Stop Blogging and Cook

A friend is one who takes you to lunch even if you’re not tax deductible. ~Jack Benny (1894-1974)

NOT JUST KID COMFORT
Man, there is nothing like a peanut butter and jelly sandwich, a meal that closes the usual food ravine between children and adults.  My mom would make me a sandwich for lunch and I was always dismayed that she never had one with me.  I came to believe that when you became an adult, you didn’t eat pj&j.  That was food for kids.  Years later I learned that it wasn’t the pb&j she didn’t like, it was sandwiches.

I never outgrew my fondness for the simple nutty-flavored butter spread on soft bread, and topped with a sweet gooey substance the very opposite of the thick paste that is peanut butter.   Preserves, rather than jelly, has more tooth to it.  I like seeing remnants of the actual fruit and, even better, the individual round blueberries spread out over the smooth foundation of the buttery paste.

It is a party in your mouth, with variety of texture (smooth, thick, clinging; and thin, lumpy, sliding) and temperature (cold preserves, room-temp peanut butter & warm bread).  I don’t consider myself a picky eater, but I am particular about my pb&j sandwich.  Preserves, not jelly; and only red or purple:  strawberry, blueberry, raspberry, grape.  I love apricot and peach preserves, but only in my yogurt.  My pb&j needs to have a red or purple preserve.  Maybe It’s the color, I can’t say for sure.  I only know what my mouth tells me.

Everyone likes something different.  There is really no accounting for taste.  You like something because you like it.  As adults, we try to be practical, and to eat what is on hand or what is served.  But there is no harm in indulging preferences so long as we’re the one expected to cater to those whims.  Such is the advantage of being the cook.  You can make anything you want, exactly the way you like it.

BUY GOOD BREAD
Begin with a light, whole grain bread from the bakery. If you have to buy a grocery store loaf, seek out a sprouted wheat or wheat berry that has a subtle crunch inside.  Some people like pb&j with rye bread but for most of us the flavors are just too adversarial.  I always like to warm the bread first.  Not toast, toast is too crisp.  I put the bread in the toaster just to warm and soften it, then build the inside.

Wonder why they call it Wonder Bread?  Because you gotta wonder why people are still eating it.  Stay away from refined loaves, nothing good inside.  Rice cakes do indeed taste like Styrofoam cups, but peanut butter is about the only thing that makes them edible.  A good, whole grain bread is deeply satisfying in a way that rice cakes can only aspire.  Filling and fulfilling, a peanut butter and jelly sandwich is a meal in your hand.

JAMS, JELLIES & PRESERVES
The best are simply fruit sweetened with fruit juice (with no added sugar) and have natural pectin added as a gelling agent.  That is all you should see on the label.  Many companies today continue the centuries old tradition of jelly, jam and preserve making without chemicals and high fructose corn syrup.  Seek out those brands.

PEANUT BUTTER
Steer clear of the national brands and your digestive system will rejoice.  Get peanuts that have been ground to a buttery paste, available at grocery stores that make their own and charge less than national brands.  There are home  peanut butter makers and, if you have the kids and cupboard space, this might be a good idea.  Children will fight each other to be in charge of the peanut butter making, and it’s good way to begin showing them how food is made.   Transfats, sugar, added salt, preservatives,and chemical additives loaded in for maximum shelf life and minimal food value are undesirable, so don’t buy them in your peanut butter.  They also add a chemical taste that is best not to get used to.

If you’re worried about freshly-ground peanut butter separating, here are some solutions:

1. Buy small quantities, no more than you’ll use in two weeks.  Fresher is always better.  Grinding your own is the freshest way to go.
2. Store in the refrigerator; it will not separate if chilled.
3. Give it a stir every now and again.
4. For older peanut butter that has separated, you can put it a portion in a glass dish and heat in the microwave.  It will soften and enable you to blend in the oil.

BANANA NUT SANDWICH
A nice alternative to jelly is this:  slice half a banana on a peanut butter sandwich, and sprinkle with a little wheat germ for a delicate crunch.  Half a sandwich, folded over, makes a great on-the-go breakfast.

Bring an extra sandwich to work and invite a coworker to join you.  Better yet, keep a stash of pb&j in the pantry and treat yourself to a satisfying lunch once a week.  Indulge in a glass of milk with your pb& j sandwich once in a while. Why not?  It’s good together.