FOOD FOR THOUGHT: The Infallible PB & J

s there any better food combination than peanut butter and jelly? Quite possibly, but I personally can't imagine it. This, though, is somewhat of a biased opinion -- I happen to love peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. I always have. In fact peanut butter and jelly sandwiches are part of my daily diet; I consume on average one per day. They're quick, easy and nutritious. What's not to like? A well-made PB & J has multiple levels of flavors and textures -- the intense and creamy, almost smoky flavor of ground roasted peanuts layered with fresh sugared fruit spread, and sandwiched between toasted fresh-made whole wheat or whole-grain bread. All right maybe that's romanticizing the ordinary just a little too much, but a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on toast is undeniably a great marriage of taste and texture.

It often surprises people when they hear of a professional cook eating such "common foods," as if it is some dirty little secret ("Joe eats peanut butter and jelly sandwiches? But he's a chef!"). It's not as if I'm sneaking into a golden-arched restaurant, which I detest on many levels (not just the crappy food, but on a larger scale how they are devolving our nation's palate). Besides, if a chef's diet consisted primarily of what he or she cooked in restaurants -- demi-glace and wine reduction sauces, cream, etc. -- they would be as big as a house, not to mention have serious digestive problems. The great chef August Escoffier was said to eat a simple plate of steamed vegetables for his primary meal of the day. Most professional cooks that I know truly love and appreciate the highly refined cuisine of fine restaurants -- we put our heart and soul into it, after all -- but on a daily basis would rather eat home-style cooking, preferably if someone else is doing it. Anyhow, back to peanut butter and jelly.

While the peanut butter and jelly sandwich is definitely an American original it surprises me that it is such a recent addition to our culinary repertoire. Leavened bread, of course, has been in existence some 6000 years, and the popularity of the sandwich in general has been known since 1763 when one John Montague began to eat his meals between two slices of bread (good ole John was also the Earl of Sandwich, hence the food's name). And the method of preserving fruits in sugar, such as jellies, jams, and marmalades, has been in existence almost as long as leavened bread. Though historically speaking the use of peanuts as a common foodstuff is relatively new. Peanut butter was first introduced as an inexpensive, flavorful, and good source of protein at the St. Louis World's fair in 1890, and the famous and industrious scientist George Washington Carver began researching multi uses for peanuts around 1914.

I sometimes wonder then, usually while happily eating a PB & J, why has this awesome combination taken so long to become popular? Some food historians claim the famous sandwich in mention had its beginnings in the early 1930's, but as far as I can tell it originated during or around the time of the Second World War. During that time staples such as butter, cheese, and meat were, of course, in short supply, and at the same time a common snack for children was bread and butter, and sometimes jelly. To compensate for the lack of butter, mothers began to use peanut butter, which was in plentiful supply. Not surprisingly, kids liked it. In addition, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches were supposedly also on certain GI ration menus. When these GIs returned home they still wanted this sweet and savory snack. The rest, as they say, is history.

If you really think about it, a well-made peanut butter and jelly sandwich -- one that is constructed of good and wholesome ingredients -- can actually be a type of gourmet food (the word "gourmet," after all, is simply a matter of opinion). It can also be a very healthy meal or snack. Consider the elements. Lets start with peanut butter. In a 1999 issue of the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition nutritionists confided that a diet high in peanuts can lower bad cholesterol. In fact, it stated that peanuts could have a more positive effect on a person's cholesterol level than a "low fat" diet. In a study that compared diets high in monounsaturated fat (the fat found in peanuts) against some low fat diets, it was concluded that diets high in monounsaturated fats are far superior than many low fat diets in regards to heart health. Monounsaturated fat is present not only in peanuts, peanut butter, and the oil that peanuts produce, but also in olive oil -- a major component of the Mediterranean Diet, which has been touted as heart healthy for years. The irony of the matter is that when peanut butter was first developed and introduced to the mass market in the late 1800's, it was being promoted as "health food."