I was reading an old copy of Fine Cooking Magazine - part of my Aunt Annie's collection, and read about how one cook's secret weapon adds a touch of elegance to meat, fish, pastas, breads and dinner rolls, and even potatoes. The article was written by Tony Rosenfeld, and the secret weapon he was talking about is flavored butter.

For instance, according to Tony, lemon-herb butter is the perfect finishing touch for grilled salmon on a bed of sauteed corn, lima beans, and shiitake mushrooms.

Some people keep chocolate chip cookies on hand in the freezer for emergency entertaining. Flavored butters are Tony's secret weapon. No matter the occasion or the meal, he says they add a touch of elegance, dressing up simple roasts and sautes or jazzing up steamed vegetables or plain pastas. I like how they add surprise to mashed potatoes and my classic dinner roll.

"The magic of flavored butters (also known as compound butters) is that their essence remains safely locked up in a state of hibernation until the instant they're melted onto whatever you're cooking, " Tony says. "Then, the flavors come pouring out. All it takes is a little pat of flavored butter and the most mundane of meals - a grilled steak, a sauteed pork chop, a roasted piece of fish - becomes special."

I completely agree - my food has experienced this transformation. This little touch takes average, so-so cooking to a whole new level. And what's especially nice is how easy they are to make. And inspiration for them is all around - just look no further than the pantry or refrigerator for flavor inspiration. Citrus juice and zest, fresh herbs, spices, and full-flavored ingredients like shallots, scallions, ginger, sun-dried tomatoes, and olives complement butter's richness and give it a good punch.

One of our favorites is sun-dried tomatoes and fresh basil butter. To one stick of butter I add 1/4 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (oil-packed) and about 1/3 cup of finely chopped fresh basil. This is absolutely amazing on dinner rolls right out of the oven.

Next, mix and mash these bright ingredients with a stick of softened butter until they're well combined. You can do this by hand, or you can use a food processor. The food processor works especially well for emulsifying liquids like citrus juice into the butter, and it's also handy when you don't have time to let the butter soften completely.

Then fold the plastic over the butter, hold a ruler against the butter, and pull on the lower end of the plastic to produce even pressure that will squeeze the butter into a uniform log.

Finally, roll up the butter in plastic wrap, parchment, or waxed paper and refrigerate for up to two weeks. For longer storage, you can slice the butter into pats and freeze in zip-top bags, where they'll be ready to go whenever you need a quick hit of flavor.

Once you get the hang of this, you'll be whipping up flavored butters of your own invention for all sorts of purposes. This really isn't difficult; it's a fun and a clever way to jazz up a ho-hum dish.