#butter

#butter

On one hand, the conventional wisdom is that it's dead simple. But then, often in the same breath, there's an endless list of caveats, and they frequently contradict each other. Bring your beef to room temperature, or pre-sear straight from the fridge? Salt and pepper only, or introduce a medley of aromatics? Somehow, every tip for a simple juicy steak is different.

While making soup, Ramsay plops butter into the recipe in a move he dubs a "naughty chef's trick." This nearly last step in the soup-making process is a move that helps make the soup extra smooth and delicious. In the video posted to Facebook, Ramsay shows that pumpkin that has been roasted with rosemary and garlic and is blended with butter is the kind of foundation that sets the stage for a tasty meal.

I remember cooking in Italy with a friend, and as she was dousing another platter of vegetables in olive oil, she said, "In Italy olive oil is a flavor. It's not just to keep things from sticking to the pan." I feel the same way about butter in France. If you've had a warm croissant from a pastry shop, you know how important (and transcendent) the flavor of butter is.

Keeping butter frozen while making dough is crucial to maintaining its shape. If butter melts before baking, the crust will not hold its form.

While both clarified and cultured butter are unique styles, the way they are each prepared creates butters with very different qualities and uses.

Like many food trends, beef tallow's resurgence demonstrates a cyclical nature, where ancestral culinary practices are re-embraced, driven by modern dietary movements and interests.

If you've ever opened your butter dish only to be hit with a cheesy aroma, you're not alone - and you're not necessarily dealing with spoiled butter.