There has been much talk on-line about butter lately. These are food bloggers mind you, so the chat has been espousing its merits, not detracting from its creamy goodness. There are many different kinds of butter, in many different price ranges available in the market these days, but the Butter that deserves capitalization is Plugra.

Plugra, meaning literally “more fat,” is just that. A spread with a lower water content, and higher butterfat, leading to a impossibly creamy, delightfully rich concoction for anything you choose to slather it on. Plugra makes me think of cows chomping on cud in rolling green pastures in the Swiss countryside, jolly milkmaids carrying pails of fresh cream to be churned into rich sweetcream butter, and portly bakers, rolling pounds of butter into silky smooth sheets of puff pastry. And no, it doesn’t matter that Plugra is actually made in the USA. Chilled slightly, then taken and smeared liberally on a crusty tear of bread, makes for a superb midday snack.

I can’t wait to try it on some warm, fresh-from-the-oven sourdough; but I guess that will have to wait. I tried making baguettes over the weekend. Let’s just say I had some of the longest, toughest, most unleavened breadsticks of my life. But I am not discouraged (frustrated yes, but discouraged no). I still have my starter, and it is back to the drawing board. I will learn how to work with this touchy starter, and I’ll show you dear reader its rewards as soon as I have some.