PB&J GOES WAY, WAY UPSCALE IN BOSTON

We found this story in the on-line version of the Boston Herald:

AT HUB’S FANCY EATERIES, PB&J GETS UPPER-CRUST TREATMENT-

By Clara Silverstein
Wednesday, September 29, 2004

Peanut butter and jelly has outgrown the lunchroom, finding its way onto linen-covered tables around Boston. It’s a flavor combination everyone can understand – but with a makeover.

Take the PB&J dessert at L restaurant. Chef Pino Maffeo tucks peanuts into a crunchy feuillettine (the pastry used in Napoleons), then adds vanilla bean ice cream with a grape swirl. It has proven so popular, he has kept it on the menu since the restaurant opened in January.

A more savory interpretation comes from chef Gabriel Frasca of Spire, who is creating foie gras peanut butter and jelly for the bar menu. The dish includes a foie gras mousse, caramelized almonds and concord grape jelly with toasted brioche.

Peanut butter itself has turned into gourmet fare at Aujourd’hui, where pastry chef Tim Fonseca prepares peanut butter mascarpone with rum-brown butter caramel and roasted banana sorbet. At Flour bakery and cafe in the South End, peanut butter cookies made with creamy Skippy and chopped nuts are displayed beside Scharffenberger double chocolate cookies and meringue clouds.

Chef-owner Joanne Chang has no qualms about turning a lunchroom favorite into a treat for discerning adults. “I grew up with Skippy and I definitely wanted a good quality peanut butter for the peanut butter cookie,” she said.

The adventurous palates of adults inspired Katalin Coburn to start Peanut Better, a company that pairs peanut butter with Thai ginger, praline and other unusual flavors. “We’re expanding the entire category,” she said, noting that customers seem to be equally drawn to savory and sweet flavors among the 12 offered ($5 per jar at www.peanutbetter.com or at Boston-area Whole Foods and Wild Oats markets). Many fans send in recipes, mixing peanut butter with everything from scrambled egg whites to mashed potatoes.

Clearly, though peanut butter is still kid stuff, adults also want to have fun with it.
*****************

We would like to raise a few points: there is no reason these goodies couldn’t show up in kosher restaurants, too. Second: the Kosher Nexus wrote about Peanut Better a while ago- glad to see the Herald caught up with us! Third: Peanut butter foie gras?? Maybe we will pass on that one. Don’t get us wrong- we love foie gras made on the grill- char on the outside, tender and moist on the inside. But with peanut butter? Mais non!

(RJR)