Captain’s Log: Covid Date 16, we have been isolating for over two weeks at this point, leaving home only to exercise or brave the grocery store. Supplies are plentiful, if not up to usual standards. Internet service remains spotty, one puzzle has been completed, zero books read, and-

Ok, I’ll stop, because if you didn’t also decide that now was the perfect time to finally watch Star Trek: The Next Generation, then you won’t find my Picard impression entertaining out of context. I just wrote it and I’ll admit it wasn’t funny even in context. But, side note: I’m 3.5 seasons into the show, and wow the Enterprise crew encountered a lot of strange alien viruses, didn’t they?

Star Captains, they’re just like us!

Anyway, hello from Social Distancing 2020! I figured now is a good time to finally tell you about some delicious things I cooked and baked last year, since I don’t really have the excuse anymore of being too busy to write. None of us are really too busy these days, unless of course, you work on the frontlines in a medical, food delivery, grocery, or other capacity. In which case, THANK YOU. It really can’t be said enough (and honestly probably isn’t).

If you couldn’t tell from my last post, I am carb-loading through this emotional roller coaster and I think we should all give ourselves permission to do so.

Speaking of carbs, here’s a fun story! Claire read my list of what I’ve been eating and found it so hilarious she decided to Face-Time me in the middle of the day on Monday to tell me. You know what’s really great for stress right now? Unexpected, out of the ordinary calls from your sister in the middle of the day. Especially when her first words to you are “I’m crying!”

Turns out, she was crying from laughing so hard at the image of me stuffing my face with banana bread, so I promptly hung up on her and went back to the work meeting I had paused because oh my god my sister is calling she never does that I hope everything is ok.

Ahem. So, yes, the carb-loading. I am not the only one doing this. How do I know? Well, my local grocery store’s shelves were absolutely bare of almost all flour today when I finally got inside. There was not a single bag of flour to be found except the flour alternatives. Apparently this very real pandemic has cured the gluten one.

But the people are baking!

Baked goods often need butter, don’t they? So, almost a year later, now seems like the perfect time to share my version of what I think of as Icelandic butter.

Is that what they call it in Iceland? I don’t know, but my sister, Mom and I encountered it at nearly every meal we ate last May, on a trip that feels like a lifetime ago now. From our first bread basket at the Blue Lagoon to our last dinner, we were served fluffy, whipped butter, lightened with skyr (Icelandic yogurt), and garnished with salt. We had many fantastic meals on that trip, but I became a little obsessed with this butter! I knew I would make it as soon as I returned home. I even bought a container of birch salt to bring home with me for the ultimate, authentic garnish.

So, if you are filling your time these days with more baking than usual, try this butter! It’s fantastic slathered on a plain piece of good bread, or I’m sure would be great on muffins or pancakes (maybe sans finishing salt) or on cornbread or banana bread. Anything you want to spread some butter on, try this!

Whipped Skyr Butter

For the butter:

• 4 tbs European style salted butter, softened

• 2 tbs plain skyr, or other plain, thick yogurt (preferably full fat), room temperature

• finishing salt, such as Maldon, or a flavored variety (optional)

• bread, for serving

1. In a large bowl, or in the bowl of a mixer, add the softened butter and skyr. If mixing by hand, mash the two together until combined, then vigorously whip to incorporate as much air as possible. If using a stand mixer, whip with the whisk attachment until the mixture is light and fluffy and very, very pale.

2. To serve, scoop butter into a serving dish and sprinkle with finishing salt, if using. Serve generously with good, crusty bread.

Notes:

• You want the skyr and the butter to be roughly the same temperature, or for the skyr to at least not be cold from the fridge, so it doesn’t harden the butter when you mix the two together.

• Butter can be stored in the fridge for a few weeks. It will harden when chilled but should soften to a light, fluffy consistency again when brought to room temperature.

• Want to use up the rest of your skyr? Try it in pancakes!