Give me your peanut butter recipes.

January 11, 2005 1:33 AM

I love peanut butter, preferring creamy over chunky... but it doesn't really matter. I'm pretty sure I love peanut butter now as much as I ever did when I was a kid. What are some of your favorite ways to eat peanut butter and/or use it in other recipes?

I've eaten peanut butter in just about every sandwich concoction I can think of... including PB&J of course, PB and mayo, PB and bologne (another kid thing), the Elvis, PB and applesauce. A friend puts it on a hamburger, although I've never tried it. I love creamy PB with a cored and quartered Gala apple. If something comes with a "peanut dipping sauce", then I want it.

Just after college, a friend of mine moved to Estonia for a year or so, to live with "distant" relatives. After a while he began to crave some food favorites from back in the states and had his mother mail him a small jar of peanut butter. The kids (younger cousins perhaps) that were living with him were curious, having never tasted peanut butter. They tried it and were completely repulsed... hated it. I just can't understand that.

posted by Witty to food & drink (68 comments total)

My favourite is smooth peanut butter slathered onto hot toast (so that it melts) and then topped with a mashed ripe banana......MMMmmmmmmmmmm
posted by Civa at 3:12 AM on January 11, 2005

I like peanut butter on pancakes.
posted by cheaily at 3:22 AM on January 11, 2005

NNOOOOOODDLLEESS!!

Best. Idea. Ever.

Fry up some soft tofu (meat works too) in a hot skillet with Peanut Butter, salt, soy sauce, and various sorts of pepper-based products (Chinese pepper sauce, crushed red pepper in oil, Cholula hot sauce, fresh ground black pepper, salsa, whatever), and water.

The key is water. Add it and cook it off to vary the thickness of the sauce. Experiment.

Add cooked noodles (Pasta, Ramen, Soba, Chow Mein, etc.)

End Result = Awesomeness.
posted by blasdelf at 3:23 AM on January 11, 2005

Yessssss...
posted by Witty at 3:35 AM on January 11, 2005

Every so often, I make the "PBL". Toast some bread and apply peanut butter to your approved thickness. Place lettuce (I usually use romaine) between slices. Enjoy. My husband thinks it's gross.
posted by stefnet at 4:15 AM on January 11, 2005

I'm sure that I'd like blasdelf's version more, but if you're in a hurry, you can take your plain old ramen noodles made according to the package directions and just add in a few tablespoons of peanut butter at the end. Kids love this recipe, too. It's a good idea not to overcook the noodles. If you're feeling especially virtuous, toss in some frozen peas.

My father likes to spread peanut butter (smooth) on corn on the cob.

Also, chunky rules.
posted by anapestic at 4:57 AM on January 11, 2005

Try some of these recipes or some of these menu items.
Or, just visit the sandwich shop.
(No, I don't work there, but I have made the pilgrimage more than once.)
posted by kreinsch at 5:00 AM on January 11, 2005

Also, google " 'gado gado' 'peanut butter' " and find a version you like.
posted by anapestic at 5:01 AM on January 11, 2005

Spicy Thai peanut noodles (with ginger, garlic, a bit of vinegar, sugar, cilantro, hot stuff, sesame oil).

Peanut butter and sliced banana sandwich. Preferably on wheat.

Never did go for the Fluffernutter, thought I approve of the idea.
posted by sacre_bleu at 5:44 AM on January 11, 2005

Buckeyes.
posted by sohcahtoa at 5:54 AM on January 11, 2005

Try buckeyes--we do them at Christmas. Combine smooth PB, butter and powdered sugar (use your hands), roll into marble-sized balls and chill. Dip in chocolate so that only the top shows and chill again. Yummy!

Also panang curry. Mmmm...
posted by handful of rain at 5:54 AM on January 11, 2005

I practically grew up on PB+honey. If you let it sit for a few hours (like, for example, in your lunchbox), the honey starts to crystallize and gets crunchy. It's like having little pieces of candy ... in your sandwich! Is it candy? Is it a sandwich? It's both! (I'm also a huge fan of the fluffernutter, but it belongs on the softest, whitest bread you can find, something I don't buy very often.)
posted by uncleozzy at 6:00 AM on January 11, 2005

What can you make with peanut butter? Playdough.
posted by Clay201 at 6:04 AM on January 11, 2005

The Jiffy Burger at Fanny Ann's in Old Sacramento. A fire grilled burger with Jack cheese, Bacon and creamy Jif. An awesome burger that you have to try if you are ever in the area.
posted by geekyguy at 6:06 AM on January 11, 2005

Mom makes these awesome peanut butter bars. They have an oatmeal and peanut butter base, a middle layer of melted chocolate and then topped with peanut butter that has been mixed with other stuff to form a yummy drizzle. I'm at work now and will have to look up the recipe from home tonight if you want it. They're pretty easy to make and very delicious.
posted by onhazier at 6:08 AM on January 11, 2005

I usually just eat it by the spoonful, right out of the jar. Sometimes I'll drop a few chocolate chips in the jar first, and scoop them out with the peanut butter.

Delicious!
posted by rocketman at 6:14 AM on January 11, 2005

Another hearty vote for noodles with peanut sauce. One of my all-time favorite dishes; I can never pass them up when offered on a menu.

Although I’m not usually one for tampering with an already good thing, Peanut Better makes some terrific flavors. I just finished a slice of toast with an obscene amount of their cinnamon-currant flavor on it. It’s soooo good; it has ground cinnamon and tiny fragments of cinnamon stick in it for just a tiny bit of crunch. You can get it at natural food stores (Whole Foods, Wild Oats, etc.).
posted by boomchicka at 6:14 AM on January 11, 2005

my childhood favorite was a peanut butter (smooth) and honey sandwich. On Wonder bread of course.
posted by gregchttm at 6:15 AM on January 11, 2005

Peanutbutter pie, baby. I would link, but the site requires registry, so:

1 cup powdered sugar
1 (8-ounce) block light cream cheese, softened
1 cup natural-style, reduced-fat creamy peanut butter (such as Smucker's)
1 (14-ounce) can fat-free sweetened condensed milk
1 12-ounce tub frozen fat-free whipped topping, thawed
2 9-inch ready-made reduced-fat graham cracker shells
4 teaspoons fat-free chocolate sundae syrup

Combine the first 3 ingredients in a large bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed until smooth. Add the condensed milk, and beat until combined. Stir in the whipped topping. Divide the mixture evenly between shells; chill 8 hours or until set (pies will have a soft, fluffy texture). Cut into wedges, and drizzle with chocolate syrup.

We freeze it, every time. Much better that way.
posted by Medieval Maven at 6:26 AM on January 11, 2005

I always enjoyed PB on celery.
posted by AmaAyeRrsOonN at 6:32 AM on January 11, 2005

At the risk of icking everybody out, my secret passion is peanutbutter and cheezballs. The most fantabulous peanutbutter snack ever. Healthy? Nope! Nutritious? Slightly! Delicious? YOU BET!

Here's what you need:

* 1 heaping tablespoon of creamy PB (keep it on the spoon)
* as many cheezballs (I prefer Planter's) as you desire

Hold spoon in one hand. Can of cheezballs in the other.

One by one, smear cheezballs thru peanutbutter so you get a good glob on it, and eat. Once you master that, you can start making cheezeball molecules by sticking them together with PB and eating all at once. Chomp!

I'm telling you, it's good. The synergy of creamy PB + the flourescent cheez powder = something that has to be eaten to be believed. I've been doing this since I was like, 6. People laugh and mock, but they know not what they are missing.
posted by contessa at 6:34 AM on January 11, 2005

Cooking wise: I love me some peanut tofu stir-fry and, my signature dish, Peanut Butter Squash Enchiladas. It sounds off, but is great... my most requested dish. Email me for a recipe.
posted by maniactown at 6:43 AM on January 11, 2005

Thai Peanut Butter Sauce
Thai Chicken Stir-Fry With Spicy Peanut Sauce
Satay with Peanut Sauce

Needless to say, I wasn't really fond of Thai food at home unless it had some sort of peanut sauce in it.
posted by icontemplate at 6:44 AM on January 11, 2005

A friend of mine makes wraps that all of the kids in the neighborhood line up for. She takes peanut butter and adds mashed up sweetened cereal to it - usually Frosted Flakes or Cap'n Crunch. Then she adds some chocolate chips or coconut, mixes it all together, and smears the whole mess on a wrap, rolls it up and cuts it into slices like sushi or pinwheels.
posted by iconomy at 7:00 AM on January 11, 2005

I love peanut butter also, and it's worth noting that although the Skippy variety is not very good for you due to all kinds of bad fats, the natural kinds are fine for you (except for the calories and the fat itself, but it is not 'bad' fat).

Recipes:
PB & honey is immeasurably better with some sweet cream butter also.

Oatmeal with a healthy glop of PB, some brown sugar and raisins is one of my favorite breakfasts. Far superior to any other way of making oatmeal.

I like a good PB and cheddar cheese sandwich. Very rich, but very tasty.
posted by OmieWise at 7:05 AM on January 11, 2005

Peanut butter and brown sugar sandwich, then grilled in the same way you will 'grill' a grilled cheese sandwich. Delicious - it's dessert for lunch.
posted by milkrate at 7:27 AM on January 11, 2005

Am I the only one who likes bacon on my pb-honey-and-banana sandwiches? Turkey bacon works ok too. The salt and crunch is a perfect combination with all the heavy sweetness...
posted by equipoise at 7:29 AM on January 11, 2005

Elvis loved it, equipoise. Such great contributions folks. Thanks! It's nice to know I'm not the only one.
posted by Witty at 7:37 AM on January 11, 2005

My dad eats peanut butter on ice cream.

A friend eats PB-onion and PB-potato chip sandwiches, as well as the classic PB-pickle combo.

My favorite contender in the nut butter family is Nutella.
posted by naomi at 7:46 AM on January 11, 2005

Peanut butter, for me, goes extremely well with salty-crunchy. Trader Joe's peanut butter filled pretzel nuggets are referred to as "Evil" in my household. The chocolate covered variety...oh my god.

I'm not a fan of peanut butter fudge, but regular fudge with PB fudge marbled into it...

Oh - the Thai peanut noodles? Try using the sauce as a dipping sauce for cooked pieces of chicken.
posted by plinth at 7:56 AM on January 11, 2005

Decadent and wonderful: peanut butter, honey and mashed banana spread onto a thick slice of challah bread, topped with another thick slice of challah, soaked in egg and fried in butter (low-medium heat, don't burn it!) as a stuffed French toast. Serve with real maple syrup, but on the side for light dipping rather than drizzled over. Mmmm.
posted by Dreama at 7:57 AM on January 11, 2005

Add some raisins to your PB on celery and you've got 'ants on a log,' one of my personal favorites as a kid.

Sounds a lot more strange now than it did then.
posted by nbrier at 8:02 AM on January 11, 2005

When I was a kid my birthday cake was always chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting. The frosting I believe was peanut butter with confectioners sugar.
posted by LarryC at 8:14 AM on January 11, 2005

George Washington Carver would be proud of this thread.
posted by teg at 8:22 AM on January 11, 2005

I second OmieWise's peanut butter and cheddar cheese sandwich. I made it one day only because all I had at home was 12-grain bread, crunchy peanut butter, and medium strength cheddar cheese. It is now my favorite peanut butter sandwich ever! I would never have imagined the combination of those two would taste that good.
posted by omair at 8:24 AM on January 11, 2005

No votes for inside a Reeses Peanut Butter Cup yet? : )

When I was in school, we'd occasionally get Peanut Butter Crunch Bars for dessert in school lunches. That was always a happy thing. Now I am craving one...

(And I hadn't found that recipe til now! other recipes for peanut butter crunch bars were for different things. I must make this!)
posted by SisterHavana at 8:25 AM on January 11, 2005

Boy, you wanna talk about a strange subject for people to get so excited about.... but damnit, this stuff is amazing. One of the finest foods known to humanity.

But to return to the mundane....

Peanut butter on toast. I thought it would be a gooey mess, but it's actually better if the PB gets melted by hot toast (it soaks into the bread). Shake some cinnamon on top before you close the sandwich.

Peanut butter with fresh fruit instead of jam, jelly or honey. Apple slices, berries, grapes (slice them in half first for best results), and so on.... Greatest thing since sliced bread. Dried fruit can be good, too, of course. Also try adding different kinds of nuts (I like cashews) for flavor variations.

And speaking of sliced bread, try using something else, like wraps. You can usually buy 10-packs of flour tortillas; smear PB over a part, layer on fruit (if slices, arrange so you'll be rolling against the short dimension of the slice....) or jelly, and roll it up. I was told by a woman I dated that her sons went nuts for it (combining the familiar with the slightly rebellious as it does).

And speaking of alternate peanut butters (as someone was), you can now get at least a couple of different kinds of "all natural" stuff in most groceries. I buy the Smuckers; it's cheaper than the other mainstream brand of all natural stuff. Once you've gotten used to all-natural, the other stuff just doesn't taste like peanuts anymore. And I wouldn't even think of using the highly-sweetened mainstream stuff (and it is, you know) with something savory like pepper or garlic jelly....

And speaking of peanut butter safety (which no one was), my brother (who for professional reasons knows a lot about agronomy) has told me that it's probably not a good idea to eat random all-natural peanut butter in large volumes, due to risk of aflatoxin poisoning, which is cumulative; the "bucket 'o' PB" brands tend to use lower grade peanuts, which are more likely to be contaminated with fungus. So mainstream brands are probably better for long term consumption, unless you know that your locally-ground natural stuff is made with high-grade peanuts (less fungus).

And speaking of peanut butter outside of North America (which I don't think anybody was, either), same brother from above spent a year in Liberia (before the civil war), and told me that they were crazy for western-style peanut butter there. They'd use in in preference to peanuts in their recipes, whenever they could. It was a very high-status food.

OK, I'm done now.
posted by lodurr at 8:32 AM on January 11, 2005

I have some Thai peanut sauce that I use as a marinade on chicken and fish when I grill them. It's a taste combination that I never would have expected to taste good, but it's delicious!
posted by emelenjr at 8:34 AM on January 11, 2005

To Witty's anecdote about the Estonian kids: A lot of Europeans haven't eaten peanut butter and I suppose the flavor takes some getting used to. It's like our version of marmite or vegemite, except not a cruel joke.

As for me, one of my favorite ways to enjoy a peanut butter sandwich is with corn or potato chips. It's been alluded to in this thread, but I don't think it's been directly mentioned.
posted by Gnatcho at 8:51 AM on January 11, 2005 [1 favorite]

My dad eats peanut butter on ice cream.

Friendly's uses it as an ice cream topping.

Peanut butter, for me, goes extremely well with salty-crunchy. Trader Joe's peanut butter filled pretzel nuggets are referred to as "Evil" in my household. The chocolate covered variety...oh my god.

Yes, now put it in ice cream.
posted by kreinsch at 9:08 AM on January 11, 2005

I don't like peanut butter... so there, I've contributed as much as I can.

In the early days of the n00b invasion, several old timers said that asking questions to get a social thread going was not what AskMe is for, and several n00bs got hammered because of that. Has that changed? Cuz I didn't get the memo.

Or to put it nonconfrontationally, was it really just that the old timers were fed up with the influx at the time, and an occasional social thread is okay, or what?
</tangent>
posted by Doohickie at 9:34 AM on January 11, 2005

My favorite is a grilled PB&J- Make up the sandwich as you normally would and grill like a grilled cheese. Runny jelly and runny peanut butter. yummy.

A related question/anecdote- I don't like PB&J sandwhiches made by anyone but myself. My wife for instance wants to put the peanut butter on both slices of bread. Why would you do that?
posted by TuxHeDoh at 9:56 AM on January 11, 2005

I almost forgot: My all-time favorite shake is to take 3 big scoops of vanilla icecream, a spash of milk, a couple of heaping spoons of peanut butter and a glob of chocolate sauce. Blend together so it's nice and thick. Enjoy!
posted by onhazier at 9:57 AM on January 11, 2005

As kids my sibs and I would swirl maple syrup and peanut butter (crunchy rules!) together and make sandwiches with it. We ate it so often that for many years after that I couldn't stand maple flavour on anything.

Currently I like butter, apple butter and peanut butter sandwiches. Butter, honey and peanut butter is a close second.
posted by deborah at 10:00 AM on January 11, 2005

Decadent and wonderful: peanut butter, honey and mashed banana spread onto a thick slice of challah bread, topped with another thick slice of challah, soaked in egg and fried in butter (low-medium heat, don't burn it!) as a stuffed French toast. Serve with real maple syrup, but on the side for light dipping rather than drizzled over. Mmmm.

Wow - I blacked out when I read this. Woke up with my head on my keyboard, covered in drool. On a serious note, I'm actually getting up to go to the convenience store around the corner and buy a jar. Add one plastic spoon from the office kitchen. Mmmmm.....
posted by jalexei at 10:15 AM on January 11, 2005 [1 favorite]

This is not a social thread so much as it is an informational thread with some social aspects, which many threads have, anyway. I, for one, have learned many additional uses for peanut butter.

Has anyone mentioned PB cookies? The recipe in the old version of Joy of Cooking was very good. You can also, of course, put a Hershey's kiss in the middle of them, immediately the come out of the oven.
posted by anapestic at 10:45 AM on January 11, 2005

Um, that should be "immediately they come out of the oven."
posted by anapestic at 10:49 AM on January 11, 2005

Gnatcho, try peanut butter and Marmite on a toasted, buttered English muffin or, better yet, crumpet. And why has no one mentioned peanutbutter 'n' Fluff, which is also very tasty on the afore-mentioned toasted, buttered English muffin. One each of the Marmite and Fluff combo is an excellent and wholesome thing.

We used to make peanut butter fudge a lot. The recipe called for sugar, milk, peanut butter and just a bit of vanilla.

Smooth works better in fudge, otherwise I like it chunky. The very best peanut butter is the coarse, sweet filling of a Reese's Peanut Butter egg, which maximizes the peanut butter in the pb:chocolate ratio. Trust me; I've done the research.
posted by theora55 at 11:19 AM on January 11, 2005

Have had peanut butter and soy salad dressing at Chinese restaurants before, which was good.

My personal favorite food of all time (and I used to be a professional cook) is a family invention, the peanut butter and blueberry sandwich. Hot, toasted, white bread, creamy peanut butter and fresh, cold blueberries. The combination of the sweet, sour and cool of the blueberries with the hot, gooey and salty of the peanut butter is heavenly.
posted by bradhill at 11:33 AM on January 11, 2005 [1 favorite]

This is not a social thread so much as it is an informational thread with some social aspects, which many threads have, anyway. I, for one, have learned many additional uses for peanut butter.
I was told the difference between a good AskMe question and a social one is that a social question is open-ended and not looking for any particulary answer, while a good AskMe question is looking for a hard answer (such as what is the best software application for a certain project).
I'll take my answer off the air.
</tangent>
posted by Doohickie at 11:41 AM on January 11, 2005

For breakfast, most days, I have a smoothie made of I banana, I tablespoon of porridge oats, a glop of honey, a tablespoon of peanut butter and enough soya milk to make it drinkable.

It's disgusting, but is it healthy? If not, I'm knocking it on the head.
posted by Fat Buddha at 11:51 AM on January 11, 2005

When I was a little we used to mix peanut butter with honey and enough instant nonfat dry milk powder to make it stiff, then roll it into shapes and eat it as candy. Yummy.

My mom puts first butter and then peanut butter on a rice cake. The textures are fantastic, but I'm not sure what the rice cake is doing there. Pretending to be healthy, I guess.
posted by cali at 12:19 PM on January 11, 2005

Elvis style of course.

I used ranch flavour ripple chips and peanut butter like nacho chips and salsa.

On the honey and PB front I always have a jar of 50/50 honey and PB mixed together in the fridge.

And what is it about PB and bananas anyway? No other fruit seems to be so strongly linked with PB. Like cheese and apple pie.
posted by Mitheral at 12:39 PM on January 11, 2005

Spread peanut butter on thin crust cheese pizza. Seriously.
posted by modofo at 12:46 PM on January 11, 2005

The lovely Indigo Girl has recipes for chocolate peanut butter brownie trifle and peanut butter, chocolate and butterscotch cookies. I hate peanut butter, but they sound nice, so I thought I'd share.
posted by corvine at 12:58 PM on January 11, 2005

Although I wouldn't exactly consider it a peanut butter dish, I love African chicken-peanut stew. Peanut oil, peanut butter, tomatoes and assorted veggies, lots of spices... Very tasty.
posted by Specklet at 1:11 PM on January 11, 2005 [1 favorite]

It's not a fancy or weird recipe but cinnamon raisin bagels beg for peanut butter, not cream cheese.
posted by furiousthought at 1:18 PM on January 11, 2005

Lots of recipes and PB info here.


Doohickie, it should be obvious that "please share PB recipes" is different from "what's your favorite color?"
posted by CunningLinguist at 2:58 PM on January 11, 2005

Since it has not been mentioned at this late stage PB and Applebutter. Total sandwiches eaten has to be more than 10000 life to date. Also in my opinion the PB should be spread on the banana.
posted by mss at 3:17 PM on January 11, 2005

On toast, topped with thinly sliced tomato, a drizzle of extra-virgin olive oil, some Maldon sea salt and a grind of black pepper. A good drizzle of Chipotle Tabasco also livens up PB on toast, as does a poached egg. Sometimes after a heavy night I crave - wait for it - peanut butter toast with canned sardines in tomato sauce. Mush the fish and the PB all together then top with a grind of black pepper.

As a kid, I used to make a triple-decker sandwich - a PB and banana sandwich, topped by PB and strawberry jam (and a slice of bread), topped by PB and honey (and another slice of bread).

As a smaller kid, I used to lie face down on a tyre swing, wind it round and round and round til I was quite a way from the ground, then let myself spin back down to the bottom. One day I got it in my head to do this while trying to lick as much heavily slathered PB off a SAO biscuit (a dry, plain square cracker) as possible before getting to the ground. The spiral of vomit on the ground was quite artistic. Just thinking about PB and SAOs makes me feel ill.

My German relatives had only tried PB from the US and Europe, and they hated it. However, a cousin came to Australia and fell in love with Australian PB (specifically, Kraft chunky). He said it was completely different to the American and German stuff.

The only American PB I had tried at the time was in Smuckers Goober Grape, and it was indeed terrible. When I finally visited the US in 2003 I found that I, too, can't stand American peanut butter. It's weird and synthetic, like your jelly and your ice cream. I'm reminded of H2G2 - it's almost, but not entirely, unlike peanut butter. PB cups taste so much better made with the Aussie stuff.
posted by obiwanwasabi at 5:56 PM on January 11, 2005

Crunchy peanut butter on rice cakes - mm mm good!
posted by Lynsey at 6:16 PM on January 11, 2005

My favorites:
Peanut butter & cream cheese sandwiches; Peanut butter, strawberry jam, & mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip) sandwiches (I learned this one from my dad); Peanut butter on cornbread; melted peanut butter poured on chocolate ice cream; celery with peanut butter and chocolate chips.

I also once made a great peanut butter pumpkin curry soup. Mmm.

My coworker's son like peanut butter on onion-garlic bagels. He says it's kind of thai-flavored.
posted by belladonna at 6:18 PM on January 11, 2005

Doohickie, it should be obvious that "please share PB recipes" is different from "what's your favorite color?"
It should be, but it isn't. Honestly, I don't see the difference. I guess I should get my own tagline:
"DooHickie. I still don't get it." ;- P
posted by Doohickie at 6:36 PM on January 11, 2005

I've had peanut butter and dill pickle sandwiches since I was about 6. It's been a while since the last one though...

My dad introduced me to peanut butter and Walla Walla sweet onion sandwiches when I was around 12. They're also very good.

At 18, I remember stopping in at a little restaurant in Seattle that served peanut butter on a hamburger. It was good enough that I've had several homemade ones since. (The restaurant is now gone -- it was where the Larry's Market on Queen Anne Hill is now.)

I'm eating a can of pickled jalapenos right now and I can't help but wonder...
posted by xiojason at 9:16 PM on January 11, 2005

Peanutbutter with Red Currant Jelly with blue cheese!
(or most any cheese, but the blue is quite special)

PB with tomato, mayonaise optional.

PB and American yellow mustard.

Messy and delicious! PB with butter and spegetti in red sauce! Yellow mustard adds some zing.

I am on a diet. No PB today :-(
posted by Goofyy at 2:09 AM on January 12, 2005

Thanks everybody. That generated far more ideas and thoughts that I could have possibly imagined. But I snagged a new jar of PB last night and I'm ready to roll.

Doohickie - In case you're still checking this thread, I will offer you my opinion in regards to your concern. I understand where you're coming from to a point. But really, this thread is/was a plea for ideas and recipes that use PB, to help me satisfy my cravings for peanut butter in new and exciting ways. It's really not all that much different than a thread that asked, "I love small cars. What are some of your favorite small cars on the market today as well as compact must-drives from the past?" Or even, "What are some of your favorite books from your pre-teenage years?" Of course the thread will be somewhat chatty - it's impossible for it not to be. But it certainly isn't the kind of chatty thread that you're concerned about... like, "What did y'all think of last night's episode of Friends?"
posted by Witty at 2:36 AM on January 12, 2005

I'm eating a can of pickled jalapenos right now and I can't help but wonder...

I've done it with fresh peppers - stuff jalapenos with peanut butter, batter them and deep fry. Yum!
posted by kreinsch at 5:04 AM on January 12, 2005

Witty. Okay, I see your point. But if a n00b had posted a similar question (even though it was a serious attempt to get information) a month ago, I'm sure the snark sharks would have pounced with all kinds of STFU graphics and the like. Thankfully, that has quieted down significantly. I wasn't challenging your posting, just trying to understand the subtleties of the mythical guidelines. And while I didn't get it when I posted my first comment here, I now understand the distinction between a serious request for input and a purely social "water cooler" type question. Peace.
posted by Doohickie at 7:19 AM on January 12, 2005