Ben Starr

The Ultimate Food Geek

Tag: Butter

  • Laughably-Easy Lard (or Bacon Fat) Pastry Crust

    The perfect pastry crust eludes most of us…seemingly thousands of infinitely-thin layers that are tender, but shatter in your mouth while still remaining moist and succulent.  It usually involves massive amounts of butter cut into the flour at just the right temperature to just the right texture…then a chill in the fridge…then the addition of…

  • All About Buttermilk

    While I tell people that my favorite ingredient is pumpkin, that’s certainly true in the fall when pumpkins are in season.  Pumpkin inspires me, and it’s what I’m known for…it’s my “signature ingredient.” But there’s another ingredient that I’m obsessed with, that I use every single day, and that I couldn’t live without.  Buttermilk.  Yet…

  • Beurre Blanc (white wine butter sauce)

    Beurre blanc is a classic French sauce made with butter, white wine, and shallots.  I recently made this sauce at a cooking demonstration to prove how important it is to cook with quality wine, and I promised I’d post the recipe.  It’s a very simple sauce to make, and it goes fabulously with fish and…

  • Butter: Salted vs Unsalted

    One of the most common questions I get is “Do I use salted or unsalted butter in your recipes?” I’d like to set the record straight about butter, and it’s incredibly simple: NEVER buy salted butter. The only application for salted butter is to spread it on something already prepared that you’re about to eat,…