Brings me back

I love peanut butter. Maybe a little too much. Jay often catches me sneaking a spoonful around 9 pm when most people are seeking out ice cream or cookies. This is pretty much a way to have your spoonful of peanut butter at 9 pm in a more socially acceptable way. It is a recipe from my childhood from some stained and worn unnamed cookbook. They are remarkably simple to prepare, don't require any cooking, and freeze very well. You can find many similar recipes out there - some of which add some sort of cereal product for crunch. You can add pretty much whatever you like to the recipe: dried fruit, rice krispies, chocolate chips - but below is the purists' recipe, adjust as you like:

Peanut Butter "Fudge"

1 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup honey

1/2 cup nonfat dry milk (more may be required to achieve proper consistency)

turbinado sugar or coconut

Combine peanut butter, honey and dry milk in a bowl and mix thoroughly. Dough should be dense and not at all sticky. Roll into balls, roll into sugar (or coconut if you prefer) and place on wax paper. Freeze until hard. Store in a sealed container in the freezer. Thaw for 10-20 minutes prior to eating.

Wine and Caramel Corn

So yes, we are in a Recession - big "R". It is a "difficult economy" as some say, and it is seriously starting to wear on me. My day job is in architecture, a field especially affected by the ebbs and flows of the national tide. Today my friendly neighbor to the east, a Canadian source of all thing eccentric, was laid off. I fear I am not far to follow. Things are changing in the place I work, and I am feeling very much left behind. Times like these call for comfort food, and what's more comfortable than a little red wine and caramel corn? After a dose of this miraculous duo, I am thinking that maybe I should just sell some AVON, pop out a kid, and be happy as as the ladies on the television. Well, maybe not. In the meantime I will just eat some more Caramel Corn and have another glass of wine...

Caramel Corn (straight out of Epicurious)

2 tablespoon vegetable oil

1/3 cup popcorn kernels

1/2 cup unsalted butter

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3/4 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

Heat Oil in a heavy saucepan, covered, over modern heat. remove lid and quickly add remaining kernels, then cook, covered, shaking pan frequently, until kernels stop pooping, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat and uncover. (or you could just pop some microwave popcorn).

Melt butter in a heavy pot over moderate heat. Add brown sugar and corn syrup and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring, then boil without stirring, until syrup reached 300 degrees (around 8-10 minutes). Using a wooden spoon stir salt and baking soda into syrup, then quickly stir in popcorn to coat. Spread out over parchment paper to cool. Break up into bite sized pieces.

Enjoy and, for a moment, stop thinking about the Economy...