Variant peanut butter sandwich

For example, my father occasionally made peanut butter and banana sandwiches for me when I was a kid, and I have made sure that my daughter gets the occasional peanut butter and banana (peanut butter and banana sandwiches are somewhat well-known because Elvis liked to fry and eat them). Another friend of mine is waiting for the day when he and his dad can feed his children their first peanut butter and mayonnaise sandwich, a tradition in their family. There are any number of other combinations--I'm aware of people who add honey, raisins, and tuna fish to their peanut butter sandwiches.

Take some Black Russian bread or a dark pumpernickel. Spread butter on two slices. Edge to edge. Now some peanut butter on one side. Top this with some chopped garlic, preferably roasted. Add a few slices of a sharp extra old cheddar. Mound some sprouts, preferably onion or radish on top and then put the other piece of bread down on the stuff and slice in half.

Eat with a kosher dill and some vegetable juice.

Trust me.

The rest of the world eats peanut butter with chillies, garlic and so on. Americans treat it like a dessert topping, which is interesting and exotic. But please try this and you might find other ways of enjoying peanut butter.

Okay then. Humour me.

You want fast food? Here's fast food. Heat a flour tortilla over the flames of your stove, so it's warm and crispy in places, and spread peanut butter on it (the heat should make it spread better). I like chunky peanut butter for this: it helps diversify the texture. Drizzle a little honey on it, then add chopped scallions, really finely chopped garlic, sesame seeds (toasted if you've got'em) and soy sauce. Roll it up, put the lid back on the peanut butter and the cutting board by the sink, and run out the door.

There's a restaurant in New York City that is based on variations on peanut butter sandwiches: they have "The Elvis" (and the Elvis Plus, with bacon), chicken-peanut butter satay, peanut butter milkshakes - peanut butter and jelly, of course, and many other things. Try it, but only on an absolutely empty stomach. They go VERY heavy on the peanut butter. It is, as TAFKAH assesses, a sign of and encouragement to excess, and can be found at 240 Sullivan St. between West 3rd and Bleeker - i suspect those of you with peanut allergies wight want to avoid that area altogether.

Peanut butter: that smooth and satiny concotion, so creamy it melts on your tongue, or excitingly chunky with unexpected peanuts. I invented my own personal peanut butter sandwich variation when I was 8 or so, just after I was allowed to start experimenting in the kitchen.

First, I must explain that my mother does not keep a gourmet kitchen, with pine nuts and lentils and proscuitto galore; our spice cabinet has had the same jars of spices since my parents bought the house, which was in 1979. It is a basic kitchen, a kitchen that, if incapable of illuminating your taste buds, will at the very least fill your stomach. So I did the best I could with what our kitchen had, and considering I was only 8 this recipe really isn't that bad.

Super Sandwich

• Peanut butter (brand and style your choice; I prefer smooth Skippy)
• Two slices rye bread
• One fresh tomato, sliced
• Several leaves fresh iceberg lettuce
• One dill pickle, cut into slices

Lightly toast rye bread in toaster, so that it is slightly crisp and golden brown. Schmear peanut butter liberally on each slice. Lay lettuce leaves over each slice so that it acts as a base. Lay one layer only of tomato slices on lettuce leaves (too many tomatoes will make it too hard to bite through). Add pickle slices on top of the tomatoes, and carefully place the halves of the sandwich together (if you used enough peanut butter, it won't fall apart).

Many people balk at the idea of eating dill pickles on a peanut butter sandwich, but the lettuce and tomatoes act as a taste barrier, making the pickle juice-peanut butter combination surprisingly subtle. I would suggest not eating this sandwich with jelly (jam for non-Americans), since it goops up the whole construction; also, unlike peanut butter and pickles, jelly and pickles really doesn't work.

Here's the breakfast version of the PBJ. Perfect for getting up in the morning, and it's a good source of protein in the morning if you don't like eggs or just don't have the time to cook eggs. I came up with the idea in school. Still eat them almost every day.

Cut a cinnamon-raisin english muffin in half. I prefer Sun-Maid brand raisin English Muffins. Toast both halves to desired browness. Spread peanut butter and preserves on each half. You can put the two halves of the english muffin back together, or you can eat each half separately. Your choice.

The breakfast PBJ, though, should only be part of your complete breakfast. Be sure to serve it with your favorite breakfast beverage. I find a tall cold glass of orange juice to be the perfect chaser. Cut sliced bananas on top of each half for added completeness.

Elvis Presley's Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich

In the king's latter days he gained a little weight...

Well... actually he turned into a giant sweating ball of lard. This can be mostly attributed to his diet, and most definitely contributed to his death at the cruel hands of heart disease. Actually it was at the (less cruel) seat of a toilet, but no one wants to hear about that part...

I can feel my arteries hardening just thinking about it.

So anyway, here's the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 small ripe banana
• 2 large slices of white bread
• 3 tablespoons of peanut butter
• 2 tablespoons of butter

Method:

1. Mash the banana in a bowl with the back of a spoon.
2. Toast the bread lightly.
3. Spread the peanut butter on one slice of toast, and the mashed banana on the other, then press the two together into a sandwich.
4. Spread some of the butter on the outside of the sandwich, and melt the remaining butter in a fry-pan.
5. Fry the sandwich in the butter on both sides until it's crispy and golden brown.
6. Cut diagonally and serve hot

I've only had one of these lard-laden monstrosities once in my life, attributable mostly to the fact that I've developed a severe allergy to bananas since.

Strange coincidence? You be the judge.

HOWEVER... When I did eat my first (and only) Fried Peanut Butter and Banana Sandwich, I enjoyed it immensely, and gained a little respect for 'the king' in the process. Suffice to say, I don't blame the man for loving them.

Addiction is a risk.