Crouton Cooks Keo
I recently dug out Keo’s Thai Cuisine, a cookbook that’s been sitting on our shelf, unopened, since 1992. What got me off my ass, Thai-cooking-wise? Shame. Evil Jungle Prince with Chicken (& Shrimp) You see, I admitted on Facebook to…
Look at that S Car Go!
Ditalini and I drove to Las Vegas last week to visit our children, Baguette and Escargot. High on Escargot’s list was learning to cook two of Ditalini’s favorite recipes, stuffed grape leaves and chicken tajine. With a little coaching from…
Crouton’s Slow Roasted Pork Shoulder
Ever wonder how they prepare that tender pulled pork they serve at barbecue restaurants? This is one way to do it. You’ll need three to four days prep time and room in your refrigerator for a large bowl of marinating…
Preserving Lemons
Preserved lemons have many uses, but we primarily use them to prepare two Moroccan recipes: Chicken Tajine (aka Rotten Chicken), and Chicken Tajine w/Harissa, Artichokes, & Grapes. You can store preserved lemons in your refrigerator for up to 6 months.
Ditalini’s Chicken Tajine (Rotten Chicken)
The proper name is Chicken Tajine, but Ditalini has always called it Rotten Chicken, and that’s what kids and company ask for when they want a special dinner. We call it that because it’s prepared with preserved lemons, which soften…
Crouton’s Hamburger T Soup
I felt like making soup tonight. I had hamburger and a bottle of Mr. & Mrs. T’s Bloody Mary Mix. Thus the inspiration for this easy, homey, tasty soup:
Christmas Eve Seafood
We invited all our single friends over to help us decorate our tree on Christmas Eve. Of course one has to give in order to receive, so we lured them over with promises of food. Our traditional Christmas Eve feast…
Jerk Pork Medallions with Brussels Sprouts & Potatoes
I felt like cooking last night, and I also felt like something new, so I decided to marinate pork medallions in jerk sauce and grill them. Potatoes and Brussels sprouts sounded like the perfect side dishes. It wasn’t too hard,…
Uncle Art’s Chili Beans con Carne
It’s cold and rainy, a perfect day to reattack Uncle Art’s Beans. This time I’m making them with chuck roast, so at the risk of offending chili purists (and Uncle Art’s family), I’m calling it Uncle Art’s Chili Beans con…
Cabbage & Hamburger Soup
Cabbage & hamburger soup? That sounds pretty, ah, pedestrian, doesn’t it? Friends, take my word for it, this is great soup, especially if you serve it with crusty bread. Easy to make, too. Notes When you add the cabbage it’ll really…