The delicious kitchen staple we so often take for granted is not merely a stick tucked into our refrigerator door. It's a culinary catalyst, an agent of change, a gastronomic rock star. From its accidental invention in a long-ago herder's pouch to its ubiquitous presence in the world's most fabulous cuisines, butter is boss. Now, it finally gets its due. Award-winning food writer and Chef Elaine Khosrova serves up a story as rich, textured, and culturally relevant as butter itself. From the ancient butter bogs of Ireland to the sacred butter sculptures of Tibet, Butter is about so much more than food. Khosrova details its surprisingly vital role in history, politics, economics, nutrition, even spirituality and art. From its humble agrarian origins to its present-day artisanal glory, butter has a fascinating story to tell, and Khosrova is the perfect person to tell it. She even includes the essential collection of carefully developed core butter recipes, from beurre manie and croissants to pate brisee and the perfect buttercream frosting, and provides practical how-tos for making various types of butter at home - no churning necessary.
I hesitated for while over this one; I mean, how much can really be said about butter? It seemed like a stretch.
It would have been too, if the entire 344 pages had just been about the story of butter. But, in fact, only about half the book is dedicated the butter's rich history and present day revival. And wow, what a rich history is was too; I had no idea that butter carving is a thing or that it is so intricately tied to so many ceremonies of worship around the world. The prologue about Yak milking in the mountains of Bhutan caught my attention and the rest of the 10 or so chapters held it firmly, especially chapter 8, which not only discusses all the reversals in diet advice happening today, but inadvertently serves as an indictment of sorts on modern journalism. Chapter 8 left me with a lot to think about.
The second half of the book is used to share recipes that without butter would not exist: pound cake, buttercream frosting, pie crusts, etc. I'm definitely trying the scones and the pull apart biscuits sooner rather than later.
The best part, for me, though is at the end, when she gives step by step instructions for making your own fresh butter, cultured butter, ghee, clarified and compound butters. I almost bought the book just for these pages and I'm not disappointed. I can't wait to try making my own butter (as soon as I figure out the Aussie translation of "heavy" cream). As she says, you'll almost never save any money making your own, but I think it would be fun to be able to say "I made my own butter!".
Recommended for history and food lovers - or people deeply interested in where their food comes from.
Reading updates
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Started reading
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31 January, 2017:
Finished reading
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31 January, 2017:
Reviewed