What’s On the Stove?

Crouton deMenthe — Sat, 13 Apr 2013 18:52:36 +0000

Pasta alla Putanesca, that’s what!

Meatloaf

Crouton deMenthe — Tue, 12 Mar 2013 17:49:53 +0000

It’s time to address comfort food, and what could be more comforting than meatloaf?

Neufchatel’s meatloaf with broccolini

My mother used to make a simple, basic meatloaf. We all loved it. Ditalini makes meatloaf too, but hers is fancier: she puts a roll of mozzarella cheese wrapped in sliced ham into the center of [...]

Ditalini’s Steamed Mussels & Crouton’s Lobster Claw Boil

Crouton deMenthe — Sat, 29 Dec 2012 16:30:23 +0000

Yesterday I posted a short entry about holiday gluttony, along with a photo of our Christmas Eve seafood feast. It occurred to me you might want to know how we prepared it. My recipe for shrimp boil is already in the index; below you’ll find our recipes for steamed mussels and boiled lobster claws.

Year-End Wrapup: More Holiday Gluttony

Crouton deMenthe — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 16:58:39 +0000

Ditalini and I drove to Las Vegas with our daughter Escargot and doggies Mortadella & Ubracio to spend Christmas with our son Baguette, daughter in law Truffle, granddaughter Biscotto, and grandson Pesce. All the deMenthes together again!

Of course the holidays are all about eating. Baguette activated Fortress of Smoke™ Las Vegas, and when we [...]

Thanksgiving 2012: the Gluttoning

Crouton deMenthe — Fri, 23 Nov 2012 15:43:48 +0000

Green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, stuffing, rolls, smoked brisket, turkey & gravy (cranberry sauce, alas, forgotten), Mandarin orange salad

And I’m not even going to mention the deserts: Truffle’s lovely cheesecake, pumpkin pie, apple pie. Nor the appetizers: beer-boiled shrimp, cheese, olives, crackers, homemade giardiniera relish (thanks again to Truffle). Let’s just say we [...]

Crouton’s Shrimp & Chicken Italian Sausage w/Cheese Polenta & Sriracha Sauce

Crouton deMenthe — Thu, 27 Sep 2012 22:16:48 +0000

Let me just say, right off the bat, that this was an experiment based on a popular Southern dish, shrimp & cheese grits. Next time I’ll add a green vegetable on the side for color, and perhaps substitute chicken breast meat for the chicken Italian sausage, because the strong fennel taste of [...]

Separating Egg Yolks

Crouton deMenthe — Fri, 31 Aug 2012 00:54:23 +0000

Don’t worry about the language. You’ll get it.

Is that cool or what?

Fresh Hatch Chilis

Crouton deMenthe — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 16:07:44 +0000

This entry isn’t a recipe, though it’s closely related to one, Crouton’s New Mexico Green Chile Stew. I wanted to share a bit of local color with you, namely the Hatch green chile roasters who set up shop in front of our local Safeway during the season. Here they are with their gas-fired roaster, burning [...]

Crouton’s New Mexico Green Chile Stew (Updated)

Crouton deMenthe — Mon, 13 Aug 2012 15:20:31 +0000

Yesterday someone set up a gas-fired roaster in front of the local Safeway and started roasting fresh Hatch green chiles. They smelled so good I couldn’t resist buying a bag and rushing home to make a pot of New Mexico green chile stew. I know, there’s another green chile stew recipe here at Crouton’s Kitchen, [...]

Crouton’s Crockpot Pulled Pork

Crouton deMenthe — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 17:34:08 +0000

I had some home-made pulled pork at a friend’s house last month and decided to try it myself. My goodness, even Ditalini liked it. I’ll definitely do this again.

Crouton's pulled pork (with cole slaw)

Ingredients

4 lbs pork shoulder or butt 2 large onions 8-10 oz ginger ale 18 oz barbecue sauce

Directions

[...]

Crouton's Kitchen