"Store bought" croutons... Are there any you recommend?
May 16, 2015 | 8:09 am
#1
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"Store bought" croutons... Are there any you recommend?
My personal view is that the reason you eat salads is in order to eat croutons 
But the commercial ones I've been able to find are mediocre at best: Either they are tiny uniform cubes of tasteless white bread, or they are more substantial but often hard as a rock.
My canonical croutons are the ones the cook at a restaurant in Twenty Nine Palms, California, whipped up on the fly when I asked the waitress if there were any: irregularly sized pieces, very flavorful, crunchy on the outside and still ever-so-slightly warm on the inside.
Recognizing that no "bagged" crouton can approach that, when there is not time or inclination to do-it-yourself, do you have recommendations?
But the commercial ones I've been able to find are mediocre at best: Either they are tiny uniform cubes of tasteless white bread, or they are more substantial but often hard as a rock.
My canonical croutons
are the ones the cook at a restaurant in Twenty Nine Palms, California, whipped up on the fly when I asked the waitress if there were any: irregularly sized pieces, very flavorful, crunchy on the outside and still ever-so-slightly warm on the inside.Recognizing that no "bagged" crouton can approach that, when there is not time or inclination to do-it-yourself, do you have recommendations?
May 16, 2015 | 9:58 pm
#2
Join Date: Nov 2011
Location: California
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My MIL had some good ones the last time we visited. They were very garlicky, which I think is a fine quality in a crouton (or most foods, really), large, and mostly not too hard. (There were a few extra-firm ones.)
Scrolling through crouton packages, I think they were either Chatham Village garlic and butter (Costco) or Fresh Gourmet butter and garlic.
I agree, nothing compares to homemade, alas.
Well, they can also be a good bacon bit delivery system, but there are more of those. 
Scrolling through crouton packages, I think they were either Chatham Village garlic and butter (Costco) or Fresh Gourmet butter and garlic.
I agree, nothing compares to homemade, alas.
May 17, 2015 | 4:50 pm
#3
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Cooking 101.
Bread. Stale is better, score.
Cube - skill level 1. Time 10 seconds.
Toss with your choice. Olive oil salt and pepper will do herbs increase the difficulty. - skill level 1. Time 20 seconds.
Toast in oven. Skill level, zero. Time, have a martini and watch they don't burn.
Put on salad. Yum.
Bread. Stale is better, score.
Cube - skill level 1. Time 10 seconds.
Toss with your choice. Olive oil salt and pepper will do herbs increase the difficulty. - skill level 1. Time 20 seconds.
Toast in oven. Skill level, zero. Time, have a martini and watch they don't burn.
Put on salad. Yum.
Jun 9, 2015 | 10:19 am
#6
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Join Date: May 2001
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
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Posts: 18,588
Cooking 101.
Bread. Stale is better, score.
Cube - skill level 1. Time 10 seconds.
Toss with your choice. Olive oil salt and pepper will do herbs increase the difficulty. - skill level 1. Time 20 seconds.
Toast in oven. Skill level, zero. Time, have a martini and watch they don't burn.
Put on salad. Yum.
Bread. Stale is better, score.
Cube - skill level 1. Time 10 seconds.
Toss with your choice. Olive oil salt and pepper will do herbs increase the difficulty. - skill level 1. Time 20 seconds.
Toast in oven. Skill level, zero. Time, have a martini and watch they don't burn.
Put on salad. Yum.
Jun 12, 2015 | 9:39 am
#7
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Omaha, NE, USA
Posts: 1,495