Food: Four Surprising Food Combinations

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Four Surprising Food Combinations
Wednesday, September 06, 2006

During the course of a lifetime, everyone experiments with food to some extent. When I was in high school, a friend of mine decided to combine her two favorite foods, expecting to create a flavor explosion that would be her favorite... times two. When I tell you that her two favorite foods were chocolate and pickles, you can imagine the results for yourself.

But sometimes, interesting food combinations do work- even when they sound a little disgusting at first. Below are my top three unusual food combinations that worked. Some of these you may have heard of before; some of them might sound absolutely disgusting to you. But if you're feeling a little adventurous, these are worth a try. Trust me.

1. Chili and Peanut Butter
This combination is more common than I thought at first. I believed that everyone had tried chili and cornbread, but my dad was the only person I knew that would roll up a peanut butter sandwich every time we had chili for dinner. Then, finally, one day I tried it with him. It really is amazing. The heavy, nutty flavor of the peanut butter mixes perfectly with the hot liquidy chili, resulting in the perfect blend of flavors that leaves you feeling full and satisfied. A plus- if you choose low-fat peanut butter and whole wheat bread for your accompanying sandwich, you're adding lots of vitamins to the meal. If you have a low-cal chili to begin with, this can be an extraordinarily healthy choice.

2. Tuna and Olives (or Pickles)
This one is also courtesy of my dad, who was a source of constant amusement during mealtimes at my house. But this one also works amazingly well. The idea is to add green olive slices (or whole olives, if you're lazy) to your tuna sandwich. You can also use pickle chips if you choose. The trick is to put the olives and pickles directly into the sandwich; eating them on the side just isn't the same. The salty taste of the olives and their accompanying salt brine will leak into your tuna sandwich, soaking the bread just enough and combining with the fish to create a unique taste that I sometimes wake up at night craving. And no, I'm not pregnant.

3. Coffee and Bananas
Discovered completely by accident, the combination of coffee and bananas is the one that makes most people cringe when I first mention it. But think about it for a second. Most of us, when ordering bitter black coffee, either crave or require something sweet to go with it. Why do you think that coffeehouses sell pastries and doughnuts, displayed prominently next to the beans? The thing is, bananas are one of the sweetest, most candy-like fruits available, and they cut the bitterness of the coffee without creating a gross taste. Try combining strawberries and coffee, and the result is much more unpleasant. So next time you're having a sweet tooth craving with your coffee, peel a banana and munch it down. You might find yourself wondering, like I did, why they don't make banana-flavored coffee. It's that good.

4. Bananas and Oranges.
OK, so this combination is hardly unusual. And I know that fruit salads have been around since the beginning of time (or at least the beginning of family reunions) and I'm certainly not the only one to combine these two ingredients. But I mention it here for a specific reason: If you've never combined bananas and oranges, and JUST bananas and oranges, with no other ingredients in the mix, then you're missing something special. These two flavors go together in a very unique way, creating an absolutely delicious sweetness that reminds me, oddly enough, of baked goods. If I ever have kids, this is the combination I'm going to use to make them like fruit. Simply peel and slice up both fruits, then combine in a bowl. It works best if you let it sit for awhile to let the flavors commingle.

There you have it- my interesting food combinations. Chances are good you have some of your own. Feel free to comment and tell us all about it. Or try the above ideas and let us know what you think.
-by bjp

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