Homemade Croutons

Many expert cooks believe that cooking begins at the store. It is there that the freshest and finest ingredient are hand-selected to perfectly match the desired recipe. In the kitchen each step of the recipe is followed with exactness, resulting in a prefect, predicable product. I am not that type of cook.

To me recipes are simply guidelines; a jumping off point if you will. To me the real fun happens when you look in the cupboard and create something out of nothing.

Here is an example:

· Take some bread (anything will do, some of my favorites croutons were made of leftover hamburger buns)
· Cut the bread into cubes and place in a plastic bag
· Add vinegar, oil (balsamic vinegar and olive oil are my favorites)
· Add seasonings (I always keep an Italian dressing package handy, but you can be creative.)
· Shake together in the bag
· Sauté in a hot skillet, cook until golden (think of grill cheese sandwiches)