Butter Really Is Better.

Okay, people, here we go. Gonna talk about the sensitive stuff.

Butter.

At some point in history, people became afraid of all of the things that taste good: butter, salt, cream. Things with fat. Folks see a stick of butter and run the other way simply because they were told to fear it, that it’s going to cause them to gain weight and turn into an ugly troll. (I don’t know if anyone’s actually been told that last one but it’s honestly one of the only reasons I can think to not eat butter.)

Sure, if you gobbled an entire stick in one sitting, it would do pretty unfortunate things to your insides. And if you did that every single day, yeah, you would definitely gain weight and possibly even turn into an ugly troll. (Again, not sure, just guessing here.) But the reality is that none of us are really doing that, are we?

I f*cking love butter. One of my favorite snacks in the entire world is freshly air-popped popcorn with hot, melted butter poured over it. Anyone who has lived with me can vouch for this- I eat the stuff by the bucket load.

Butter is essential to good cooking- just ask the French. It’s the basis of baking, the foundation for many of the best sauces, and it honestly just puts a smile on your face. You know when you go to a restaurant and you eat something that just tastes so damn good that you remember it for days? Yeah, it probably had a good amount of butter and salt in it.

Now, let’s be clear. I’m not advocating for people to start over-consuming butter. And if you’re a vegan or lactose intolerant, definitely don’t do it. But for those of us who can have dairy products, we’re going to talk about how to use butter in a good, natural way.

First of all: unsalted butter is the key to a happy life. Because salt is a key element in any dish (we’ll go over this at a later date), you don’t want to start with salt in your base because then you’ll just end up with a mouthful of sodium. Plus, you want the butter for its delicious creaminess rather than the salt content.

Good quality butter can actually be an okay fat to have. I’m not a nutritionist or a scientist, and I know that there are bad fats and good fats, but think about it. Butter is made from milk, and milk is good for you. Think about it: butter is basically just extra-churned milk, and if the milk is coming from a happy cow, then what’s the difference between eating it and drinking it? Exactly.

Butter is not going to kill you. I REPEAT: BUTTER IS NOT GOING TO KILL YOU. Especially if you’re only using a tablespoon or so at a time, which is plenty, believe me. It doesn’t take much to really affect a meal in a positive way. My favorite pasta dish is comprised of what is basically a lemon butter sauce, tossed with caramelized shallots, and topped with a mountain of Parmesan cheese.

Just like everything else, it’s about balance. I’m not sitting on my couch drinking melted butter, but I will toss in a chunk when I’m sauteing my pile of vegetables for dinner. It’s a game changer for the flavor and the texture. Butter helps amplify caramelization on vegetables- you know, like when onions cook down until they’re brown and soft and sweet? Drool. That’s the benefit of using butter. Oil makes things crispy, butter makes things soft.

There are so many magical applications for butter: on a hot piece of bread, tossed with noodles or vegetables, mixed with garlic and herbs to put on a steak, or browned with fried herbs. It’s what makes croissants so insanely flaky and delicious. All I’m saying is there is no reason to be afraid of butter. It’s a friend, not an enemy, and it can up your cooking game in an instant.