Crumbs of Bread

Bread Crumbs 

Why do people buy them? 

I’ve always wondered. 

Just about everybody seems to have some kind of bread in the house, some fresh, some stale, some mouldy, etc. So, why are you gong to the grocery store and buying someone else’s stale bread that’s been pulverized into a can?? 

Ya’ got me. 

Unless you have chickens or are part of the Audobon Society’s Bird Protection Programme, stale bread can be very useful. Most people throw it away. 

Visigoths. 

Personally, I have bread every night with dinner; whether it’s Pita, Tuscan, or some kind of a roll. Whatever’s left over, winds up in a convenient cereal bowl until there is enough to pulverize into breadcrumbs. Believe me, after toasting this will not go mouldy, and will dry up quite nicely on its own in the open air of your counter top. 

So, what are breadcrumbs?

Well, they’re crumbs of bread, obviously; but where do they come from?

Does anybody really know??

Is it merely the fact that the bread manufactures have some horrible factory defects that they don’t want you to know about, which, they then pulverize into a can and re-sell to you as the important ingredient for breaded veal cutlets???? 

Apparently so. 

The real question is who is smarter? The bread conglomerate or you, who have just come from the fresh bakery down the block, with a beautiful loaf of crusty Tuscan that is destined for the best Bruscetta ever because your upside down tomato plant is in full fruit. But wait, I only really need half a loaf, that means that I need to throw out the other half because it will go stale. 

Foolish mortal. 

Whatever you don’t use, place into a paper bag and then place the paper bag into a plastic bag and place that into the fridge for tomorrow. The next day it will seem soft and stale, but, stick a few slices into the toaster or in the oven for a few minutes to revitalize it and make some sandwiches or some garlic croutons for your luncheon salad. 

After a few days, the bread is a bit too stale to use, so now it’s time for breadcrumbs. There are two ways to go here; you can either leave the leftover heel out on the counter to dry out on its own, or, what I prefer to do, is lightly toast whatever you have left and then leave it out on the counter to dry out. 

Once you have about a loaf of stale crispy crusts of bread, break out the food processor. Unfortunately this is a necessary piece of equipment, sorry. Normally I don’t extol kitchen gadgets when a good sharp knife can be used, but, in this case, you really need one of these. And, also, isn’t your birthday coming up?? Time to splurge.

Add your stale toasted bread and pulverize away!!!

Homemade bread crumbs in no time and you managed to but a dent in Progresso's profit margin.