The All-American icon, peanut butter, holds its own — alone or in mixed company
The only thing more amusing than a dog trying to lick peanut butter from his nose is a group of grown-ups — and one child — discussing the merits of different types of peanut butters. Four bowls of the brown paste were presented for a taste test. The tasters didn't know the brands that had been rounded up. Several, however, claimed to know their favorites on sight. They debated the sweetness of one, the texture of another. Did one taste more "processed" than natural peanut butter, and, most important, which one would taste best on a sandwich? Only an American classic like peanut butter and slow-smoked barbecue could engender such debate. Here's a news flash: Peanut butter is only one use for the versatile peanut. Our fixation could be forgiven, however, since the United States is the world's largest producer of peanut butter. But, seeing that Alabama is the third largest producer of peanuts, it stands to reason that this week of down-home patriotism and all things American should send a little attention to the golden nut of the South. Spicy Szechwan Chicken 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts Cut chicken into 2 x 1/2-inch strips. Place in large pie plate. Sprinkle 2 teaspoons cornstarch over chicken and mix well to coat chicken. Add egg white and mix again. Heat oil in a 12-inch frying pan. Add chicken and bamboo shoots and stir-fry about 3 minutes (use a wooden spoon or wooden fork). Add chilies and peanuts; stir-fry for 2 minutes. Combine all remaining ingredients except green onion in a separate bowl with remaining 2 teaspoons cornstarch and add to the pan. Stir-fry and heat until sauce is thick and smooth and mixture is well blended. Add green onion. Stir-fry for 30 seconds to warm onions. Serve immediately. — The Art of Cooking for the Diabetic Peanut Butter Soup 2 tablespoons butter Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat; add onion and celery. Saute for about 5 minutes. Add flour and mix until well blended. Stir in chicken broth and allow to simmer for about 30 minutes. Remove from heat, strain broth. Stir the peanut butter, salt and cream into the strained broth until well mixed. Serve hot. Garnish each serving with a teaspoon of chopped peanuts and a dollop of jelly. — Courtesy of the Southeastern Peanut Farmers Advisory Board The results Our peanut butter taste test revealed no clear favorite. Votes were split evenly between Jif, Peter Pan, Skippy Natural and the store brand sampled by about a dozen people in a study that couldn't be more unscientific if it had been organized by lemurs. • Jif: Both praised for its "roasty bitterness" and knocked for not being sweet enough. Generally received positive comments. • Peter Pan: Considered too sweet by many voters, but its texture — "fluffy" and "creamier" won approval. • Store brand (Winn-Dixie): This was the only crunchy brand tasted. Crunchy fans clearly gravitated toward it. "Robust" and "peanutty" were common notations. • Skippy Natural: This one was clearly the less-sweet among the quartet, which drew both praise and criticism. It was also clearly the thickest — again, drawing equal thumbs up and thumbs down. Make your own Homemade Peanut Butter 2 cups roasted shelled peanuts Using the metal blade, process ingredients continuously for 2 to 3 minutes. The ground peanuts will form a ball which will slowly disappear. Continue to process until the desired consistency is obtained. If necessary, stop machine and scrape sides of container with a rubber spatula. For crunchy peanut butter, stir in 1/2 cup chopped roasted peanuts after the processing is completed. Store in a tightly closed container in the refrigerator. Oil may rise to the top. If this occurs, stir before using. |
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