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A few months ago, on a lark, the Mrs. picked up a package of Smjör Icelandic butter.

We've been hooked on the stuff ever since. Smjör has to be the out-and-out finest butter I've ever tasted anytime, anywhere in my life. Prior to finding the Smjör, we were regular consumers of the PastureLand product, itself a remarkable and superior butter:



We never thought it possible to do better, until we picked up that first 250G silver packet from Iceland. The Smjör is beautifully smooth in texture, with an deep, rich and slightly complex, grassy flavor. The color is a deep yellow, and it gives off a striking aroma when heated in the pan. It makes Lurpak seem like a second-rate product, and by comparison, Land-O-Lakes tastes like salty, fake butter-flavor grease.

If it's available in your region, I'd strongly encourage you to give it a try. I really don't think it's possible to do any better, at least not with a mass-produced (by some standard) supermarket product. If you can't get the Smjör, I'd say give the PastrureLand a try.. no disappointments there, for sure.

The two products are comparably priced, at around $7.00-$8.00 per pound.. with the domestic PastureLand being the less expensive of the two.

The origin of great flavour may be volcanic soil. Stuff grown in it just seems to taste better (LOVE Kona coffee, when I can get it). I bet those Icelandic cows are munching on some pretty tasty grass.

The Smjor is a key ingredient in my master-level breakfast sandwich, that's known simply as 'The Witch' around here.

- An English muffin, must be Thomas or better - and opened the RIGHT way, with a fork.. not a knife, knucklehead!

- One fresh egg - free-range because they taste better, doesn't matter if it's brown or white.

- One large rasher of streaky bacon from the butcher shop, cut in half - fine to use yesterday's reheated, it works just as well. Don't even bother with nitrite-laden supermarket junk like Hormel or Corn King, use something decent..

- One slice of Wisconsin American cheese. Why? Because it melts better, and gives the correct flavor for this one. Avoid Kraft or Crystal farms, they are rubbery and have too much salt.

- Scant tablespoon of Smjor or PastureLand butter.. nothing less.

- Fresh grinding of white pepper.

Lightly toast the muffin while you put 1/3 of the butter in the pan, and scramble the egg seasoning with pepper. As soon as you can, corral the egg into a muffin-sized circular shape and toss the bacon into the pan. When half cooked, turn the egg over and top with the cheese - broken into four equal quarters, so as not to overhang the egg.

When the muffin is ready, split the remaining butter evenly between the halves; don't worry about it melting, just get it on evenly.

Now install the egg/cheese to the larger half of the muffin, top with bacon, and the other half of the muffin, compressing lightly to seat the ingredients. Serve immediately, and don't add any salt - the bacon & cheese have more than enough.

This is one of those simple and fairly obvious comfort foods, that can either be average and boring, or the most mouth-watering descent into decadence you can imagine. It's ALL about the ingredients, plain and simple - GIGO!

Posted By: Duracell@Legendre: Have you ever tried Irish butter e.g. Kerrygold?

I have, when I was in the UK some many years ago. It's excellent, and I've nothing bad to say about it.

But I do believe that the Icelandic product is superior. Though it's been a long time, and I would be totally open to a side-by-side tasting..

Now there's a thought, Butter Tasting events.. something I'd happily show up for.

Has to be easier to appreciate than the godawful putrid grape juice that everyone seems to fawn over. Blecch!

May I suggest the 3 year old Balderson Cheddar from Ontario. I have never had a better cheddar, including the original.

Muenster might do well on that sandwich.

Christmas cake. Last resort.

Very nice, and well-balanced to boot. You can put that on our table, any day.

Best I did today was a warmed-over (though homemade) pork & refritos pupusa, with an over-easy egg on top - plus curtido and sauce, of course.. and later, a nice lamb steak, done in the same yogurt based marinade I've recently used for goat.

The yogurt really *does* work as a tenderizer on lamb or goat, but you *do* need to give it a full twenty-four hours to do its work. This lamb was butterknife tender.

Mmmm salmon