Local Life

Shishito: From hipster menus to your grill

Never had shishito peppers? You need to track them down. Right now.

Putting a healthy spin on fish tacos

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.

Deconstructed pot pie a hit with turkey, beans

I've updated the basic potpie before, using cabbage and white beans and giving it a sweet-potato-topped, curry-flavored twist. This version goes much further, to a deconstructed state: The filling is a chili-pepper-spiked turkey and black bean mix. It's fresh, lively and light.

Pepper flakes perk up shrimp and pasta

Pasta is dressed up with shrimp, zucchini and red bell pepper in this 15-minute meal. The vegetables cook for a couple of minutes in a skillet, white wine is added, and shrimp cooks for a few more minutes in the white wine sauce. The shrimp remain juicy and tender this way.

Go ahead, overcook that eggplant

In its natural state, eggplant is tough, spongy and bitter — pretty vile, all in all. Generally, vegetables (especially ones with a reputation for being vile) do not benefit from overcooking — think fetid Brussels sprouts, gray peas, floppy asparagus. Eggplant is the opposite: Its unpleasantness is directly correlated with how undercooked it is. I would rather go hungry than eat a grill-marked yet stiff slice of eggplant — which is how eggplant is traditionally served in workplace cafeterias, airport sandwich kiosks, and other venues that don't pride themselves on their vegetarian offerings. But eggplant so mushy it falls apart when you so much as prod at it gently with a finger? Eggplant so tender that stabbing it with a fork with your eyes closed feels no different from stabbing a patch of empty space? Now we're talking.

Strawberries, whipped cream take shortcake to greatness

"Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and others have greatness thrust upon them."

Get Ready for summer flavors

When the garden or the market offer corn, tomatoes, zucchini, eggplant and peppers, try these creative ways to bring that seasonal bounty to the table. Here are 20 fresh recipes for these five vegetables:

Use two-zone heat to grill your Dixie Chicken

Let's face it: Chicken is a grilling go-to for both weeknight and weekend cooking.

Watercress finesse: Crisp, peppery green takes a starring role in sprightly main-dish salad

Watercress is a treat I had come to associate with spring and the return of farmers markets — that is, until I came across vibrant bunches of it recently at the local grocer.

Miss USA crown goes to Connecticut contestant

LAS VEGAS — The newest Miss USA is leaving a white-collar job behind for the glamour and excitement that go with her new role — and she can't wait.

Go Greek with your yogurt?

Nutrition experts say they're not convinced it's more healthful

Greek yogurt is everywhere, and now represents nearly a third of the yogurt market. But how different is the Greek version from regular yogurt? That depends.

'Kings of Summer' could be sleeper royalty

Indie film expected to be box office success

Since its release in July 2006, "Little Miss Sunshine" has been the sleeper hit that other summer art-house films aspire to be. Opening in just seven theaters during its first weekend, the nutty family road trip comedy went on to rake in nearly $60 million domestically and win two Oscars. Not bad for a film with a reported $8 million budget, written and directed by first-timers.

Check it out: There's no time for 'Lion' around

Do you know what time of year it is? If it's June, it must be summer reading time at the library! Every year from June to August, kids and teens can go to their local library and sign up for summer reading, a super cool program that encourages kids and families to keep reading through the summer months. In addition to reading, participants can attend summer reading programs, spend time on fun, reading-related activities and earn rewards!

Inmate clothes at Clark County Jail more than fashion

Designed to denote threat level, be practical, save money

Each weekday morning, custody officers escort jail inmates, handcuffed together in a colorful human chain, into the Clark County Courthouse.

Summer strolls a safety teaching tool

Trip to friend's house or the pool ideal for learning to navigate traffic

AKRON, Ohio -- You're 5 years old, weigh about 50 pounds and have to jump to see over the hood of an SUV. It's time to step off a curb on your way to school and it's just a bit scary. There is no one there to hold your hand, look both ways and put you on your way to learning your ABCs.