Butter makes it better
There’s nothing like a grilled cheese sandwich for the perfect weekend lunch; but it sometimes needs to be livened up a bit. Enter the elevated grilled cheese: in this case, a gorgeous balsamic onion and pear grilled cheese. It’s not much more work than a …
Cafe Rio pork is the only thing I ever order there, because it’s the best. It is the most succulent, savory pork you’ve ever had. It’s sweet and tangy, with a hint of spice. Cafe Rio pork can be served in quesadillas, burritos, salads, and …
Scrambled eggs are obviously a kitchen basic: even children can make them. But Gordon Ramsay’s scrambled eggs are on a totally different level. They are rich and creamy while remaining light and fluffy; unlike normal scrambled eggs, they never turn out rubbery and flavorless.
It was actually Cam that introduced me to these eggs. (He’s OBSESSED with Gordon Ramsay; it’s really cute.) I thought he was crazy for putting so much effort into eggs, but it’s totally worth it. Try Gordon Ramsay’s scrambled eggs when you next make breakfast for dinner, and you’ll never go back to mediocre scrambled eggs!
6 Eggs
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon cream or creme fraiche
Salt and pepper
First, crack the cold eggs into a cool saucepan. Add the butter, and stir while they cook on medium heat for 30 seconds. Continue stirring, but take the pan off the heat for 20 seconds. Return the pan to the heat for 30 more seconds, and continue to stir.
Continue moving the pan on and off the heat until the eggs firm up (don’t worry, it won’t take too long). The eggs should still be custardy, but firm.
Finish with the cold cream or creme fraiche, and salt and pepper to taste.
Feel free to add cheese, fresh herbs (as I did), or perhaps even smoked salmon, but these eggs are also beautifully creamy and flavorful on their own. Enjoy!
Jambalaya should be everyone’s go-to comfort food. Hear me out: it’s quick, easy, not unhealthy, and pretty impressive to people who have never had it before. This sausage and rice dish is relatively cheap to make (especially if you don’t add shrimp, which I usually …
An icy mojito mocktail is the perfect solution to a hot summer day. And I don’t know where you live, but it has been HOT in Utah. This drink really hits the spot! Although I don’t drink alcohol, I am definitely a fancy drink person …
This moist, jammy plum cake is what first made me want to start this blog. I first found the recipe on Smitten Kitchen. Deb Perelman’s recipe is a famous one that she found in the New York Times, and then modified to one she liked better. I found her recipe, and I changed it to something I like better.
I realized that I could do this with any recipe, and I wanted to share these recipes I like with others. And so Buttery Basics was born!
This plum cake is as close to effortless as you can get. It’s just a basic rich cake batter, with some plums scattered on top. The magic of this cake is in how the batter folds up and around the plums, turning the plums into tart, jammy fruit pockets.
You can use whatever kind of plums you like, but this cake is always better the second day. This is one of my favorite recipes, and I think you’re going to love it!
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
large pinch of salt
1 cup sugar plus 1 or 2 tablespoons (depending on sweetness of plums)
1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
3 large eggs
4-7 plums, halved and pitted
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
First, heat oven to 350° F. Mix flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. In a larger bowl, cream butter and 1 cup sugar together with an electric mixer until fluffy.
Next, add the eggs, one a time and scraping down the bowl. Add the dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Spoon batter into a lightly greased springform pan, and smooth the top.
Arrange the plums, skin side up, all over the batter, covering it. Sprinkle the top with lemon juice, cinnamon, and remaining sugar.
Bake until cake is golden, and a toothpick inserted into the cake comes out free of batter, about 45 to 50 minutes. Set out to cool.
Once cool, if you can stand it, leave the cake covered at room temperature overnight.
Luckily, this dessert is perfect to make ahead of time. The plum cake is even better on the second day, when the plum juices ooze out even more into the cake and turn it into a jammy miracle. Serve alone or with whipped cream. Enjoy!
Let’s put the basics into Buttery Basics, starting with this lovely whipped cream recipe! I remember that I was watching Masterchef recently, and Gordon Ramsay was SHOCKED that a contestant had never made whipped cream. His reaction is especially surprising when you realize how crazy easy …
I never really feel like summer’s arrived until I make this tangy summer salad. It’s fresh and sweet, with a little tang of vinegar. I understand that not everyone loves vinegar, but the great thing about this salad is that it can be reeking with …
Cafe Zupas’ Orange Berry Infusion is a light, delicate orange drink with a tinge of strawberry. This drink is somehow both the perfect beverage for when you’re sick, and the ideal drink for a summer garden party. This is what my favorite celebrities and I would sip in a rose garden while eating cucumber sandwiches and petit fours. I can dream, right?
5 large oranges, sliced in half
1 cup sliced strawberries
1/2 cup good honey
Fresh mint leaves, optional
Dissolve the honey in 2 cups of hot water. I use my trusty electric kettle for this, because it’s a million times faster than actually waiting for water to boil.
Slice some orange wedges to use as a garnish, and then squeeze the rest of the oranges into the honey water.
After juicing the oranges, mix in more water. The ratio of honey water to fresh-squeezed orange juice is a matter of taste. I’ve found that a ratio of 1:1 is about right for me, because I like a more delicate taste. So in a two-quart jug, I used one quart orange juice and one quart honey water. Use less water to produce a brighter, classic orange juice flavor.
After mixing together, garnish with the strawberries, the remaining oranges, and mint leaves (optional). Chill the orange berry infusion.
Note: don’t make this too far ahead, or the strawberries will lose their color. Make it the day of serving. You can add a wedge of orange to the rim of each class if you want to be extra fancy, but this will taste amazing either way. Enjoy!