U.S. Senate Navy Bean Soup
We’ve experimented with different navy bean soup recipes over the years; this time we’re trying an authentic-seeming Food Network recipe (I compared it to the actual U.S. Senate cafeteria recipe listed on Wikipedia and it’s a match in ingredients and relative…
Remodeling Crouton’s Kitchen
Over the next few days (weeks?) we’ll be experimenting with a new look for Crouton’s Kitchen. There’s a lot to like about the current design, but it’s time for something different. The kitchen will remain open, but there may be…
Crouton’s Better Package Cornbread
When Ditalini and I make chili, we make cornbread. When we have the time and the ingredients, we make fancy cornbread (check the recipe index for some recipes). When we don’t, we use the package recipe on the side of…
Bacon-Wrapped Venison Backstrap w/Garlic Cream Sauce
Ditalini’s sister Gina Cannoli visited over the holidays, accompanied by her husband Lengua. They brought along several frozen packs of dressed venison from a recent hunting trip. Two of the packages contained backstrap, the tenderloin of a deer, a highly-regarded cut…
Ditalini’s Dutch Baby
Later this morning I’m going to photoblog the deMenthe family’s 4th of July feasts. That, along with this entry, will (I hope) signal an end to my long absence from Crouton’s Kitchen. A long time back I promised to post Ditalini’s…
Hasenpfeffer
Hasenpfeffer is also known as braised rabbit in spiced red wine sauce, but the literal translation is “peppered hare.” We made this dish often when we were first married. That was more than 40 years ago, and rabbit was not…
Braised Beef Short Ribs w/Fingerling Potatoes & Green Beans
The deMenthes dined tonight on braised beef short ribs with fingerling potatoes and sautéed green beans. Cooking the ribs is an all-day affair, but not really all that much work. If you put the ribs in the oven first thing in…
Crouton’s Off-the-Shelf Navy Bean Soup
I’m going to make an exception here and put in a recipe from a package of dried navy beans, modified only by the addition of a smoked ham hock. I love this particular navy bean soup, and if you haven’t…
A Traditional Christmas
I was on deck for Christmas Eve dinner. Since we didn’t have company this year, I didn’t make the usual pot of clam chowder. Instead, we treated ourselves to shellfish, our Christmas Eve fallback when it’s just family: a shrimp boil…
Thanksgiving 2016
Sorry, no recipes this time, just a few notes and photos. The deMenthes enjoyed a traditional Thanksgiving. Number one daughter Escargot was here, along with number one son Baguette, number one daughter in law Truffle, and number one grandson Pesce.…