The Hungry Mouse

This recipe is a happy accident. I was planning on making my Coconut Bomb cookies this afternoon, and realized a little too late that I was out of, well, coconut. I had a container of fresh blueberries in the fridge, so I changed a few things and tossed them in instead. And man, am I glad I did. These cookies are like...

This soup is gloriously rich and bursting with chunks of sweet corn and potato. It gets its smokiness from bacon and chipotle pepper. The pepper's heat is tempered nicely by the creamy broth. If you're serving it with a meal and not as a main course, I recommend dishing it out in cups instead of bowls. (A little goes a...

At the risk of needing to rename this blog The Thirsty Mouse, here's my recipe for Bourbon Barbecue Sauce. This is what I'll be putting on my pork ribs this Labor Day weekend. It's quick and easy to make, as barbecue sauces go. (Barbecue purists beware: File this one under "halfway-homemade," since we're starting with ketchup.) This is a great all-purpose...

Recently, The Angry Chef and I went on a spice hunt. We headed out to Penzey's Spices in the sleepy town of Arlington, MA. We've relied on them for spices—first by catalog, then online, and now in person—for years now. Penzey's quality is always top notch. The prices are decent. Their selection is huge. And they make a few custom...

Apparently, this weekend is cocktail weekend. Contrary to yesterday's Bee's Kiss, though, my Lemon Drop liquor is light and refreshing. It's a great late-summer-lazy-day-sitting-in-the-yard-waiting-for-the-barbecue-to-be-done kind of drink. If you start a bottle early this week, it'll be ready in plenty of time for your Labor Day festivities. I love lemonade, so I guess it's no surprise that I've also always been...

I couldn't tell you why, but I'm dying for a cocktail tonight. Not a glass of wine. Not an old standby like a martini or a bourbon, straight up. I'm in the mood for something a little fancy, a little girly, and definitely a little bit sweet. On evenings like this, when I'm feeling indulgent and just a tiny bit...

Ah, meat. This is one of my favorite topics—and things to cook. Apologies in advance to all my vegetarian friends. I just can't help myself. So, when I ask my friends what they have the most trouble cooking, the answer will very likely be: "Meat!" (Or, "Steak!" or "Veal!") Sometimes it's, "I can't grill pork chops. They always dry out,...

I've had a lot of requests for this lately when we have a barbecue. The crisp beans are a refreshing balance for smoky, spicy pork ribs or a perfectly charred sirloin. The toasty sesame dressing gets its sweetness from a drizzle of seasoned rice wine vinegar—and of course, from the peas themselves. Turkish Aleppo chili flakes add a tiny bit...

In our house, we make these cookies around Christmas, but they're great year round. They're soft and sweet—and slightly tangy. This recipe is a family heirloom. (I actually called my mother to ask for permission to share it with you. No joke.) You'll need a standard cookie press to make them. If you don't have a stand mixer for the...

So it finally stopped raining in Boston. While the rain's been bad for just about everyone and everything lately, my veggies have been loving it. I have more peppers and tomatoes than I know what to do with. Here's a quick and easy chopped salad that goes really well with a grilled steak and a glass of sangria. Using a...