[ricklea1953]

Warm bread that you guys serve before the salad. Comes all nicely cut in a covered basket. Can I do the same thing at home with the microwave?
If so, where do I get the soft butter and how do you make it look so nice as it sits in those small butter dishes? Don't have room in my oven because of the baked potatoes.

Been grilling for 30 plus years. Finally we can afford to buy the prime cuts of meat.

Presentation is everything, in my opinion. Just trying how to do it on a budget. My next meal (Sunday) will cost me about $300 but it is still a lot cheaper than taking 7 people out to eat and it's a hobby I enjoy.

[AprilB]

Well, define "high end". Like Outback, Applebees, ...

Just be aware of the fact that microwaves use the water in a product to heat it. In other words, it can easily dry it out by evaporation. Bread is notorious for this. To keep it moist cover it securely with plastic wrap before you microwave. This doesn't work for crusty bread because it will make the crust softer.

Bread can be warmed briefly in an oven but shortly before you serve. You'll end up with a large crouton.

The soft butter that you mention is... what? In the little plastic or stainless shot glasses? That's pretty simple. Set butter on your counter. Let it get soft. Fill a piping bag and use a large star tip to squeeze into the little containers. Yup, that's what some of us do. Put the tip in the bag before filling. Imagine a soft serve ice cream machine or Dairy Queen. You can get these cheap at Wall Mart. If you want whipped butter, soften slightly and whip the dickens out of it with a wire whip attachment on a beater until fluffy. Don't let it soften as long as the 'soft butter'. Use the same piping bag and star tip to pipe into little stars onto parchment and chill for little individual star patties.

Above all don't soften butter in the microwave or oven. They will both melt the outside way before the inside becomes soft. That is not what you want. Melted is a no no.

Unsalted butter is butter of choice. It's fresher (salt is used as a preservative) and you can add salt to taste which is usually far less than what they add to salted butter. Kosher salt is salt of choice. Iodine aside, Kosher salt is just overall better. Iodized salt (IMHO) tends to have a slight 'tangy' flavor. Kosher salt is just mild ... well ... salty.

If anything doesn't make sense, feel free to ask.

April

[ricklea1953]

Thanks April,

Great butter tips. I already have and planned to use the kosher salt. I will go out and look for some bread today. Must be something I slip into the oven for a few minutes while the potatoes are cooking.

Here in Seattle I frequent the El Gaucho, Morton's and Daniels Broiler. Not trying to copy their professional kitchens and chefs but I do try to take some of what they do and adapt it to my little kitchen at home.

Rick

[nowIamone]

Rick,
If you are in Seattle, I know you can find good crusty bread!!
Here's our Italian family trick.........and our family was one of the first families of the Pike Place Market.
Oven at 325, (so pull those potatos, the oven will loose heat while door is open, so you can use it right away, then set it for 325) turn the cold water on in the facet, (make it a good size stream of water, don't be shy) take the whole loaf of bread in your hands and run the water over it on one side, flip the loaf over and move the loaf back through the water stream. do this swiftly. Give it a flick or two over the sink, to shake off the excess water and throw it in the oven on the rack, (no pan) for 10 to 12 minutes, perfect timing to move things to the table. Remove bread from oven, slice it with a very sharp, thin bladed, long knife, wrap in napkin lined basket. If you don't cut completely through with each slice, then loaf will stay intact, and hold the heat better.

[Jeebus]

April i disagree with you, well partly at least. Yes butter is used as a preservative but for me it is the only butter for bread. It is the only butter I have ever seen in the better restaurants. If you can find a good artisnally made salted butter on good bread is it is one of the best and simplest things in life.

[AprilB]

Salt is used to preserve butter and other stuff. Hence salted pork, fish, etc.

Butter isn't used to preserve anything that I know of. The fat in it would go rancid.

Unsalted butter is the butter of choice because it doesn't have as long a shelf life (ie: fresher) because it doesn't contain salt and you can add salt to taste.

A

Of course some people might like the heavy pre-salted taste...

>>>April i disagree with you, well partly at least. Yes butter is used as a preservative but for me it is the only butter for bread. It is the only butter I have ever seen in the better restaurants. >>>

[Jeebus]

Originally Posted by AprilB

Salt is used to preserve butter and other stuff. Hence salted pork, fish, etc.

Butter isn't used to preserve anything that I know of. The fat in it would go rancid.

Unsalted butter is the butter of choice because it doesn't have as long a shelf life (ie: fresher) because it doesn't contain salt and you can add salt to taste.

A

Of course some people might like the heavy pre-salted taste...

>>>April i disagree with you, well partly at least. Yes butter is used as a preservative but for me it is the only butter for bread. It is the only butter I have ever seen in the better restaurants. >>>

If you are buying butter off the shelf or even stock butter from a supplier and you think it has no preservatives you better look again. As far as some people, all of the chefs I have ever worked with have used salted butter for bread service, even most of the high end restaurants I have ever eaten in have served it salted as well.

[Nentony]

I guess it's a matter of taste, but I would never use salted butter.

Tony

[cakerookie]

Oh heck, you could soften a stick or two of the stuff put it in an electric mixer add some chives, parsley or even garlic beat till incorporated spoon it out on a piece of plastic wrap roll into a nice little log, place in the freezer for about 20 minutes until firm, cut into small circles and serve.

Rgds Cakerookie...aka Rook

[AprilB]

thought we were discussing salt?

Ah, well...

[cjdacook]

When I was working, I always used unsalted butter, but...we always flavored the butter to fit the meal - sometimes it was only lemon zest, but always something. And also, we salted it ourselves to obtain the best flavor. Doesn't take much time and it's such a better product.

[mudbug]

We never use salted butter for anything. We always choose unsalted. And when time permits, I make my own butter, which is sooooooo much better than pre-packaged butter.

[diane]

LOL and good for you, I remember my grandmother making butter. I still have her butter paddles.

[AprilB]

Unless you call 'natural flavoring' a preservative, none of the unsalted butter I looked at had preservatives. (Always like to keep my facts straight so I looked it up)

Not going to argue the point with you (I just have this gut feeling) but by law food has to list what's in it.

April

>>>If you are buying butter off the shelf or even stock butter from a supplier and you think it has no preservatives you better look again.<<<
-Jebus

[Greg]

I'd advise strongly against microwaving bread; it makes it tough and chewy. Just roll a baguette loosely in some foil and throw it in the oven on top of the potatoes for 5 to 10 minutes.