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OT: food thread

VAcaniac

VAcaniac

SHOOT THE PUCK
Feb 16, 2007
9,945
25,755
Los Angeles
Boom Boom Anton said:
I'm sorry, I don't mean to pick on you, but I have a hard time believing this. It took me MONTHs, not weeks to get really good at Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwiches so I find it hard to believe that you could get real good after only 2 weeks. Even so, let me share the secrets to PB+J sandwiches that I've learned over the years. For those of you with short attentions spans or who don't appreciate high quality, gourmet style food, you can stop here.

First, I hope you aren't one of those that uses Jam instead of Jelly just because you have it laying around. Not trying to sound like a PB+J snob, but there are certain standards I just can't let slip by, regardless of cost. I've found that what brand of peanut butter and jelly you use really doesn't matter in a high quality PB+J (as long a the peanut butter is creamy and not chunky because chunky PB causes way to much inconsistency in the spread). What's really key is the bread and the preparation techniques.

Bread: After trying virtually 100s of different breads, I found that Nature's Own White Whole Wheat bread to be the best overall. It has the right consistency and taste that brings out the best in a PB+J Sandwich. If you are one of those snobs that prefer "craft" bread, then Roman Meal is a good choice (even though some snobs don't consider Roman Meal craft any more :shakehead ). If you like just a fluffy white bread and don't care about taste and quality and just like to swig your PB+Js, then Wonderbread is the one for you. Even when I found the right bread, my PB+J's still felt lacking and soggy. It was then that I ran into a Critically acclaimed Master PB+J chef from a 5 star NYC restaurant who gave me the key nugget to success. Lightly (and I mean lightly) toast the grains of 1 side of the bread in an oven or toaster oven. Not enough to make it brown, just enough to create a thin shell of crust. You should also be able to smell the aroma of the toasted grains, so sniff it, and make sure you take notes for future sandwiches. Sometimes, it's fun to have friends over and you can all smell, taste and critique these sandwiches and sniffing the toasted bread is key. By toasting 1 side, when you spread the PB+J, it doesn't soak right into the bread making it soggy, but yet the outside of the sandwich (untoasted) is still soft and chewy which is the key.

Assembly: Another mistake most people make is using a common butter knife to spread the PB+J. HUGE MISTAKE. For the peanut butter, use a small, rubber spatula as it keeps the PB jar clean and gives a much more uniform layer of PB on the bread. For the Jelly, use a teaspoon to apply the Jelly to the bread and then use that same spatula to spread it. Make sure the PB and J are both spread very evenly across the entire bread, within 1mm of the crust. IMPORTANT: Do NOT put the PB and Jelly on 1 slice of bread then just put the other bread on top. You will RUIN your sandwich that way, trust me on this. Put the PB on the toasted side of 1 piece and the Jelly on the toasted side of the other piece, make sure you have uniform coverage, then assemble the two pieces of bread using using a very light force to ensure you compress the bread by 2.5mm (+/- 0.5mm) total.

Aging: Now that you have your sandwich assembled, another key tip from the Master PB+J chef was aging. You should not eat the sandwich immediately because the flavors have not had a chance to mix and settle and fully develop. Optimally, the sandwich should sit with just a damp (not wet) paper towel over it for 73 minutes, but after a lot of experimentation, I've found that the benefit is really in the first 19 minutes so you can eat it after that and not worry about the "extra" aging. If aged properly, the sandwich should have a complex aroma and taste with hints of Coffee, Caramel, Blackcurrent, and toasted nut. Again, take notes and compare these with friends as that will accelerate your learning.

And lastly, comes the cut. I hope your aren't one of these "hipsters" that cuts the crust off your sandwich. If you are, then we no longer have anything to discuss. I also hope you aren't one of those uncouth sloths that just grabs the sandwich and starts biting into it. :shakehead The key to enjoyment is cutting your sandwich into quarters. There are 3 reasons for that. 1) by cutting it into quarters, it means that each section has 2 crust sides and 2 non crust sides which is ideal. 2) If you are having friends over for a PB+J tasting, this allows you to compare and contrast sandwiches easily. 3) These are perfect bite size portions to ensure you get the full flavor without looking like a slob.

Hope this helps and good luck. I'm thinking of opening a PB+J Food Truck as that is something that is seriously lacking in the Triangle and a huge, untapped growth opportunity.
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Did this just happen?

I hate peanut butter. My mom used to cut up my medication into it and it gave me PTSD.

I tried poutine at supposedly the holy grail of poutine in Montreal and I was not that impressed. I think I was expecting too much after all the hype I read on this board. In my book, currywurst>chilly cheese fries>poutine.
 
VAcaniac

VAcaniac

SHOOT THE PUCK
Feb 16, 2007
9,945
25,755
Los Angeles
Carolinas Identity said:
I'm not proud of myself but I'm having Subway for the third day in a row for lunch. It's literally only a six mine walk and I still have a card from Xmas.,
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I was just about to say, why the hell are you walking anywhere in this weather....Then I look at Calgary's weather and it's 34 freaking degrees. The east coast is colder than Alberta! Kill me now.

This morning was the coldest morning in DC in the 11 years I've lived here. Low of 1 and windchill of -15. I'm definitely driving to lunch today.
 
Carolinas Identity*

Carolinas Identity*

I'm a bad troll...
Jun 18, 2011
31,250
1,299
Calgary, AB
Tank King Jimmy said:
I hate you #h8u
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This is my back yard.

#nosnow

#greengrass

10363636_10153005966435709_643703969283689857_n.jpg
 
garnetpalmetto

garnetpalmetto

Jerkministrator
Jul 12, 2004
12,476
11,842
Durham, NC
Oh and because I didn't post on Valentine's Day, I made a peppercorn-crusted filet mignon with port-cherry reduction and pommes fondant for V-Day dinner. Came off quite well, I do say.
 
HisIceness

HisIceness

This is Hurricanes Hockey
Sep 16, 2010
40,581
71,552
Charlotte
I'm having steak tonight. #ujellybro?

Carolinas Identity said:
Yeah, day time highs have been in the mid 50s all week. For most of the month actually.

#hawaiinshirts
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Thatn reminds me, Next Friday is Hawaiian shirt day just so everyone knows. So if you want to go ahead and wear a hawaiian shirt and jeans.
 

TheKing30

Registered User
Nov 20, 2011
269
124
NJ
Rangers Fan coming in peace, driving down on the 6th for the game. Where is the best place to get a (affordable) bite to eat in the Raleigh are! thanks
 
BrindAmours Army

BrindAmours Army

JFW
Dec 30, 2013
1,924
2,927
Has anyone here been to Wake N Bake Donuts in Carolina Beach? Best doughnut place I've been to. The maple glazed doughnuts with bacon crumbles are probably the greatest doughnuts ever :laugh:
 
Boom Boom Apathy

Boom Boom Apathy

I am the Professor. Deal with it!
Sep 6, 2006
48,459
98,369
TheKing30 said:
Rangers Fan coming in peace, driving down on the 6th for the game. Where is the best place to get a (affordable) bite to eat in the Raleigh are! thanks
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I'd recommend checking out this link first as there is a lot of recommendations in there.

http://hfboards.mandatory.com/showthread.php?t=1518005

If you still have questions after that about specific restaurants and/or types of food, repost the question and I'm sure many members of the board will be glad to help.

Good luck
 
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