Cheese Tasting, Part 2: Goat Cheese

Mmmmm, cheese. It has to be one of my favorite topics—and things to eat. Last time we did a cheese tasting, we were nibbling on blues. This time, it’s goat cheese. And let me tell …

Basic Cooking: Perfect Mashed Potatoes

I could eat bowls of buttery mashed potatoes for dinner—which is probably why I don’t make them too often. (Hello, carb coma!) There are a zillion recipes out there for making mashed potatoes. Here’s how …

Beauty and the Feast, Part I

Welcome to Beauty and the Feast, a series of food-based skincare reviews.
Let me tell you a little secret.
For all my video game playing, comic book reading, and UFC watching, I’m secretly a girl-y girl at …

Oven-Baked BBQ Chicken

OK, so this is cheating. Well, sort of. This may not be real barbecue, but it is one of my favorite ways to make chicken legs: Indoors. In the oven. Seared, then smothered in hot, …

Buttermilk Cornbread

Sometimes I bake things, then need to immediately give them away so I don’t gobble down the whole pan. You know how that goes? This cornbread is like that. It’s sweet, light, and soft—with just …

Fresh Herb Egg White Omelet with Black Olives & Sun-Dried Tomatoes

So recently, I found myself with a bunch of spare egg whites. (Stay tuned to find out what happened to the yolks sometime later this week…) I was starving when this happened. I whipped them …

Guinness Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Boston! Now, cans of Guinness stout will never replace a properly pulled pint in a cozy Irish pub, but we home-bound revelers make do with what we have.

We go through …

The Tea Drinker’s Handbook, A Review

The Tea Drinker’s Handbook

By François-Xavier Delmas, Mathias Minet, and Christine Barbaste
Published by Abbeville Press

The Tea Drinker’s Handbook: Think reading about tea sounds kind of, well, bland?
Think again.
The Tea Drinker’s Handbook is an insightful, educational, …

French Cheesecake

This French Cheesecake is my favorite Secret Weapon Dessert. Easy to make. Easy on the eyes. Practically guaranteed to stun everyone—including your best friend’s chatty new girlfriend—at your dinner party into blissful, dessert-nibbling silence.

This recipe …

Rustic, Family-Style Pork with Red Sauce

This is a fabulous way to feed a crowd on a budget.
Pork shoulder is a tough cut of meat, so it’s generally on the cheaper side. (In fact, this is the same cut of meat …

Basic Cooking: How to Make Espresso on the Stove

Now, I know that I’m treading on hallowed ground for some, discussing how to make espresso.

Like beer and good wine, espresso is one of those things that folks are very particular about. (Espresso afficionados …

Very Special Batman Cake

There’s a joke between The Angry Chef and one of our friend’s boys. It goes something like this: “I’m Batman!” “No, I’M Batman.” Rinse. Repeat.

Late last year, we decided to put one of my newer …

Steakhouse-Style Pan-Roasted Sirloin Steaks

If you go to any of the big steakhouses in the U.S., chances are that this is how they cook a lot of their meat. Fast and furiously on top of the stove to create …

Spicy Guacamole

I’m totally guilty of having guacamole for dinner. Not the most well-balanced meal, I know, but I don’t do it that often. (And hey, I do usually dip veggies and rice crackers in it, as …

Guinness Recipes for St. Patrick’s Day

Happy St. Patrick’s Day from Boston! Now, cans of Guinness stout will never replace a properly pulled pint in a cozy Irish pub, but we home-bound revelers make do with what we have.

We go through …

Neverending Vanilla Extract (Make Your Own!)

Those of you who know me know that I have a serious make-your-own streak. (Think marshmallows, pomegranate molasses, hot sauce, hot chocolate mix, etc.) It’s so satisfying to make certain things at home—and so much …

Vote Today! Introducing Reader’s Choice Recipes at The Hungry Mouse

Let’s play a game! I’ve been working with my friends over at Cookstr for a few months now on some exciting promotions and projects—including step-by-step demonstrations of some of their featured chef’s recipes.

Here’s the deal. …

Super Simple French Fries (Crisp & Crunchy in Only One Step!)

Oh, delicious French fry, how you elude me in my own kitchen. You’re so yummy, but you’re such a pain to make. There’s the soaking in cold water. The first fry to cook your insides. …

Sesame Noodles

These noodles are one of my favorite things to bring to a picnic. They’re a little salty, a little sweet, and only get better once they sit in the fridge overnight.

They’re super simple to make, …

Garlic Scape Pesto from The Garlic Farm in West Granby

Recently, my mom and I took a little road trip around the countryside in Northern Connecticut. When we happened across The Garlic Farm in West Granby, we knew we had to pull in and investigate. …

Strawberry Brunch Tart with Thyme and Black Pepper

This is not a fancy tart. It’s not one of those gorgeous, fresh-fruit-and-custard puff pastry things that looks like a piece of art. I’ll make you one of those one of these days. Don’t get …

Quick Fresh Pickles

These crisp pickles are high on my list of nibbles and noshes to take on a picnic or a barbecue. They’re the perfect cool companion to spicy barbecue or lunch-counter favorites like a thick pastrami …

Margaret Dorfman’s Vegetable Parchment Art

I think Margaret Dorfman may just be my new favorite foodie-friendly artist. She makes beautiful jewelry and decorative bowls out of fruits and vegetables.
You heard me right: fruits and vegetables.
These are the prettiest—and most creative—pieces …

3 of My Favorite Ginger Treats (Hello, Ginger-tinis!)

I think ginger has to be one of my all-time favorite flavors—from ginger ale to the ginger in my Chinese food, and everything in between.
While my favorite way to enjoy ginger is undoubtedly in its …

Tiny Tacos at Boston’s Bonfire

Last week, my dear friend The Cocktail Queen suggested we meet at Bonfire, a contemporary steakhouse with a Latin American twist in the heart of Boston. It had been ages since we caught up, so …

Smokey Black Pepper Beef Ribs

These ribs get a ton of deep, pepper-y flavor from freshly cracked black pepper—and a fair amount of heat from ground chipotle chili.

They also get a double dose of smoke from a generous amount of …

Homemade Garlic Mayonnaise (a.k.a. Aioli)

I have another confession to make. When I was a little mouse, one of my absolute favorite treats was a mayonnaise sandwich. Yep, you heard right. A big dollop of Hellmann’s spread on a slice …

Pasta Salad with Shrimp, Goat Feta, and Basil

We’ve been pining for summer weather here in Boston. It’s been cold, dreary, and drizzly for days. This pasta salad is like a little dose of summer—it’s cool, creamy, and an absolutely fabulous thing to …

One Potato, Two Potato, Part 1: Cognac-Laced Potato Cream Soup

The humble potato is so versatile—and filling—that I’m not sure why I don’t use it more often.
This soup sounds fancy, but you can whip it up in no time flat—with stuff you probably already have …