It’s a race to post before midnight. Something short and sweet for a change. Peanut butter? That’ll do nicely. As will peanut butter biscuits, satay sauce, groundnut stew, smoothies with peanut butter in…and a handful of dry roasted, if you’re offering.
I came late to peanut butter. I tried smooth, and experienced tongue stuck to roof of mouth syndrome. For one as keen as I am on talking, this was offputting. Luckily, there was jam to keep my slices of bread covered up in the meantime.
But later, I discovered crunchy peanut butter – and a whole new world opened up. Including that of PB&J. I did not grow up Stateside, but I have taken to this with great conviction, and repeat performances.
Foiled by the clock. This will now end up being a posted after midnight job. But that’s OK. It’s the end of term, I have some cunning small people management plans for tomorrow, and it’s nearly the weekend. Nearly.
So. I should probably state at this time that I am not a great eater of nuts, overall. Some I like, some I find just too…’fatty tasting’ is probably the closest I can come to it. But peanuts, I can take.
Peanuts are the ubiquitous nut of the west (sounds like that phrase should instantly become its own pop group), when it comes to parties, late night snacks, and so on.
In the days where food allergies seem to be on the increase, perhaps not so ubiquitous. Peanuts are definitely not so great for some. So I appreciate that my enjoyment of peanuts, and peanut butter, may not be shared.
I have to say, I am also less keen on peanuts ‘in the raw’. Process of popping peanuts out of their shells: good. Taste of red layer coating peanut: less good. So I wait for those in packets that have already been cleaned up a bit.
I came across satay sauce in my teens. My dad used to work in agriculture, in companies that sold supplies to farmers. This involved the occasional time on a trade stand. And at some point, he discovered Fox’s Spices, allowing you to order an amazing range of spices through their stand, and through a catalogue.
For some years later, if there were a barbecue, there would be satay chicken made with their mix. It’s still one of my favourites. There’s some heat, but not so much that you need to worry about it. I should go off and consult dad on what else he made – something different for pork, and I’m sure there were more spice mixes besides.
At university, there were various cookbooks I used – some aimed at students. One cookbook has long since been passed on – I didn’t make much from it, but I do have a copied out version of Polly’s Peanut and Pasta something. A bit of an East-West cross over – pasta, yoghurt, cabbage, peanuts, carrot, ginger and soy sauce.
It probably sounds rather ominous at this point, but trust me – there’s great crunch in the veg which you stirfry, but the heat element gets softened by the pasta and yoghurt. Oh, and it is really good cold the next day. The main deal is getting root ginger to make the dish zing (probably my first recipe where I did go and buy root ginger, so memorable for that too.)
I also discovered at this stage that a pestle and mortar is a much better notion if a recipe calls for chopped nuts. Trying to control a peanut with a knife and a chopping board…well, it’s good if you have target practice in mind, but not so much if you want to eat at the same time the other ingredients are ready.
At some point, I also tried groundnut stew – think beef stewing steak and lots of peanut butter. I should try it again really – a proper groundnut stew probably wouldn’t have the meat, and would rely on other ingredients like beans.
I think the Food Aid cookbook might have a recipe (there’s a blast from the past! We remember Band Aid, and lots else from that first rush of fundraising mid 80s, but who remembers the food element of all that? Fronted by Delia Smith and Terry Wogan.).
Peanut butter in smoothies has come via Nigella Express. There’s a recipe based around partially frozen banana and milk, which calls for honey and also for Camp Coffee. Not having any of the latter, I tried the suggested alternative of peanut butter, and never looked back.
Making it for two, I tend to add a spoon of honey, and a spoon of peanut butter. I love to hang onto the peanut butter spoon, and use it to mix (and sometimes, spoon in) the smoothie. There’s a wonderful salt element that cuts through the sweetness of the banana.
And so, on to peanut butter cookies. These have become a favourite, partly for me when wanting to provide Something Nourishing before/after a sports class for a wee one. I’ve experimented with a couple of different recipes, but the main one I use has marg, icing sugar and smooth peanut butter.
Very easy to mix, to incorporate some flour, and then you spoon them out to bake. Nice and quick, and also still tasty after some adjustments (in the gluten- and dairy-free departments).
And finally, to the question of jam with one’s PB. I like a rather acidic jam to add some piquancy to the richer taste of the peanut butter. So, blackcurrant for choice – but then blackcurrant is for choice in most situations.
Raspberry can be good too. I think I probably tried rhubarb and ginger as well – there, the kick of the ginger would work with the peanuts again.
Only difficulty of finishing on that note is the question of the late night snack.
Well…I might just have the answer.