Perfect Homemade Bread and Butter

The old idiom "bread and butter," as in "a waiter's tips are his bread and butter," or the means by which you're able to eke out a living, has always kind of confused me. I know what the saying is getting at, bread and butter being staples and all, but then why not say "car loans are a banker's rice and beans" or "terrible movies are Nicholas Cage's onions and potatoes"? The answer, I guess, is that both of those sound really stupid.

For me, bread and butter means something a lot more luxurious. They're a treat when done well. I actually get really excited for the bread and butter part of a meal at a nice restaurant (speaking of which, have any of you had the brioche at the Wildflower here in Edmonton? My brain went blank for like a whole week because of how good that brioche was). Warm, fresh bread with equally fresh, creamy butter is one of the most beautiful things to eat. So simple. So comforting. And making your own feels so good - just a little bit of time and effort produces something you can be really proud of.

Keep reading »