Of homemade croutons, infused oil and the Pat Boone recipe for boring dinner parties Dear Surreal Gourmet, I made your Hail Caesar Salad and it was every bit as good as you said it would be. The "Adventure Club" suggestion was to "make your own croutons." Do you have a recipe? -- Garlic Breath Dear Garlic Breath Nothing is more anticlimactic then topping a prize Caesar with store-bought croutons that were really intended for turkey stuffing. And nothing seems more overpriced than gourmet-style croutons. Making your own croutons is simple. Start with a slightly stale chunk of good earthy bread -- ideally a rustic loaf of country white or sour dough. Cut the bread into half-inch cubes, place in a bowl and toss thoroughly with a splash of robust olive oil until oil is absorbed (approximately 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil for every 2 cups of bread cubes). Squeeze bread gently like a sponge to allow oil to permeate it evenly. Transfer the bread to a cookie sheet and bake in a pre-heated oven at 350°F for approximately 25 minutes, or until evenly browned. When making croutons for my Caesar, I don't bother seasoning them because the flavor of the dressing tends to overwhelm any subtle flavors. For simpler salads, I often add a dash of some or all of the following: dried oregano, thyme or basil; freshly ground black pepper; Parmesan cheese. Enjoy. Dear Surreal Gourmet, How can I make the herbed olive oils that I often see on the table at restaurants? -- Oil Envy Dear Oil Envy Many restaurants serve small vessels of olive oil with a sprig of rosemary and a few peppers or peppercorns floating about. This is very decorative, but a tad misleading since the intense flavor of the oil probably did not come from that one lonely sprig. To make a liter of favorable infused oil, start with your choice of the following ingredients: 1 large bunch of fresh rosemary 1 large bunch of fresh thyme 4 raw garlic cloves, peeled and crushed with the flat edge of a knife 8 roasted garlic cloves, peeled 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns 1 handful of small dried peppers 1 liter of robust olive oil (but nothing over $10 since the delicate flavor will be overwhelmed by the herbs and spices). Stuff all of the flavoring ingredients into a large jar and pour the olive oil over top. Make sure that the oil covers all of the herbs, or mold will form. Cover tightly with a lid and allow jar to sit at room temperature, or in a sunny spot in your kitchen, for a week. Then strain out the debris and return the oil to its original bottle, or another more decorative one. If you like, add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary to dress it up. I often read that infused oils should be stored in the refrigerator, and consumed within a month. However, I leave mine on the counter for months -- and I am still standing. Dear Surreal Gourmet, I'm hosting an obligatory dinner party for three of my co-workers and their spouses this Friday, and I already know it's going to be boring. Please help me. -- ZZZZZ Dear ZZZZZ Sometimes you've just got to break the rules. Start dinner with Tequila shooters. Cover the table with penny candy. Put a disposable camera in the middle of the table ... or better yet, a Polaroid camera. Light the entire table with a single candle. Play Pat Boone's new metal album and see if anybody gets the joke. Serve dinner Middle Eastern-style -- sans silverware. Blow up a photo of your boss (assuming he or she is not attending) and play pin the tail on the donkey. Pray for a snowstorm. Good luck! March 19, 1997 Seeking culinary guidance? E-mail your queries to TasteTalk. Please sign your full name, and let us know if you want your e-mail address to appear.

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