When I was pregnant and in my second trimester, I ate peanut butter sandwiches for breakfast every single day. I have no idea why or where the craving came from. It was very specific. I ate Jif Natural Creamy peanut butter on Martin's whole wheat potato bread. Nothing else would do. Oddly, considering the amount of peanut butter I consumed during her gestation, Amaya is not a huge fan of peanut butter. She will occasionally eat a peanut butter and jelly sandwich or a scoop of chocolate peanut butter ice cream. In any other situation, for her, peanut butter is a pass.
Times have changed. Now I buy the organic no-stir peanut butter, that still separates most of the time. To this end I keep it in the refrigerator, which keeps it creamy but also makes it hard to spread. I haven't had a peanut butter sandwich in years, somehow it's not my thing anymore. It's as though I maxed out on them during my pregnancy and can no longer eat them at all. Instead I eat peanut butter by the spoonful or if I'm feeling particularly peckish, I spread it on sliced bananas. This is the perfect sweet-creamy-salty-sticky afternoon snack. There's enough acid and astringency hidden in the fruit and nuts to ensure that it hits every point on my taste buds and lingers on my palate. It's a quick hit of energy that stays with me for a few hours--I tend to be generous with the peanut butter. It's the perfect afternoon snack. Everything evolves with age and, in a perfect world, it all just keeps getting better.
Years Past
June 1, 2005
Ideas in Food: Great Recipes and Why They Work
Maximum Flavor: Recipes That Will Change the Way You Cook
Gluten Free Flour Power: Bringing Your Favorite Foods Back to the Table
