Given the chilly temps outside, I've packed a wool beanie, a new sleeve of golf balls, and my precious game day snack: Peanut Butter and Jelly. Nary a round of golf is played without this sweet and savory sandwich. Turns out, I'm not the only one who feels this way about PB&J as food and fuel. It's a favorite from the NBA elite to folks in and around St. Anthony's soup kitchen. Today, April 2 is its national feast day. Here's what you need to know.
Let's start with the question: WHAT is it, exactly, about a PB&J? A few thoughts. This sandwich
- is affordable.
- is easy to transport.
- offers protein and fiber (whole grains).
- timeless and has a decent shelf life!
- is ideal for Catholics who observe no meat on Fridays during Lent.
In the article The NBA's Secret Addiction, Baxter Holmes writes
In dozens of interviews with players, coaches, executives, nutritionists, trainers and others in and around the NBA, the most common explanation offered was the most obvious: PB&J is comfort food, and countless players, like countless other humans, grew up on it. "It's a soothing memory from childhood," Shanahan says. It's "peace of mind," says Brett Singer, a dietitian at the Memorial Hermann Ironman Sports Medicine Institute, who adds: "You feel good, you play well." Brian St. Pierre, director of performance nutrition at Precision Nutrition, who's consulted with the Spurs, says it's not so much a placebo effect but "almost more than that. They just simply believe."I get it. I won't go so far as to say I cannot play golf without it, but it is part of my routine and something I look forward to by the 7th hole.
A good PB&J is hard to mess up. And yet, everyone has their druthers. For me, PB&J tastes best on Potato Bread, but I opt in for Dave's Killer bread (thanks, Costco) because it has more nutritional value. I am certified chunky, not creamy PB. This is not a moral issue, but is often contested as one. I am game for strawberry, raspberry or an occasional apricot jelly or jam. No concord grape, please. Slice it down the middle; crust is included.
There is however, one final ingredient that I highly recommend. I will go so far as to say PB&J doesn't taste the same without it. I call it "cariño," which is Spanish for love and affection. Should you make this sandwich for your spouse, child, significant other or even yourself, don't forget it. I can always taste the difference. And the best part about cariño? It comes at no additional cost.
At St. Ignatius, where I teach, every Thursday a van of students and a teacher head to the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco to hand out sandwiches and juice. Known as the Comfort Run, this group gathers at 7:00 a.m., prays over the sandwiches that students have brought to school the day before and heads out for this morning ministry. As we all know, it's not really about the sandwich and yet it is. The Comfort Run is an opportunity to meet men and women on the margins and to stand there with them. It is a way to start the day with giving a PB&J or a Ham and Cheese to go and a smile.
When I drove the van two weeks ago I was shocked by how many people asked specifically for PB&J. In fact, we ran out of it long before we ran out of our deli sandwiches. I shared this report with my classes and let them know we will double down on the PB&J. Cariño required.
There is however, one final ingredient that I highly recommend. I will go so far as to say PB&J doesn't taste the same without it. I call it "cariño," which is Spanish for love and affection. Should you make this sandwich for your spouse, child, significant other or even yourself, don't forget it. I can always taste the difference. And the best part about cariño? It comes at no additional cost.
At St. Ignatius, where I teach, every Thursday a van of students and a teacher head to the Tenderloin neighborhood of San Francisco to hand out sandwiches and juice. Known as the Comfort Run, this group gathers at 7:00 a.m., prays over the sandwiches that students have brought to school the day before and heads out for this morning ministry. As we all know, it's not really about the sandwich and yet it is. The Comfort Run is an opportunity to meet men and women on the margins and to stand there with them. It is a way to start the day with giving a PB&J or a Ham and Cheese to go and a smile.
When I drove the van two weeks ago I was shocked by how many people asked specifically for PB&J. In fact, we ran out of it long before we ran out of our deli sandwiches. I shared this report with my classes and let them know we will double down on the PB&J. Cariño required.
To be honest, I'm somewhat surprised an artisanal PBJ shop has not popped up in San Francisco. A culinary citadel of a city, we have had houses of elite grilled cheese, mac and cheese and avocado toast. Given the varietals that PBJ can offer from jelly vs jam, a host of nut butters far beyond peanut butter to your choice of bread, the latest thing since a slice of it awaits.
Maybe one will pop up in the future and can be a place to make donations to those who go hungry for food or cariño. Now there's a goal for April 2, 2024! In the meantime, please let me know what is your favorite rendition of PB&J.
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