Occasionally I am led to rethink my personal food prejudices but the addition of “jelly”, a term that I have never fully come to terms with in this particular context, to peanut butter is not among those occasions. Such a sublime and handsome teatime treat as a crusted slice of grilled cereal bread liberally spread with an impasto layer of peanut butter, smeared on as by John Bratby* with a palette knife, would be improved to the same degree by the addition of a layer of “jelly” as would be the Venus de Milo by the addition of a strap on. Having said this, I have a feeling that there will be strong support for both of these options.
*John Bratby’s paintings were so thick with paint that it was said that he only knew when one was finished by weighing it.
Food, Photography & France 
I never really liked jam much, so spreading it on peanut butter sounds revolting. I did try a cheese and jam sandwich once, which turned out to be better than expected, but not something I’d advocate 😉
Cheese and jam,MD, is not something I would advocate either…although some fresh cream cheeses or Petits Suisses would be more than OK with some home made apricot jam..
I’d definitely make a jam exception with scones and clotted cream 🙂
That’s a fixture, not an exception:)
Ha ha and no peanut butter in sight (which I do like, but not with cream and jam).
No one in their right mind would…ask Fergus if he’d put it on the menu:)
Ha ha – he might never speak to me again!
Not sure about the jelly, but Venus with a strap-on — now you’re talking! No, I jest. I’ve always loved peanut butter, but I quite often adulterate it with something a bit sharp, to cut through the butteriness; cranberry sauce, or perhaps chilli relish. Jam would be too sweet.
Chili relish does sound quite good, Martyn…..if I had some:)
“as would be the Venus de Milo by the addition of a strap on”…oh god, I snorted really loudly when I read that! Jam, even if it was called jam and not jelly, with peanut butter would be disgusting 😦
Glad to hear such solidarity of opinion:)
It’s delicious. Strawberry is my preference. And smooth peanut butter. Please.
I’ll grant your wish:)
My mother used to paint with a palette knife too.. Oils. Took days to dry between each stroke of the knife.. c
It can look wonderful….I was hopeless at it:)
I am team Venus with a strap-on; however, I am not team peanut butter and jelly. I don’t mind jelly sometimes with a thin layer of butter on bread, but I don’t eat much peanut butter on toast.
To be honest, I’m with you. I only rarely have peanut butter on toast, but when I do it makes me wonder why I don’t do it more often:)
I’ve just seen a rather good looking recipe for a grilled cheese (brie) with thinly sliced pear and blueberry jam. That might work. Haven’t had PB&J since grade school, and even then, not much on the J….my mom was a purist.
The brie thing sounds goodish…but I still worry about jam and cheese:)
The thought of peanut butter and jam makes me feel queasy. I get images of Elvis with melted butter and peanuts all over his sequins.
The Elvis imagery would be good aversion therapy:)
Just to guild the lily a bit, try a bit of butter with your peanut butter. I grew up eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches but have lost my taste for them. I do have fond memories though. Do love a piece of good rye bread toasted with peanut butter. Heaven.
Rye bread does work well…I agree. We all ate weird things during childhood…thank the Lord our tastes change as we grow up:)
Venus de Milo with a strap on?????? OHMYGOD. That image will never leave me now, Roger.
It’s a worrying one….definitely hands free:)
Well, I think PBJ sandwiches are great for kid’s snacks. Personally I always think of peanut butter as something hardy – that’s why I like mine chunky, and on a good bread too. Years ago I was at a party and the hostess served some sort of peanut butter and curry mixture with crackers, for which she would not give me the recipe – it was great.
Now, I do love peanut butter and chocolate, and ice cream too!
I with you on the last sentence….I hope we’re not talking of eating all three together:)
Actually I am, as in here!!! 🙂
http://www.benjerry.com/flavors/peanut-butter-cup-ice-cream
That’s a new one for me….no Ben & Jerry here in FRance:)
Now I have peanut envy as your hearty country bread smeared with chunky [am certain it is?] nut butter makes me want to go and copy! Methinks this is a matter of geography: most Australians would not even know the ‘jelly’ is really jam: yuck, yuck, yuck . . . and we eat peanut butter almost daily and use it for so many Asian sauces and . . . . . Beautiful photo tho’ Roger!!!
I’d forgotten how good peanut butter is in Asian sauces….memories of the Rijkstaffel in Amsterdam back in the late 60’s:)
Hahaha. This is legendary. I am trying not to, but all I can picture is Venus de Milo with a strap on 😜🙏
It’s there now…you’ll never forget it:)
I still think of jelly as jello so no, really wouldn’t like that on top of peanut butter… yikes! haha
I know what you mean….I don’t find jelly to be a happy conjunction with peanut butter:)
I disagree that peanut butter with the addition of jelly : Venus de Milo with a strap-on. Because jelly is gross, whereas Venus de Milo with a strap on sounds amazing and would probably sell for millions at Sotheby’s 😛
Cheers, Sarah….I think that in 150BC there was a lack of sex shops near the sculptor’s studio…otherwise, I can’t imagine why he would have left it out:)
No No No you are all wrong. You need marmite and peanut butter – wow – its …… great !
I think you’ve got me started on another post…Marmite, My Mate….NO.OOOOO….I do, however, quite like Bovril although I haven’t tasted either for about 15 years:)
I wait to hear your latest offerings on marmite …….. but it has to be with peanut butter!
I’m already thinking…:)
PB & J is the ultimate child’s food here even sold premade and crustless in cellophane packets, boxed at the grocery store. Even as a child I couldn’t get around it and prefer peanut butter spread just so on a piece of toast, by itself!
I think many great works of art could benefit from the strap on treatment – so many desecrated statues could be saved! 🙂 Some starving artist, somewhere, is eating a Peanut Butter & Jelly and photoshopping this very concept, even as we speak…
Fantastic response…loved it…many thanks….I’m working on that very same photoshop as we speak:)
Peanut butter and jelly has always seemed a revolting combination to me, but as a child I loved ginger marmalade with Cheddar cheese on crusty bread. I’ve just nominated you for the Virtual Blog Tour Award – I do hope you’ll accept. For details see my latest post.
I think ginger marmalade and cheddar is a bridge too far for me…..Many thanks for nomination, Catherine…I hope you won’t mind if I don’t accept it as I’ve steered clear of the blogging awards thing. I’m just too lazy to reciprocate:)
No problem – just happy to give you some well deserved publicity. I must try the cheddar and marmalade again some time – I have to admit that I still enjoy cheese with fruitcake, and the Appenzell region of Switzerland has something similar, as they eat Birnenbrot (a pastry filled with a rich dried pear mixture, something like English mincemeat) with their Appenzeller cheese.
I’m with you about cheese and fruitcake….that can work very well indeed…I like the idea of the Birnenbrot very much…pears and cheese are perfect:)
Wow, you really are getting into deep and dark water here… PB&J is like…pb&j!! 😉
I was waiting for this…I’m surprised that you’re the first:)
Hahaha! 😉
🙂
I agree entirely. The ‘jelly’ component would only occur in America, a land not noted for culinary subtlety.
I have to say that I do see it as an Americanism…many of which are great…to those that love them:)
It is amazing how being abroad brings out the peanut butter lover in all of us.
Excellent point…thanks:)
I can see that I am in the minority on this one Roger. I like a snack of toasted five grain and pumpkin seed bread spread with a natural peanut butter and peach hot pepper jam while the bread is still warm. 😀
Peach hot pepper jam sounds more like a relish, Karen, so I’ll let that pass:)
My America-dwelling cousins introduced this to us when I was little. Our family was divided. I like to think I was on the sensible (and “correct”) side by not enjoying the combination.
I love the picture. It makes me crave the salty-savoury hit that only un-jamified peanut butter can provide 🙂
Glad to hear you’re with the good guys:)
Well I totally agree with you about the toasted bread and slathering thickly and see no reason for sweet jelly at all. I have been know to slice up a banana to top off the peanut butter. What would we do without peanut butter? God bless George Washington Carver!
Had to google this…I had no idea who he was…I’m a better man for knowing it now…many thanks:)
We’ll win you Europeans over on this combination yet. Very likely before you win us over with Marmite. 😉
I stand firm with you Yankees on Marmite..very weird stuff…but I don’t think that makes up for Jelly:)