Nothing jazzes up a salad like live eels. But, they are not always handy and that’s a shame. More likely than not, though, you have some old bread around. I had the remnants of two loaves, white and whole wheat. Let’s make some Croutons!
Slice the bread into small cubes, approximately crouton size. Leaving the crust on is a personal decision that you should discuss with your family and your loved ones. If I am preparing a formal salad, I trim the crusts, if not I leave them on. I toss the ‘pre-tons’ in a bowl with olive oil, salt and pepper. It’s always nice when every component of your salad is seasoned correctly. Pre-heat your oven on to 350. Put your cubes on a sheet pan and put them in and turn off your oven. What we are trying to do is dehydrate the bread, not really cook it again. The residual heat of the oven should dry them out in an hour or two. Don’t open the door to check too early, you’ll let the heat out. When the time is right, try one. They should be crunchy all the way through. If they are still chewy in the middle, repeat the process, unless you like that kind of thing.