Dairy
Ghee" is Indian for "I can't believe that it's butter" :-) You can make it yourself. Basically simmer the hell out of it and strain until it's completely clear. Ghee: Yields: 1+1/2 cup (375 ml) Ingredients: 1 lb (450 g) unsalted butter Melt the butter in a heavy saucepan over moderate heat. Increase the heat and bring the butter to a boil. When the surface is completely covered with foam stir the butter gently and reduce the heat to the lowest possible setting. Simmer uncovered and undisturbed for 45 minutes, or until the milk solids in the bottom of the pan have turned golden brown and the butter on top is transparent. Strain the butter through a sieve lined with linen or four layers of cheesecloth. If there are any solids in the ghee, no matter how small, strain it again until it is perfectly clear. Pour the ghee into a glass jar and seal tightly. This recipe makes about 1+1/2 cups, and may be kept at room temperature for several months, or almost indefinitely refrigerated. It will congeal if refrigerated, and so must be warmed before using if liquid ghee is called for.
On the trail when I want the taste of butter for potatoes or bagels, I mix olive oil with Butter Buds. Clarified butter tastes off to me. For cold/cool weather trips, I take walnut oil or other yummy perishable oils.
On a different note. I found powdered whole milk (28%) in my grocery store! It's by Nestle and the label is in Spanish. It comes in a vacuum packed metal can. Also pricy, but the taste difference was profound (for the better). I'm not a big milk fan, but I think this will meet my modest needs.
A trick I started using recently to improve the taste of powdered milk (intended for drinking or cereal) might interest you all. I put the powdered milk into a big glass jar and add a whole vanilla bean. After a month or so, the milk picks up a vanilla taste. It doesn't appear to affect the shelf life.