About Cousin Mike

Who is Cousin Mike?

I’m an untrained, unorthodox cook who loves to cook but hates to follow directions (recipes). I like to experiment and try new things — I’ve cooked a lot of vegetarian and gluten-free food over the years, even though I’m neither. I just like making tasty things everyone can enjoy.

I grew up in the great state of Vermont, in a log cabin that my father built, on a dirt road — and I wouldn’t have changed a thing. I was lucky to have two loving parents with hobbies that rubbed off on me early. My mother was a talented cook who let me help her in the kitchen as a kid. My father was an incredibly handy man and an avid DIY’er who loved cars, motorcycles, and most of all working on them. That pretty much explains my obsession with cooking, DIY, cars, and motorcycles.

How I got the nickname “Cousin Mike”

When I was 14, my parents separated and later divorced. My father moved to New Jersey and remarried a wonderful woman named Donna when I was 16. At their wedding I met her nephew Chris, and we became fast friends — same age, both into cars and girls, both driving since we were 14 (long story for another day).

The next summer I drove down to Jersey with a couple of friends and stayed with my dad and Donna. Chris and his crew showed us what New Jersey was all about. His friends seemed larger-than-life to us Vermonters — they played football, worked out, and had big personalities. Chris always introduced me as his “Cousin Mike.”

I came back the following summer too, and between Seaside Park and the night clubs I knew I’d move to Jersey after school. Vermont is beautiful, but it’s landlocked and felt a decade behind — and, well, the girls in New Jersey were beautiful. After I moved, Chris and his friends became my friends, and the nickname stuck. To this day Chris and I still introduce each other as cousins, then qualify it with “by marriage” or “step-cousins.”

What you’ll find here

When I started this site it was going to be a little bit of everything. These days it’s mostly what I love most: real, from-scratch recipes. Every one is built around the same idea — there’s usually a single technique that separates the good version of a dish from the version people beg you to make again, and I tell you exactly what it is.

Start with my full recipe collection, or dive straight into The Ultimate Italian Sunday Dinner. A few of my favorites to get you going: Crispy Chicken Parmesan, Sweet & Spicy Three-Meat Lasagna, and Oven Pulled Pork.

A few other things I’m into

This blog started as a catch-all for my hobbies, and that side of me hasn’t gone anywhere. I’m into cars and track days — I race my own BMWs — along with motorcycles, DIY projects, photography, and floating in sensory-deprivation tanks. You’ll still catch some of that here from time to time. But if you came for the food, you’re in the right place.

Thanks for visiting — and if you make one of my recipes, that’s the whole reason I’m here.

Common Questions

Who is Cousin Mike?

Cousin Mike is a self-taught home cook from New Jersey (originally Vermont) and the creator of Cousin Mike Cooks, where he shares from-scratch recipes built around the single technique that makes each one work.

Is Cousin Mike a professional chef?

No. He’s an untrained, unorthodox home cook who loves to experiment. Every recipe is written for a normal home kitchen, with the why behind each step explained so anyone can get it right.

Where is Cousin Mike based?

New Jersey. He grew up in Vermont in a log cabin his father built, and moved to New Jersey after school.

What kind of food does Cousin Mike make?

A wide range, all from scratch: Italian dinners, BBQ and grilling, homemade sauces and rubs, comfort-food classics, holiday sides, and breakfast.

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