Blue Butter Recipes

Steps:

• Put the softened butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment. Whip the butter until it's fluffy. Add the blue cheese, chopped chives, red pepper flakes and ground pepper. Mix until totally combined, scraping the sides as needed.
• Lay out a long piece of plastic wrap on top of a piece of aluminum foil and scoop the butter mixture in a long strip down the middle of it. Carefully pull one side of the plastic wrap and foil over the butter, squeezing it gently to form it into a log. Continue to roll the log of butter into a roll. When it's all rolled up, twist the ends (like a piece of candy) until they become very taut (this means the butter is pressing together inside the plastic and foil to form a cohesive roll). Place the roll of butter into the fridge so it will harden, at least 1 hour, or into the freezer if you need to speed along the process.

Steps:

• Preheat a grill to high heat.
• Combine the butter, cheese, and thyme in a bowl and season with salt and pepper, to taste. Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
• Brush the steaks with some canola oil, then season them with salt and cracked black pepper. Grill until the meat chars on both sides and is cooked to a medium-rare doneness. Transfer the steaks to a platter, top them with some of the butter and let them rest for 5 minutes before serving.

Steps:

• Blueberry butter:
• Add the butter, blueberries, preserves, coriander, and salt to a food processor. Blend until smooth. (Store in the fridge, wrapped in paper or plastic, or in a butter keeper, for up to 5 days; or freeze for up to 3 months.)
• Tip: A stick of butter coming out of the fridge can take a surprisingly long time to come to room temperature. To speed it up, cut the butter into ½-inch pieces and leave on the counter; it should be at room temp in 10 to 12 minutes.
• Pancakes:
• In a large bowl, whisk together the cornmeal, flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
• In a medium bowl or large liquid measuring cup, whisk together the eggs, buttermilk, and oil until smooth.
• Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the buttermilk mixture. Use a rubber spatula or wooden spoon to fold together until just combined. Do not overmix. Allow the batter to rest for about 5 minutes.
• Heat a griddle or large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat and grease lightly with nonstick cooking spray. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using 2 heaping tablespoons of batter for each pancake. With the back of the spoon, gently spread the batter into a 3- to 4-inch circle. Cook until golden brown, about 3 minutes. Flip and cook on the other side until golden brown and the center of the pancake feels slightly firm to the touch, another 3 minutes. Remove from the pan and repeat with the remaining batter.
• Serve the pancakes hot with the blueberry butter and maple syrup.
• Note: *Judy Kuhn is a brilliant Broadway actor who also just happens to be the singing voice of Pocahontas. It should also be noted that Vanessa Williams did a great job with the pop version of the song, which played over the closing credits.