Peanut Butter Sandwich Disciple

I must profess and confess my love of the peanut butter (on white bread, and jelly, grape) sandwich. I will also tell you that I eat peanut butter on a myriad of other foods, such as bagels, warmed tortillas, and toasted pita, often adding a sliced banana.. I mean, the PB & J is arguably America's most iconic food, after hot dogs and apple pie. I will even admit that peanut butter would be my luxury item if I were to ever find myself on "Survivor". Oh, and smooth is the only way to go in my book. Yes, I am a peanut butter fanatic. Which leads me to ponder the other famous (or infamous) peanut butter concoction - Elvis' fried peanut butter and banana sandwich - or as he referred to it - "The Nanner" (Thank you very much). I am always preaching to the Julia child to keep an open mind about new foods, to try something before you decide it's gross, etc. And unfortunately for me, this applies to the nanner. I have always scoffed at the notion of frying my beloved peanut butter sandwich, but decided not to knock it until I tried it. I was pleasantly surprised to find in my research that none other than the Domestic Goddess herself, Nigella Lawson embraced Elvis's mama's recipe. That was enough for me.I was also amazed that Nigella also called for only 2 tablespoons of butter for the frying - I can only imagine what Paula Deen would use. The mash up of the peanut butter and banana works to the point that it a regular PB & B, the sliced bananas tend to fall out of the bread. But the crunch of the bread, while perfect for grilled cheese, is a waste for my beloved spread.

50 million Elvis fans can't be wrong. Neither can a handful of kooks. I don't remember where I was on August 16, 1977 - the day the music (and allegedly Elvis) died. I can tell you I was at a Little League game in suburban Milwaukee when Michael Jackson died. Nevertheless, there was a time when I, and many other readers of Weekly World News believed Elvis was still alive. There is an excellent freak show of a documentary called "Rock 'n Roll Disciples" that chronicles a handful of fanatics who made the pilgrimage to Graceland following the King's supposed passing, and gave the filmmaker their various theories on how it was all a lie. Case in point: if you move the letters around in ELVIS, it appears to mean LIVES. 8/16/1977 (the reported death date) when added up 8+16+1977 = 2001, and I don't have to point out that that was Elvis theme song, if you get my drift. No, for many years I was a believer. Until Lisa Marie married Michael that is, and then I was sure Elvis had left the building.  


The Recipe: (courtesy of Nigellla Lawson & Food Network)
 1 (for the money) small ripe banana
2 ( for the show) slices white bread
3 (to get ready) tbsp creamy peanut butter
2 tbsp butter

Now, go cat go, place 2 pieces of white bread in the toaster on a light setting. Heat skillet over medium heat with butter. While the bread is toasting, in a small bowl, using a fork mash the bananauntil it reaches a smooth consistency. Using a knife, spread each slice of bread with peanut butter, topping one side with the mashed banana. Place 1 slice of bread on top of the forming a sandwich. Place in the hot skillet, browning each side about 2 minutes each. Serves 1 person not worried about their arteries clogging.