Archive for October, 2008
Halloween Bento
I got bamboozled today. It’s Halloween, so I shouldn’t be surprised. You could say I got tricked—and treated. Instead of my regularly scheduled box lunch, The Angry Chef made me the sweetest bento ever. Literally. Here’s today’s bento box, made entirely out of candy. Halloween Bento: Looks like a regular bento lunch, right? Wrong. Allow [...]
Tea Tasting, Part I
One of my fondest—and most vivid—childhood memories is going to the tobacco shop with my father, who smoked a pipe.* Bear with me, I’ll get to the tea in a sec. Pipe-shop adventures Now, Dad has long since quit smoking and tobacco shops are getting harder and harder to find. When you do happen upon [...]
Daring Bakers’ October Challenge: Thin-Crust Pizza
Last month, I joined the Daring Bakers, an online community of fabulous foodies and cooks who do a baking challenge every month. They provide the recipe, you provide the cooking. Their blogroll includes some of the savviest and intrepid bakers I’ve ever encountered. Definitely check out their amazing—and lengthy—list of food blogs. This month’s theme [...]
Investigating the Myth of the 5-Minute Chocolate Cake
Let me start by saying: This is kind of ridiculous. Let me also say: I know how to make homemade chocolate cake. In the oven. Ask The Angry Chef, my mother, or my friends. I can make simple ones or elaborate ones. I can make complicated cakes with layers and fillings that are piled high [...]
Rib of the Week: Aleppo Chili Pork Ribs with Peach and Lime
I’m starting to realize that we eat a lot of ribs at the Mouse House. (I see a “Rib-of-the-Week Feature” in my future…) I’m OK with this for a few reasons. They’re easy to make. They taste great. They’re hearty and filling. And if you’re an unapologetic carnivore, it’s just downright fun to gnaw meat [...]
Celebrating Halloween in Salem, Mass. (a.k.a. Witch City)
With Halloween right around the corner, Salem, Massachusetts is THE place around Boston to get your spooky on. We spent last night up there, eating and drinking well into the early morning hours with a handful of close friends. Welcome to Salem, Mass., a.k.a. Witch City Salem is old. You can feel it the minute [...]
The 2008 Fabulous Food Blogger Awards
Wow. The Hungry Mouse is just about 4 months old! A little housekeeping and a small speech I’m kind of stunned and very touched by the really nice response I’ve gotten so far. I’m also a little boggled by the ridiculous number of wonderful folks I’ve met along the way. (Hey, I’m a city girl, [...]
Garlicky White Beans, Two Ways: Dip & Creamy Soup
I have a great—and relatively newfound—love for white beans. (See? I do eat more than meat.) Here are two of my favorite ways to prepare them. The first recipe is for a thick dip that’s fragrant with garlic and lemon. The second is a creamy, spinach-laden soup that uses the dip as a base. A [...]
Homemade Meatballs: A Step-by-Step Tutorial
Let me preface this by saying: I am not Italian. The Angry Chef is, however—and very much so—and these meatballs were more than acceptable to him. Regardless, I understand that I’m treading on hallowed ground for some. If you’re a meatball aficionado , please be kind to me. I’m just a little mouse. That said, [...]
Garlic and Ginger Infused Chicken Broth
Everyone has their own cold remedy. This is mine. Make the sniffles stop! I’ve had a savage cold for the last three days. Since The Angry Chef is catching it, too, neither of us was in the mood to destroy the kitchen with a full-blown chicken soup production. No matter, though. This is the chicken [...]

