Cookblogging
Blogging about cooking
Jerusalem Artichoke Gratin
When Ditalini told me she’d picked up Jerusalem artichokes at the co-op last Saturday, I pictured something … well, artichokey, maybe a smaller version of the California artichokes I was familiar with. But Ditalini’s Jerusalem artichokes turned out to be…
Boeuf Bourguignon à la Julia Child
I finally tackled a long put-off project, the famous boeuf bourguignon (beef stew in red wine with bacon, onions, and mushrooms) from Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This is a recipe you’ll need to study and understand…
Birthday Dinner à la Poulet en Crote
Saturday night Poulet en Crote, a long-time friend of Crouton’s Kitchen and the deMenthes, threw a birthday party for me and our mutual friends Osso Bucco and Pomme Frites. I can’t resist posting a photo of the dinner she prepared…
Best Smoked Brisket Yet
Twice now, I’ve smoked beef briskets, describing the process here and here. Each time I used a slightly different approach: first with a dry-rubbed brisket, second with a combination of dry rub and mop. On the Friday after Thanksgiving at…
Names & Such
Occasionally readers ask me about the names on this blog. Crouton. Ditalini. Escargot. A bit of explanation is in order. When I started this blog I decided to use a nom de plume. My wife, who contributes many of the…
Escargot’s Gordon Bleeping Ramsey Chicken
Every now and then, from the other end of the house, I hear my daughter watching something on TV that sounds like this: “Murmur murmur bleep murmur bleep bleep murmur.” I thought maybe it was Spongebob Squarepants with a bad…
Escargot’s Birthday Dinner
No S-car for the daughter this year, but Ditalini did make her a fine dinner: Ditalini’s sarma & pilaf recipe is here. Happy birthday, Escargot!
Chicken-Fried Steak & Garlic Mashed Potatoes w/Cracked-Pepper Gravy & Green Beans
Guido & Sophia Trattoria gave me a late Christmas present last weekend: A Cowboy in the Kitchen, a Texas-themed cookbook by Grady Spears. When I cracked the covers the very first time, it opened to page 32 and a recipe…
The deMenthe Family Thanksgiving
The deMenthe family Thanksgiving spread included traditional roast turkey, smoked duck, stuffing, hot crescent rolls, corn casserole and tossed green salad (courtesy of our friend Poulet en Crote), green bean casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, and of course cranberry sauce. Ditalini…
Gee, That Food Looks Terrible
Fellow foodies, here’s something to warm your hearts — a Flickr pool of gross vintage food ads!