comes to food, "recooked" isn't generally a term met with much affection. The dairy world, however, gives us a fine exception in ricotta cheese.

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.

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.

Alessia’s Ristorante Italiano (5251 E. Brown Road, Mesa [480] 396-2888). Unassuming from the outside, this authentic Italian gem offers a cozy, romantic setting on the inside, and it recently expanded into the former insurance suite next door to create a new entrance, bar and waiting area. Owners Jonathan and Shari Carr prepare every dish from scratch, making the food the true star here. $$

As pancake toppings go, maple syrup is swell and certainly traditional, if not particularly inspired.

With hundreds of restaurants throughout the East Valley, how can a new restaurant stick out? One common theme of late is to focus on foods with an All-American flavor.

Sweet corn quiche ($18, pictured at right), lemon ricotta waffles ($16) and beef shortrib hash ($20) are among the menu items created by celebrity chef Michael Mina for Bourbon Steak’s new Sunday brunch.

Union Wine Bar & Grill, the much-anticipated tapas restaurant that opened this summer in Old Town Scottsdale, is changing its menu — scaling back on its “small plates” offerings and adding full-size entrees — and closing on Sundays and Mondays.

A good old-fashioned potluck can eliminate a lot of stress, but even a bring-your-favorite-dish get-together takes a little foresight to pull off, says Judy Toth, a cooking instructor in Mesa who’s a fan of potlucks.

If my husband, Rich, and I win the lottery, the first place we would go is our favorite restaurant, Mary Ann and Richie’s, to talk about how we would spend our new fortune. Mary Ann and Richie’s is within walking distance from our home in Ahwatukee Foothills.

Four workmen are having at a deep dish pizza when I enter Lil’ Pizzazz in Mesa.

Sunday brunch is all about enjoying the most relaxing day of the week. Why get stressed putting it together? Here are recipes low on fuss but high on taste, starting with a Tex-Mex Strata (an egg and cheese casserole), from Leanne Ely’s “Saving Dinner Basics: How to Cook Even If You Don’t Know How” (Ballantine Books, $14.95).

It kills me when a restaurant like Corelli’s puts enough love into its food to make it stand out among the hordes, but then ignores its customers.

When trying to decide on the perfect Mother's Day restaurant for Sunday, we thought going to the source — East Valley moms — was our best bet. After spending a few hours chasing down kid-toting women, we found a handful of moms willing to share their picks.

Wait: There is no wait at 7:45 p.m. on a Tuesday. Service: The basics — keeping glasses full, being polite, etc. — are automatic for this crew. What makes them some of the finest around is putting the customer first and their team style.

Wait: At 7:30 p.m. on a Tuesday, there's room for two at a booth.

September 6, 2004

"Homemade" is being redefined by each generation. Where one group sees it more as agriculture, another views it as the assemblage of store-bought goods. Technology has affected "homemade" — specifically, preservation practices.

"Homemade" is being redefined by each generation. Where one group sees it more as agriculture, another views it as the assemblage of store-bought goods. Technology has affected "homemade" — specifically, preservation practices.

If anyone’s going to open another Italian restaurant in this town, it had better be something special. But the people behind Fiamma — Italian for "flame" — aren’t worried about getting burned.

An ailing software system is bleeding tens of millions of dollars from Maricopa County’s health care system, forcing officials to dip into county coffers until the problem is fixed.

During the winter, nothing tastes better with a hearty meal than big red wines like cabernets. Come summertime, however, the food lightens up, and so do the wines.