A Starving Artists quickie!
Um, maybe I should rephrase that...
We tried out a couple of the buttery suggestions from our blog readers, and thank you!
First, I tried mixing a stick of inexpensive butter with canola oil, using my old Kitchen Aid mixer, after softening the butter to room temperature for a few hours...EXCELLENT! I thought I might miss the salt if I thinned it with that much canola (almost an equal amount), but I didn't. So now less expensive, less saturated fat, fewer calories, and more Omega 6--win/win!
Of course this needs to be refrigerated, but so does the commercial version--if you leave it out, it gets so soft you need to be careful when you open the tub--a butter tidal wave! Even with about equal amounts of butter and canola oil, though, once it's well mixed and refrigerated it's just the right consistency to spread.
Then I tried the yogurt mixed into butter, which mixed a little less readily, since yogurt's more watery than butter. It made kind of a curd-y, fine cottage-cheese texture, but a nice flavor--with a slight whang, as promised. It reminded me of the butter we used to make when we lived on the farm...
Also less fat, less salt, and fewer calories, but a tad more calcium. Good too!
Then, since I can never leave well enough alone, I had to mix in some garlic and some herbes de Provence...after letting that sit in the fridge for an hour or so, all I can say is YUM. I think we'll be taking some to our family Thanksgiving dinner!
So thank you to both correspondents! You both get a 5-chef's-hat rating!