Day 1

This will not happen often, but just for kicks let's start this post off with a little math equation.....

If 1 student used 2 pounds of butter in class today, how many pounds of butter did 33 students use?

66! Yep..... today in class we went through 66 pounds of butter. 

I am pretty sure that the first thing that comes to mind when someone mentions French Cooking (besides it being sinfully delicious) is BUTTER. 

Today in class we learned about (and then made) clarified butter. 

Butter is composed of 3 things: water, milk solids, and butter fat. 

To clarify butter is to go through the process of removing the water, milk solids, and other impurities. There are a few ways to do this, but the following method is easiest and leaves you with the largest yield.

Method:

Bring butter to a simmer in a saucepan. 

Wait for all impurities to fall to the bottom of the sauce pan and for all of the water to evaporate. This should take about 15-20 minutes.

You should be left with bright, golden butter in its purest form..... and an "out of the blue" craving for crab legs and popcorn. 

Ok. Easy enough. Now, why on earth go through the trouble?

Many French recipes call for clarified butter. It has a higher smoke point, which is ideal for cooking. It also has a very pure butter flavor that does wonders for the taste of a dish.

I am also considering documenting my waist measurements as I make my way through the next 8 months.....

My gym being in the same building as school is unbelievably convenient.