While I have experimented with different butters in baking, I'm not sure that I'd want to participate in a butter taste test - particularly not when one of the tastings involves eating butters plain to "experience their melting properties directly on the tongue." That being said, I do appreciate the efforts of the tasters from Cooks Illustrated who participated in a premium butter tasting, eating butter both plain and on baguettes to try to pick out the top butter.

The butters tested all had butterfat contents of at least 82%, higher than the standard 80%, with the exception of Land O'Lakes, which was included as a benchmark. Every single butter tested - seven unsalted and six salted - were recommended including the non-premium benchmark butter, so it sounds like you can't go wrong by choosing a name-brand butter or a butter that is "european-style." The butters were ultimately ranked by preference, but not one was a loser:

Unsalted:

• Land O'Lakes Ultra Creamy butter
• Presidente Unsalted butter
• Celles Sur Belle Premium Churn
• Land O'Lakes Unsalted Sweet butter (benchmark)
• Organic Valley European-style butter
• Plugra European-style butter
• Jana Valley Imported Sweet Cream Butter

Folgers, the coffee formerly known as the best part of waking up, is aiming further change its image by branching out into gourmet coffees. With new and improved packaging, new and improved flavors and a $20 million dollar advertising campaign, the company is hoping to prevent to loss of customers as these days "a gourmet version of coffee is the new standard."

But since the name of Folgers is associated with being an "everyday" coffee, not a premium coffee, they had to create a new category of coffee that wouldn't alienate their no-frills customer base. Market research told the Folgers executives that people who drink their coffee will "save" premium coffees for special occasions. So, to appeal to existing customers while potentially attracting new customers, the new Folgers Gourmet Selections are "gourmet-inspired coffee [and can] be consumed on an everyday basis."

Folgers has had mixed success with its recent product trials, so it's too early to say for certain whether they will be a success. You can get a free sample here if you want to try it before it hits shelves in September.

At Luxist, Deidre mentioned that there is a vodka with a purpose beyond mere intoxication. Snow Leopard Vodka is an ultra-premium Polish vodka made with spelt grain that promises to be the "best vodka on the market," with a round, smooth taste. It is being sold to benefit the Snow Leopard Trust, a nonprofit dedicated to the protection of the endangered felines. A full 15% of the profits will be donated to the trust and the company hopes to be able to donate more than £543,000 ($1 million) each year. The vodka will be available at Harvey Nichols wine shops in the UK this month, where it will sell for £36. There will also be at least eight upscale restaurants and nightclubs that will be selling the vodka and specialty cocktails that feature it, so customers can drink with a conscience.

As consumers become more discerning in their tastes, particularly with regard to food, they are just as likely to get a craving for foie gras with dinner as they are to want spaghetti and meatballs. And people are projecting their tastes onto their pets - because if they want the foie gras, why shouldn't their beloved dog have some, too? People button some dogs into tiny clothes and carry them around as though they were children. The Wall Street Journal points out that the humanization of pets is what is driving the upswing in the number of gourmet and premium pet foods that are hitting the market.

New lines of pet foods include gourmet, pre-prepared "stews" and pet condiments, like IAMS Savory Sauce, which comes in flavors like Roasted Turkey and Pot Roast. These products are marketed as ways to spoil your pet, though the companies are undoubtedly hoping that they will be used daily, or at all meal times. The people who tested the food for the company reported that they were "like people food... It's what [they] would give their own [families]." People don't like the idea of feeding seemingly unappetizing food to their pets, but love it when the products sound like things they would want to eat. And, of course, the pets love it. Unfortunately, the trend is also driving up the number of obese pets.

Pet food companies assure consumers that the new foods can be healthy, but vets say that not only are most house pets not active enough to warrant extra calories, but that they have no significant nutritional benefit over ordinary dog foods. According to the American Veterinary Medical Association, obesity affects 25-45 percent of pets.

On Monday, McDonald's will be rolling out their new "premium roast" coffee at stores across the country. You may have seen TV ads for the coffee, or even tasted it yourself, as it has been released in several markets already. It seems that the fast-food giant wants to capitalize on the love of the American public for gourmet coffee, following in the footsteps of chains like Dunkin Donuts and Burger King, which recently began to promote its coffee. Another reason for the new coffee is that McDonald's is trying to increase its share of the breakfast market, as consumers more frequently turn to specialty coffee retailers and grab a pastry with their lattes. White the coffee is unlikely to be up to the quality of the specialty retailers, it will certainly be a step up from the "coffee" previously sold at McDonald's. In keeping with the "premium" theme, the new coffees will be served in insulated cups with the same style of lid seen at places like Starbucks instead of the usual fast-food hot beverage lid, which has a punch-out flap for drinking from. According to the McDonald's website, you can get a coupon for a free coffee with any purchase by visiting a participating store between now and March 4th.

On January 1st, a new law went into effect in California prohibiting seafood from being labeled "organic." The bill was supported by consumer and organic food groups, as well as the Monterey Bay Aquarium. State Senator Jackie Speier, who authored the bill, stated that it is designed to protect consumers in the absence of national standards regarding the production of organic seafood, which would ideally be both healthier and better for the environment.

Some markets and seafood production companies are objecting to the legislation, claiming that they can only recoup their costs for feeding their “organic everywhere but California” seafood by using the “organic” label to command higher prices. But while truly organic producers may find themselves hurriedly searching for new buzz-words to describe their fish and shellfish, the less scrupulous producers will be prevented from falsely marketing their own products as organic.