croutons and breadcrumbs

[gonefishin]

Hi guys and gals


I just got done making homemade croutons and breadcrumbs for the first time. I can't tell you how many times I've heard that store bought breadcrumbs and croutons are a waste...of money...and flavor.

After making my first batch of crumbs and crouts I'm hooked. I'll never throw away stale bread again...nor will I use store bought breadcrumbs when it's possible to make them. The flavor just isn't comparable.

I ended up making a nice salad with romaine, leafy and radicchio using the fresh croutons. What flavor and texture it added.

For appetizer...we had some roasted tomato skins roasted with balsamic vinegar, roasted red pepper...a basil leaf and fresh mozzarella covered with olive oil broiled until bubbly and turning brown...lightly salted.

Egg plant parmesan using an egg/milk mixture and then the homemade breadcrumbs quickly lightly browned in olive oil...but under the broiler to melt/brown the mozzorella on top. Served beside pasta with sauce on pasta and lighlty on the fried eggplant. Parmesan reggiano shaved over the dish and served with some two sided garlic bread.

After dinner was a fresh peach belinni.

A bit later was a nice cup of chemex brewed coffee with some homemade truffles (which I’m not entirely happy with). The truffles were filled with either fresh rasberries rolled in unsweetened cocoa powder...or filled with a whole peacan rolled in chili powder. The chili powder was a real surprise...it went together nicely.

The thing that made the dinner was the breadcrumbs...I just loved’em. If your one of the people like me...do yourself a favor and make some breadcrumbs out of that stale bread.

Thanks,

Dan

[chrose]

I gotta stop reading this stuff before breakfast!

[Suzanne]

Dear Dan -- You've been here a while, so we know you're not a TOTAL newbie when it comes to cooking . . .

But it is so exciting to see people discover how easy these little touches are, and how much they improve even the simplest dishes.

[gonefishin]

Hi Suzanne,

You know...it was just one of those things that I figured I would get to some day. It was always in the back of my mind...but often pushed aside for things that seemed to be more exciting.

Your comments are spot on...thanks

dan

[ricib]

I've never done breadcrumbs, as I just don't use them enough, maybe I'll start and teach myself a thing or two.

I learned that croutons are a necessary thing to do, when the FOH requests WAY more bread be baked off, than is actually neccesary. We deepfried them, (YUCK!) or else baked them off, with a bit of olive oil, salt pepper and thyme. Though I liked to occasionally throw in a touch of rosemary, as it made the kitchen smell great, as well as a great flavor.

Don't forget Croutons on soup! YUMMY!

[redace1960]

gonefishin- isnt it cool? little things like that make such a big difference. discovered homemade bread crumbs and croutons during my early bread baking misadventures. what turns out as a flat, inedible hockey puck still makes great crumbs! ever see a strange, flat grid, made of diamond cut wires with a handle on it in an antique store? that was used for grating down stale bread heels and old biscuits for crumbs. grandma was right!
and sourdough croutons!
and brioche!
and old cake!

[Mangilao30]

Gone Fishin,
Glad you discovered the joys of homemade bread crumbs, I keeo three sizes. Fine for breading, I run it thorugh a fine sieve, and bread veal fillets, chicken fillets, turkey fillets etc. Medium for stuffings or fillings like veal involtini. Pound a fillet of veal flat, mix bread crumbs with chopped parsely, garlic, parmigianno, lemon rind, season, then spoon mixture into center of fillet and roll up, tie or use toothpicks to hold them together then grill. They are nice cut on the bias and served with a chunky homemade tomato sauce. The large ones I save or salad croutons. We are trying to eat lower carb and more fish and veggies since we discovered my hubby has high cholesterol so my bread crumb supply is a bit low right now.