What is Brown Butter?

Brown Butter is a newsletter written by me, Gloria Strohm. Words have always been important to me.  Through writing I have been able to share my stories, examine my thoughts, and sometimes inspire consequential resolve in myself and on occasion in others. In the past I’ve written letters, essays, social media posts, church newsletters, menus, recipes, fundraising campaigns, articles for newspapers, press releases, and so much more. 

This newsletter came about because, frankly, I need space to write that is not on social media. I want my readers to have an opportunity to access my posts and support my work without having to be on Facebook or Instagram.  I will not squeeze myself into their parametersI will not be like Cinderella’s step sister, cutting off my toes to fit into the shoes that were never meant for me anyway. I am done feeling stifled. It hurts. Those spaces are no longer a fit. I’ve done my fair share of yelling into the void through the written word in those spaces and I needed to make an adjustment.  

So why Brown Butter? First, Julia Child famously said, “With enough butter, anything is good.” Many people call brown butter, liquid gold. As an award winning baker, prolific cook, and someone who just loves good food, I am qualified to agree with both. Butter does make so much really good and brown butter just elevates it all even further.  To make brown butter you need heat, you have to watch it, and eventually the milk solids will caramelize and descend to the bottom of the pan.  With patience, change happens and a nuttiness fills the room and the back of your throat, flavor is infused into your cooking or baking, and it’s just as it should be.  I find myself just wanting to slather it on everything.  Even my cats can’t pass up brown butter.  Especially now, living through a pandemic, finding ways to take life and pull out the good flavor… well it feels like alchemy, spiritual alchemy, some old ancient magic I’m tapping into from the days of my Aztec ancestors.  Right now I really just want to slather life with brown butter.  It has to taste better if I do that, right?!

Why subscribe?

When you subscribe and are reading my posts you will be directly investing in me. Depending on your subscription level it’s a bit like buying me a cup of coffee every month.  In exchange you get me and my writing.  That’s a very good trade. 

What are my options?

This newsletter works like this: You’ll have the option to be a Free Subscriber, a Paid Subscriber, or a Gold Butter Subscriber.  This is the breakdown:

Free Subscriber

You’ll pay zero dollars and get access to some of my posts.

Paid Subscriber

$6/month or $60/year.  Paid subscribers will get access to all my posts.  They will arrive directly to your email.

Gold Butter Subscriber

$100+ a year. If you are able, this is how you vote for people like me to be writers. The warm fuzzy feeling you get knowing you are supporting my writing, which is my actual job, and me earning a paycheck by doing this, that’s the perk at this level. 

Who gets the subscription money?

I do. Substack earns a small fee for the services they provide and the rest comes to me. Instead of supporting some other social media company and their profits, when you are reading my posts here, you are supporting me directly. Depending on your subscription level it’s a bit like just hanging out, or buying me a cocktail. 

Please Read: I recognize not everyone can be a paid subscriber. Please don’t miss out. Gift subscriptions are available.