Three Layer Cake

Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich

I don't know if I ever would have eaten a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich in my life had it not been for my older brother.  He was addicted.  I am pretty sure (without exaggerating) that he only ate peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for the 12 years that we lived under the same roof (he's seven years older than me).  It was a constant gripe of my father's that he never wanted to try anything new.  My father also griped about crunchy peanut butter tearing up your bread...but that's my father for you.  It never "tore" my bread up...

My brother's system was to lay out all the slices of bread in a row on the table and spread peanut butter on half the slices and jelly (always Smucker's jelly, but his favorite was our grandmother's jelly and preserves) on the other half then close them all, get a paper towel, and he was off.  One time he did this, and as he turned to get the jelly, the dog stole what he had already laid out.  He wasn't at all amused, but guess who was, and still is to this day??  If you said my father, you were right!!!

The peanut butter and jelly sandwich is really an icon of American culture.  It represents probably what foreigners criticize most about America, but what Americans love about their country.  It's the childhood memories of food and the food slogans that stick in your head (the big multinational food giants pushing their junk through advertising), it's junk food, it's sugar, it's fat, it's processed flour (Wonder Bread!), it's GREAT.  I rediscovered the joy of a peanut butter and jelly sandwich after living in Italy for a while and not having access to typical American junk food.  I had someone send me a jar of peanut butter, i.e. I was homesick.  It's something about the bread and the strawberry preserves (always strawberry preserves!) that just makes my day and my palate!  In fact, my dream, one of them anyway, is to go to a restaurant which has no menu and order a peanut butter and jelly sandwich.  I'd like to see what they come up with.

Hopefully it won't be insulting to present a peanut butter and jelly sandwich recipe.  I'm sure you can imagine what it might be... there's no art to it, although I'm sure someone will disagree with that because there's an art to everything...  But I think it's all about personal preferences, from the choice of bread to the type and quantity of peanut butter and jelly (or preserves).

Ingredients:

• Slices of Bread, best if homemade
• JIF extra crunchy peanut butter (choosy moms choose JIF,  so I do too, although Skippy works just as well)
• Strawberry preserves (the best you can find) 

Spread the peanut butter on one slice, thickness to taste.  Spread the preserves on the other half, to taste.  Close the sandwich.  Wrap with a paper towel to keep anything from dripping out.  Eat accompanied by a nice glass of cold milk.

Note:  DO NOT USE GOOBER, you'll be robbing yourself of a rich experience!!! (if you're American, you know what this is)

Variations: 

For a healthier sandwich, you might also try sliced bananas or honey in place of preserves.  My best friend all through grade school and high school used to bring organic sugar free peanut butter and honey or banana sandwiches on real whole wheat bread for lunch...survival technique?  Probably so.  Lots of people's lunches got stolen, but never his...