A HARTE APPETITE: PEANUT BUTTER FAME IS SPREADING

"Man cannot live by bread alone," comedian Bill Cosby once quipped. "He must have peanut butter."

The same must go for women and children too, for roughly half the peanuts consumed in North America are eaten as peanut butter. Moreover, one third of the U.S. peanut crop goes into peanut butter and it's on the shelf in 75 percent of American homes. Though adults actually eat more peanut butter each year than children, by the time the average child in this country graduates from high school he or she will have eaten 1,500 peanut butter sandwiches. No wonder peanut butter is a billion-dollar industry.

In light of these figures it shouldn't be surprising either that thousands of people, among them Julia Child, have joined the Adult Peanut Butter Lovers' Fan Club (with headquarters in Georgia, the heart of peanut country) since it was founded about 10 years ago. Nor should it surprise us that Ruth Reichl, former restaurant critic for the New York Times and now editor of Gourmet magazine, calls the peanut butter and jelly sandwich the most underrated of foods.

"It's the perfect American dish," she says. "Relegating this wonderful invention to the school lunch is a terrible waste."

And it should not be a mystery why one of the hottest new restaurants in New York City right now is Peanut Butter & Co., where just about everything on the menu features that wonderful spread. I visited there recently and sampled the menu which ranges from classic and not so classic peanut butter sandwiches (they'll cut the crusts off for you if you ask them) to desserts such as peanut butter pie and even peanut butter tiramisu.

And, of course, peanut butter cookies are perpetually available. If you like, you can wash them down with a peanut butter and jelly milkshake. The restaurant grinds its own peanuts fresh every day to produce gourmet varieties such as spicy peanut butter, cinnamon-raisin peanut butter, and white chocolate peanut butter. And when you leave you'll find available at the cashier's counter not the ubiquitous mints or hard candies other restaurants provide, but Mary Janes, those old fashioned chewy, peanut butter and molasses taffies.

What may come as a surprise, however, is the fact that recent medical studies indicate that peanut butter, despite its high fat content, may actually be good for your heart and may even help you lose weight. The April issue of Health magazine reports that peanut oil contains almost as much monounsaturated fat as olive oil and recounts a study conducted at Penn State in which a diet rich in monounsaturates lowered subjects' total cholesterol by 11 percent, their LDL (bad cholesterol) by 14 percent, and their triglycerides by nearly 11 percent. What is more, peanut butter is a good source of vitamin E and folic acid, two nutrients associated with reduced risk of heart disease. And to top it off, peanut butter contains resveratrol, the same antioxidant found in red wine.

Of course, the partially hydrogenated vegetable oil in some peanut butters may mitigate these benefits, but not by much. Moreover, you can avoid the problem by sticking to old fashioned or "natural" peanut butters which contain only peanuts and salt. Health magazine also reports that recent studies at Purdue University and at Boston's Brigham and Women's Hospital suggest that peanut butter might not necessarily make you gain weight but, by boosting the level of satisfaction and enjoyment on a diet, actually help you lose.

This good news about peanut butter, not to mention its popularity, is impressive considering, as the Peanut Butter Lovers Club notes, that the substance started out as a protein substitute for geriatric patients who couldn't chew meat because their teeth were too bad! Though Africans used ground peanuts in their stews as early as the 15th century and a "peanut porridge" was one of the staples of soldiers during the Civil War, it wasn't until 1890 that Dr. Ambrose W. Straub of St. Louis with the help of George A. Bayle, Jr., the owner of a food products company, developed the first peanut butter, actually a ground peanut paste, as a nutritional supplement. Soon after, the Kellogg brothers of cereal fame began experimenting with peanut butter and actually obtained a patent for its production. (The wife of one of their employees, by the way, published the first nut cookbook.) In 1904, just a year after Dr. George Washington Carver began his research on peanuts (he found over 300 uses, including shoe polish), C. H. Sumner unveiled peanut butter to the public at his concession stand at the St. Louis World's Fair.

The real breakthrough came in 1922, however, when Joseph L. Rosefield of California developed a method for churning peanut butter which resulted in the smooth, as opposed to gritty, product we know today. Twelve years later he would create the first crunchy style peanut butter by adding chopped peanuts to the creamy variety. (Creamy still outsells crunchy today.) Peter Pan and Skippy peanut butters, which employ Rosefield's process, are among the oldest brands on the market, though Krema Products Company of Columbus, Ohio, which began sales in 1908, is the oldest peanut butter company still in operation today. Jif, the top-selling brand made in Lexington, Ky., at the world's largest peanut butter plant, is a relative newcomer having been introduced in 1958 by Procter & Gamble.

Clearly peanut butter's fame is still spreading. And though it is addictive right out of the jar (I've found a Hershey bar makes a nice spoon), it can play a starring role in cakes, pies, cookies, and other desserts and even savory dishes such as pasta and vegetables, as the following recipes demonstrate. Any of them can be a powerful antidote, should you need one, to arachibutyrophobia -- fear of peanut butter sticking to the roof of your mouth.

Delma Williams' Peanut Butter Fudge

This family recipe is from Delma Williams of Bernie, who has been cooking since she was barely tall enough reach the stovetop. When her son, Glen, who has been eating this fudge since he was a toddler, brings a pan of it to work with him at the university he is instantly mobbed by his co-workers. One bite and you'll understand why.

Ingredients:

4 cups sugar

1 can evaporated milk

1 stick butter

1 jar marshmallow creme

2 cups peanut butter (smooth or chunky)

Directions:

Bring sugar, milk, and butter to boil. Cook to medium soft ball stage (236 degrees), stirring frequently. Remove from heat and immediately add marshmallow creme and peanut butter. Stir until candy loses its gloss and is thoroughly blended. Pour into a large pan, let cool, and mark into squares. Makes about four pounds.

Spago's Peanut Butter Cookies

What could be more comforting than classic peanut butter cookies and a glass of milk? These are elegant enough to serve at Spago, Wolfgang Puck's landmark restaurant in Los Angeles. The recipe is from the restaurant's dessert cookbook authored by Mary Bergin and Judy Gethers.

Ingredients:

2 cups plus 1 tablespoon flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 sticks butter

1 cup granulated sugar

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup peanut butter (chunky or smooth)

2 eggs

1 1/2 cup dried currants

Directions:

Sift together flour and soda. Cream butter and sugars until fluffy. Add peanut butter and beat until combined. Add eggs, one at a time, beating at medium speed. Add sifted ingredients, beating at low speed just until combined. Fold in currants by hand. Wrap dough in plastic wrap and refrigerate 2-3 hours or overnight. Divide dough into 1-ounce pieces and roll between palms to form 48 small balls. Arrange 2 inches apart on parchment lined baking sheets and bake at 350 degrees until slightly firm to the touch, about 12-14 minutes. Remove cookies from pans and cool on racks. Makes 4 dozen.

Nany's Caramel Peanut Butter Cake

This recipe, devised by Terri Spitler of Dothan, Ala., won her the grand prize last year at the National Peanut Festival Recipe Contest. Try it and you'll understand that the judges weren't crazy, just nuts over peanut butter.

Ingredients:

1 cup shortening

2 1/2 cups granulated sugar

2 1/2 teaspoons vanilla, divided

3 cups sifted flour

1 cup buttermilk

6 eggs

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

8 ounces cream cheese

2 boxes powdered sugar

1/2 cup creamy peanut butter

1 cup crunchy peanut butter

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons evaporated milk, divided

1 1/2 sticks margarine, divided

4 tablespoons light corn syrup

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

Directions:

Cream shortening and granulated sugar. Add eggs one at a time, mixing well. Sift together flour and baking powder. Add to egg mixture alternately with buttermilk. Add 1 teaspoon vanilla and salt and mix only until combined. Do not overbeat. Line 5 round 8-inch baking pans with wax paper and place 8-9 tablespoons batter in each. Bake at 400 degrees until tester comes out clean. Cool completely. Cream 1/2 stick margarine and cream cheese. Add 1 box powdered sugar and beat until creamy. Add 1/2-teaspoon vanilla, 2 tablespoons evaporated milk, and 1/2 cup creamy peanut butter. Spread between cake layers. Melt remaining stick margarine, brown sugar, and syrup and bring to boil. Remove from heat, add remaining 1/3 cup evaporated milk, remaining box powdered sugar, remaining teaspoon vanilla, and 1 cup crunchy peanut butter. Beat until creamy and spread on top and sides of cake.

Spicy-Sweet Peanut Dressing

This Thai-style dressing is terrific served over chilled pasta or raw vegetables. The recipe is from Bon Appetit magazine.

Ingredients:

1 cup smooth old-fashioned peanut butter

1/2 cup freshly brewed black tea at room temperature

1/2 cup orange juice

3 tablespoons sesame oil

3 tablespoons honey

2 tablespoons soy sauce

2 tablespoons rice vinegar

1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger

2 teaspoons grated orange peel

3 minced garlic cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons minced canned chipotle chilies

Directions:

Mix all ingredients until blended and smooth.

Got a culinary question you'd like to ask or an idea you'd like to see treated in this column? Sent your suggestions to A Harte Appetite, c/o The Southeast Missourian, P.O. Box 699, Cape Girardeau, Mo., 63702-0699 or by E-mail to tharte@semovm.semo.edu.