The Hungry Mouse

Spring is coming. Bring on the strawberries! This cake has all the flavors of a classic strawberry shortcake�all in one cake. It's great by itself, or served with a big dollop of creme chantilly, or scoop or two of good vanilla ice cream. This cake is good with regular, ole supermarket strawberries. For outstanding berry flavor, use fresh strawberries when...

These days, we don't eat filet mignon that often. Filet is fabulous because it's really tender. But honestly? We usually prefer the beefy flavor of slightly sturdier cuts like sirloin. Filet is also usually pretty expensive. But when we had an old and esteemed friend over for dinner the other night, I wanted to make something special. And when I saw...

Compound butter is a fabulous finishing touch. This is a quick and easy way to add a lot of extra flavor to steaks, chicken, fish, or even rice and pasta. What is compound butter? Compound butter is butter that's been creamed together with other ingredients, like herbs, spices, wine, oil, etc. Whip it up, keep it in the fridge or freezer,...

Powdered porcini mushrooms are one of my favorite secret weapons in the kitchen. It's an almost instant way to add an incredible depth of earthy flavor to meats, veggies, and just about everything in between. Today's article is all technique, no recipe. And honestly? It couldn't be simpler. All you need is a package of dried porcini and a coffee...

Fresh asparagus is one of my favorite signs of spring. This salad is a fabulous, no fuss way to enjoy it. Whip it up when you start cooking dinner, then let the flavors happily meld together while you finish preparing the rest of your meal. Asparagus and bacon are a match made in heaven. For this dish, I fried a little...

Mmm, mmm, mmm. We love spicy food at The Mouse House. You know...the kind that makes your nose sweat just a wee bit? These chicken fingers are hot and spicy on the outside and juicy as can be on the inside. A quick dip in a buttery, lime-infused marmalade knocks the edge off the heat and balances out the flavors...

'Tis the season for leftover corned beef. One of my favorite ways to enjoy it is a nice, fat corned beef on rye, spread thickly with mustard. This rye bread is easy and oh-so-tasty to whip up at home. There are a zillion recipes for homemade rye bread. This is how I make mine. It's part rye flour...

Be still my heart. Those aren't french fries. They're eggplant fries! As in, eggplant in french-fry form. Are they healthier for you? Probably not. Do they make up for it by being super delicious? Oh, hell yeah. Now, I have to admit that I'm conflicted about eggplant. It's definitely not one of my favorite veggies. But I'm always drawn to...

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 a fair amount of Guinness here at The Mouse House�both for drinking and cooking. Here's a handful of my favorite recipes that feature the...

One of my favorite things about living in New England is all the maple syrup we produce here. Sugaring season runs from late winter to early spring. And one of my favorite things to do with local maple syrup is to turn it into fudge. This fudge is a smooth, creamy cousin to pure maple sugar candy. Made with maple...