Tag Archives: butter

A (Butter) Rose By Any Other Name

August 29, 2008 | By Adam Roberts | 7 Comments

[The Amateur Gourmet is on vacation and, while he's gone, he's asked his friends to cover for him. His old friend Mark Blankenship, who writes for The New York Times and Variety and has his own blog called The Critical Condition, talks to us today about a butter rose.]

Before I begin, let me thank Adam for the invitation to transform from a pop culture critic into a foodie. The world looks different over here. And more delicious!

When Adam threw open the doors of The Amateur Gourmet, I started paying a lot more attention to what’s happening on my plate. Or more specifically, I went to a wedding last week and got really interested in the food.

As usual, I was impressed by the fancy touches, like this rose made out of butter. Butter! I know, right?

But this time, I did more than just admire the butter. I started to think about why it impressed me in the first place.

The Best Butter in America (Beurre Pim)

July 1, 2008 | By Adam Roberts | 23 Comments

“Walk me home,” said Pim after dinner. “I have something for you in the freezer.”

We were at Franny’s, my beloved Park Slope pizzeria, sharing pasta and pizza and a decadent panna cotta for dessert. What could Pim have for me in her freezer? Not even her freezer, but the freezer of the person with whom she was staying? We walked along Flatbush over to Fort Green and up the stairs of this mysterious apartment. And once inside, Pim finally opened the freezer door and removed a pyramid-shaped packet wrapped in parchment.

“Open it,” she said.

Inside was a shimmering, glittering mass of butter.

“What is this?” I asked eagerly.

“This,” declared Pim, “is, I think, the best butter in America.”