Let's Talk About

Butter.
Wonderful, delicious, creamy, rich butter.

A friend and I were recently grocery shopping, and he asked if it mattered if we got margarine or butter.  After recovering from the shock of even being asked this question, I responded with a very deliberate, "Yes."

Butter and margarine are not interchangeable.  Butter and shortening are not interchangeable.  Let's just agree right now that we will never use any sort of butter substitute, period.  In fact, make this url your mantra: butterisbest.com.

Margarine is made through hydrogenation, a chemical process that only occurs through chemical tinkering.  On the other hand, butter is made by simply churning cream until the fat separates from the liquid.
Finding a recipe to make butter: Easy.  Finding a recipe to make margarine: Hope you're a scientist.

Most importantly, butter tastes amazing and margarine tastes like nothing.

My latest obsession is Nordic Creamery's summer butter.  After trying some at Green City Market last week, I have not been able to stop thinking about it.  This morning I visited the market again, and I bought my own tub of summer butter.  It is so creamy that it tastes a little like cheese, but I kind of enjoy when my butter tastes like cheese (and when my cheese tastes like butter for that matter).  It's smooth and sweet, and best of all - it's real butter churned just next door in Wisconsin.