I've been on a low glycemic index diet for the past few weeks. This means eating beans, meat (or eggs) and vegetables for pretty much every meal, limited fruit, dairy, and no sugar or white carbs like bread, rice or pasta. One of the best things about the diet is that you get a cheat day once a week - one day where you can pretty much eat anything you want, including all of those delicious carbs you've been avoiding all week. Last week I was really craving biscuits, so we went out to breakfast at Maggie Brown on Myrtle avenue where I had the Maggie Brown (eggs scrambled with cheddar cheese, chives and horseradish) along with a biscuit with raspberry butter, and a virgin Bloody Mary. This week it's been more about craving fruit, rice, and a lovely french baguette with nice creamy butter and homemade jam.
Which brings me to what this blog post
is really about: a butter bell or butter crock. I don't remember when
I saw one for the first time, but they are now one of my favorite gifts
to give to people as a house warming or 'thanks for letting us stay'
kind of gift. The idea is old and simple: before refrigeration, there
needed to be a way to keep butter fresh at room temperature. Often,
butter would be kept in a clay or porcelain crock, and the crock
submerged in cool water. New butter crocks work the same way. You
fill the lid with 1-2 sticks of butter, fill the crock with a few
inches of cool water, then turn the lid into the crock. The water
forms a seal, keeping the butter fresh, but allowing you to keep the
crock on your counter at room temperature, so you have soft butter to
spread on your bread or measure for recipes. Change the water every
3-5 days, and your butter will stay fresh for weeks.
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