Sauces
Sauce & dressing recipes
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…
Crouton’s Fire-Roasted Tomato Salsa
I hate grocery store and chain restaurant salsa, with its chunks of tomato and green pepper swimming in tomato-flavored water. Here in Tucson a local restaurant called El Charro makes its own salsa, thick, smooth, and … even though the main ingredient is tomato … not tomatoey. I…
Crouton’s Shrimp & Chicken Italian Sausage w/Cheese Polenta & Sriracha Sauce
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…
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…
Crouton’s Fettuccini Alfredo
This is a great side dish for richly-flavored meat dishes, like scallopini al limone, veal marsala, or grilled Italian sausage. Notes You can use half-and-half if you prefer, but plain milk is IMHO too thin. It’s easier to use dried…
Crouton’s Chicken Satay w/Cucumber Salad & Frites
When we lived in Holland we discovered satay, the Indonesian/Thai peanut sauce served with skewered pork and chicken, even as a dip for pommes frites (French fried potatoes). We still love satay, and occasionally make it with chicken and our…
Crouton’s Easy Gumbo
Gumbo’s hard, right? Not if you use a package roux/gumbo base — then all you have to do is doctor it up. Cajun Crouton is way into easy! Notes Serve in bowls over rice with good crusty bread on the…
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…
Our Favorite Barbecue Sauce
Notes I sometimes add a pinch of dried red pepper flakes and a half-teaspoon of liquid hickory smoke flavor. We use this sauce on all kinds of barbecued meat; it’s particularly good on chicken and ribs!