Who doesn't love peanut butter?

I'm a peanut butter-aholic. Smooth, chunky, mixed into salad dressings or smoothies, baked into cookies and cakes, or just thickly spread on a cracker or a piece of toast. I always have one or two jars on hand, usually one all-natural variety, one naughty variety. Currently in my cupboard I have a big jar of Skippy smooth and a nearly-finished jar of Plantation Super Creme that a friend brought back from Georgia (not the factory connected to the salmonella outbreak).

Photo courtesy Piccolo Namek

Peanut butter lovers like me will love this, a collection of top PBs on Saveur, plus a bit about the history of the popular spread. Click and prepare to drool. Sadly, for us Canadians, the only one I'm familiar with is Peanut Butter and Co. -- the others may only be available in the U.S.

That's okay though, we have some pretty fine peanut butters to choose from here. I quite like the good old fashioned Kraft Peanut Butter, with the bears on the front. Not fancy, but a good peanutty taste. Also love the aforementioned Skippy for its creaminess -- I often bake with it. MaraNatha makes an organic roasted peanut butter, and Paris, Ont. based Nuts To You Nut Butter puts out a variety of nut butters, including peanut, hazelnut, cashew and almond. I do enjoy almond butter from time to time, it's particularly wonderful for dipping apple slices into.

However nothing will replace good old fashioned PB -- just ask The New York Times, which devoted an article to it last month.

Do you have a favourite brand I failed to mention? Let me know!

Salut!

Suzanne

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