BUTTER & SALT
Deliberation, n. The act of examining one’s bread to determine
which side it is buttered on.
~Ambrose Bierce (1842 – 1914?) The Devil’s Dictionary (1911)
Two ingredients that you should always have in your kitchen are butter and salt.
BUTTER
There are two kinds of ordinary butter:Â lightly salted (otherwise known as regular butter), and unsalted. Â Lightly salted butter is good for most things while unsalted is used for fish and other things in which salt is undesirable, like chocolate mousse. Â I keep a bar of each going in the refrigerator, and have even been tending to use the unsalted more frequently.
If your budget and curiosity permit, there are imported artisnals from England, France and Ireland that are supposedly butters from heaven, but I have not indulged in this extravagance. Domestic butters are adequate:  additive-free and fresh. I’d rather go out of my way for good, fresh- bread baked in a local bakery than be concerned with finding a better butter.
SALT
I’ve discussed kosher salt at length recently, along with the merits of choosing additive-free salt. In the age of relentless air conditioning, there is little need for anti-caking agents. The less refinement and additives we accept in our food supply the better off we are. A three-pound box of additive-free kosher salt is about two dollars, less costly than Morton’s. Kosher salt’s larger grains may not fit in your china salt shaker; most people put it in a small bowl (or salt seller as they used to be called) and sprinkle with their fingers. Best to add it in the kitchen keeping the salt off the dining table anyway.
Sea salt is lovely to use, but more expensive. I can’t give you good reason for indulging in this expense; I myself use it very sparingly because of the cost.  It is very similar in taste and texture to additive-free kosher salt.
I’ve homework for you today! A fun exercise to acquaint you with the subtleties of butter and salt. This would be a fun project to engage the kids of the house. See who has the most sensitive taste buds. The more you know about your ingredients, the more confidence you will gain. And it’s hard to argue with confidence. Well, you can argue, but you won’t win.
