What a great expression. “Butter me up”.  Generally “to butter someone up” means to flatter them in an attempt to win favor, or to give them extra attention. This hints to the deliciousness of butter and how much people love it, if they consider being slathered in it as something desirable!

I prefer my butter on a wide variety of foods rather than myself. In fact there are many foods that serve as almost the perfect vehicle with which to carry the butter to your mouth. But first, let’s talk about “good” butter.

All butter is good, unless rancid. Some is better than others. Skip the margarine and various other “spreads”. New medical information has taken the stigma off of butter and brought this wonderful dairy product back to our tables. It can even help you to lose weight! It’s a good fat, really! Let go of the brain-washing. Think for yourself.

Grandpa Iggy had 2 Jersey cows, Bessy and Dolly. I remember him using the separator (to take the cream out of the milk)  and making butter that was as yellow as a dandelion. He let the cream stand on the counter for a day or two and thus made cultured butter. It was a little sour. In my adventures in making butter I have found that cultured cream becomes butter faster. Maybe its due to the cream being at room temperature when you start. After the fat came together Grandpa would put it in a bowl and toss it, much like you would while sauteing something. This squeezed out all the remaining moisture which is crucial for butter that keeps well. It also made the butter into a distinctive football shape which he then wrapped in waxed paper. Oh the memories of that farm… Very delicious.

Have you ever gotten fresh whole milk, skimmed the cream and made butter? Seriously, this is heaven on earth. Check out this “how to” from Mother Earth News. You can buy whipping cream and get similar results. You have to try this. It’s a great kitchen project to do with an enthusiastic young cook…say 10-12 years old.

Remember the episode from “I Love Lucy” where Lucy and Ethel decide to save money by making homemade stuff like butter. Ethel comes up from her apartment with her hands firmly wrapped around what looks like a broom stick. She’s been churning butter. Lucy goes through many crazy maneuvers to get Ethel’s hands free. The advent of the electric mixer has taken away the hazards of butter churning!

Butter is used in a few different forms in cooking. Clarified butter, or drawn butter, has been melted and the milk solids strained off. Because of the absence of the milk solids it doesn’t burn as fast and things can be cooked at a higher temperature. I prefer the milk solids since this is where most of the flavor is. Actually, I’d be happy to be the official dumping station for the milk solids for all of you who are clarifying your butter.

Ghee is another form of butter used mostly in Indian Cuisine. It is not the same as clarified butter. Ghee has been cooked longer, all of the moisture is cooked off and the milk solids are caramelized and then removed, leaving the ghee with a very nutty flavor. It also has a longer shelf life at room temperature if stored in an airtight container.

While doing a little research for this post, the most common answer to, “what’s your favorite food to put butter on?”, Homemade bread wins in a landslide. Popcorn follows with a close second. After that, the stats are all over the place from lobster to soda crackers. Here are a few…Oatmeal, corn on the cob, Filet Mignon, biscuits, banana bread, egg noodles, fried apples, garden fresh green beans, Rum (as in hot buttered…) baked potatoes…

We all know how to put butter on homemade bread and I won’t go into bread recipes here, however, I have a popcorn recipe worth sharing. My dear friend Dorothy used to make this great snack…

Dorothy’s Honey Butter Popcorn

1 stick of real butter

3 T honey

Heat just until melted.

Make about 2 qts of popcorn.  Salt generously. Place popcorn in a 9×13 pan. (I use a deep roaster) Pour honey-butter over popped corn. Toss until evenly distributed. ENJOY.

I have added almonds and other goodies to this mix. Try a little cinnamon or nutmeg!

Julie (aka Lucy) and I have a running tally of how many pounds of butter we use when I go up there for a weekend. I believe the record is 6 pounds. We made Baklava. Pure butter bliss. Not there was 6 pounds in 1 baklava, we also made other crazy butter laden delights.

When it comes right down to it, butter makes just about everything better. Oh, um, my favorite…shrimp! Yes, with the milk solids still in the butter bowl. And when the shrimp is gone…bottoms up on the butter bowl!