Serious Eats - seriouseats.com

in my opinion there is no substitute for butter, if you're worried about the health implications just use less of it or eat less of what you make, but don't forget that all those substitutes are highly processed so in the long run how much healthier can they really be? I'd rather have the butter because at least I know how its made and it just plain tastes better : )

1. I live in NYC so i have access to everything from my local farmer's market and food coop to safeway and costco and everything else in between.

2. I buy mostly organic as I shop most regularly at my food coop and farmer's markets but i'm not so strict about it.

3. N/A

4. I'm pay more attention to how much food i have in the fridge before buying more, and make sure to waste as little as possible, but other than that my food purchases haven't really changed much. Food is important, and i'd much rather cut my clothes budget than my grocery budget.

5. I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn on the southern end (really Windsor Terrace)

Thanks guys, while most of these suggestions are lovely my toaster oven while it can bake is tiny so large fritattas and angel food cake are definately out. i will check into eggs in a basket though, haven't had those in a while...

take a look at the slowfoods they give tons of info about obtaining locally sourced products in your area here's their listing of approved NYC restaurants http://www.slowfoodnyc.org/programs/soa/awards/type/restaurant

I'm not sure if this is from Cooks illustrated but i found it here
http://asweetfantasy.blogspot.com/2008/02/chocolate-chunk-and-dried-cherry.html
so you can check out the pictures and see if they look like you remember, they look pretty tasty to me, i think i might make up a batch right now : )

1 1/2 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1 cup butter, softened
1 cup brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
1 1/2 tsp. vanilla
3 cups oats
1 cup dried cherries
8 ounces chocolate chunks

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Beat butter and sugar together until smooth. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing each addition. Add vanilla.

3. In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. Gradually add the butter mixture until combined. Stir in oats, cherries and chocolate chunks.

4. Drop by tablespoonfuls onto baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until bottom edges are lightly browned. Cool on pan for a few minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

@producestories:

If anyone's tone in this thread is patronizing and arrogant, it's yours. Further, you are the one who seems to have reading comprehension problems. The topic of this thread concerns ORGANIC butter. So you see, YOU are the one comparing apples to oranges.

If you want to compare conventional butter to the product made by Earth Balance, fine, but that's an exercise in the obvious, as we all know the problems in the conventional dairy industry. Even so, conventional butter compared to conventional vegetable spreads is a no brainer, butter wins, despite the fact that most people believe otherwise because they are brainwashed by advertising.

Organic butter compared to organic veg spreads is also a no brainer, in that the butter is clean, and therefore the major health risks involved i.e. hormones and antibiotics are not present, so the qualities of butter in baking far outweigh those of the veg product, no matter how awesome EB is.

The original question makes the assumption that butter is not healthy, when in fact it IS, or at least, healthier than most processed fats designed to substitute butter, and there is nothing wrong with commenters making that point clear. So please, get off your high horse.

Butter IS NOT HEALTHY if it is made from milk produced by corporate agriculture - cows fed antibiotics and hormones, who are both in pain and diseased. The massive dairy industry spends piles and piles of money trying to convince people that it's fine - don't cry for the dairy industry because nasty soy and corn are after them. Earth Balance is made by a company who uses non-GMO, organic soy - corporate soy is neither of these things. EB isn't perpetrating anti-dairy propaganda.

If you can get butter made from local, grass-fed cows, then its abundant nutritional benefits probably outweigh its saturated fat and cholesterol content. But people have a lot of reasons for cutting down on the amount of even the good kind of dairy - some are sensitive to lactose, some are trying to cut down on the amount of animal products in their diet, and some want to avoid the growth hormones found in all milk (they're there to nourish baby cows).

Butter isn't bad, but there are a lot of definitions of "healthy." The original question wasn't whether butter is healthy, but what can be used to subsitute for it. Everyone should feel free to champion butter, but some of the "pro-butter" posts here have been disappointing in their condescending and reactionary tone.

I second the John's Pizza idea but would also recommend the Playwright, which I want to say is on 46th, for beers on tap

What do you mean by 'healthier'--lower in calories, fat, etc?

I'm semi-vegan and often use vegan products to sub things, but you should know if calories are a concern, the Earth Balance, while it tastes okay, is the same amount of calories as butter. Some of the others like Smart Balance, are not vegan, and are mostly water added to chemicals and taste absolutely vile. Trust me, I've tried them.

The best substitute I've found, calorically, is Land O'Lakes light butter, which is a blend of canola oil and (gasp) butter with 50 calories a tablespoon (versus 100) and no unnatural ingredients. In terms of not eating dairy, I rationalize I don't consume all that much butter in a serving so it won't kill me.

For some recipes, you can try prune puree (chocolate) or applesauce for the fat--but unless you're willing to have an odd result, it's best to look for tested recipes designed for low fat cooking with those subs, rather than do it yourself.

I say, stick (no pun intended) with the butter. Unless you're eating the whole pan yourself, unhealthy fat-wise, if cholesterol is a concern, you won't consume that much, and if you're worried about calories, the substitues other than the Land O'Lakes don't offer that much of a savings.

Nothing tastes like butter, and the solid fat texture is integral to lots of cakes and cookies, meaning they won't turn out right with something else substituted.

Use butter for special occasion treats and for other things, look for recipes that call for vegetable oils. Then you'll have a better chance of the recipe working because it's designed without butter. Also, liquid oils are much easier to reduce or substitute partially with fruit puree.