Foodies of the World and Compound Butters

Today I want to talk about a few things. First, there’s this:

Foodies of the World is a book about food and foodies being published by the Slattery Media Group out of Australia. A few months back they contacted me about being featured in a book they were working on and I couldn’t resist but agree! As the cover boasts: “More than 100 recipes from the world’s great food blogs” and I couldn’t agree more. Though I have yet to receive my copy, I have seen quite a few other bloggers boasting (and rightly so!) about their inclusion as well. Some of my fellow bloggers include Sea Salt with Food, Wellsphere, And Then I do the Dishes and Eat. Live. Travel. Write. how could I have said no?

If you are interested in buying a copy, feel free to use the link above or the one located in the left sidebar. As you may have figured out, there is a commission involved if you use these links. Just know that you are continuing to fund our adventures in food and living! Now on to the food!

Today, let’s talk about butter.

I confess I have a serious love affair with butter. Oil is called for in a baking recipe? Bah…use ghee instead! Oil in sautéed vegetables? No thank you, I use butter instead. Really, I use butter every single place I can unless it’s a ridiculous notion to do so. Butter is just plain better, no?

So it is with this in mind that I offer you two recipes today for compound butters.

One, a blue cheese compound butter and the other, an avocado lime compound butter. Both are amazingly tasty in their own right, but when added to dishes they absolutely sing!

So without further ado, here are the recipes and following that, some suggestions for uses:

Blue Cheese & Lemon Compound Butter

2 cloves garlic
125g blue cheese
zest of one lemon
juice of one lemon
1 cup butter (salted), softened

1. In a small bowl, mash the cheese with the lemon zest and juice until well combined.
2. Stir in the butter until completely incorporated.
3. Lay out some plastic wrap and spoon the mixture onto the bottom in a line.
4. Roll up, twist ends (you thought I was going somewhere else with that didn’t you?) and freeze.
5. When ready for use, remove from freezer about 15 minutes before you need it, slice off rounds and add to whatever you want!

Suggestions for use:

• Steak!
• Fennel and Apple Soup (recipe coming soon!)
• Boiled or roasted corn
• Baked potatoes
• Spread over toast for crostinis
• Used in place of regular butter in mashed sweet or regular potatoes

Avocado Lime Compound Butter

1/4 cup butter (salted), softened
1 large avocado
zest of one lime
juice of one lime

1. In a small bowl, mash the avocado with the zest and juice of the lime.
2. Stir in the butter until incorporated.
3. Roll up, twist ends and freeze.
4. When ready for use, remove from freezer about 15 minutes before you need it, slice off rounds and add to whatever you want!

Suggestions for use:

• Over salmon or other fish
• Boiled or roasted corn
• spread over toast for crostinis
• Over chicken breasts

Similarly delicious recipes on other blogs:

Fresh Herb Compound Butter on The Hungry Mouse
Smoked Paprika and Tarragon Compound Butter on Foodie NYC
Rotini in Kumquat Jalapeno Compound Butter on Health Nut
Whiskey Compound Butter on The Way the Cookie Crumbles
Moroccan Spiced Compound Butter on Menu in Progress